Hey, I’m writing a paper on the tarck/track bike scene and it’s growth and I was wondering if you people could answer some questions for me. They’re pretty simple, but answers w/ lots of detail are always best!
I am focusing a lot on the Richmond VA area, but anything will help, and i really want perspectives from people in other areas, but if you have any knowledge of the RVA scene or experience post those too!
Thanks so much!
When did you first start riding track bikes?
What got you into it?/ How did you come to know of it?
Would you say that the track bike trend is growing? How so / why?
What, in your mind, makes a city bike-friendly?
What are some major differences between cities?
what do you think the future holds for the bike scene? why?
is there anything else you want me to know about your scene or any other? blurbs, facts, random stuff, etc?
Track or fixed? My first fixed gear was an IRO Jamie Roy that I bought complete back in the summer of 2006.
A roommate had a conversion that I found really fun.
Yes. It’s getting bigger. Because it has an aesthetic appeal to it. It’s a good question though as to why it’s getting big and not, say, bmx or something like that. I guess because despite it’s popularity it still seems to stay within the ‘alternative’ scenes – and we all know how fashionable those are. Plus it’s pretty fun.
Having marked bike lanes/bike shared lanes. City officials who promote cycling. Bike friendly public transport (racks on buses, bikes allowed on trains, etc). But I really think the most important is the city as an entity making it clear that they support cycling.
Size. Location. Names.
It will only get bigger. #1 Gas prices. #2 The environment. #3 It’s coming back as a ‘cool’ thing.
I just moved here so I don’t know about the scene.
My first fixed gear was a used Surly Steamroller in 2005 that was too big for me.
A friend of mine talked about them a little before I bought that steamroller, then I discovered bikeforums.com and learned a lot there.
Yeah I think it is getting bigger. There’s a decent amount of entry-level fixed gear bikes availible plus a huge wealth of information due to online forums and sheldon brown’s website that it’s really easy to get into right now. Take a look at your local college campus and count the fixed gears.
As to why? The two reasons that stick out in my mind are Fashion and Fun. Hopefully fitness and transportation catch up.
I moved from Virginia Beach, VA to Portland, OR in 2006 so I have seen both sides. More than bike lanes or bike racks or bike specific traffic signals the most important thing is the city’s attitude. Portland has such a positive attitude towards cycling. It’s promoted not just as a healthy hobby but an incredibly fun and incredibly practical form of transportation.
On top of that we have pedal palooza. the entire month of june is filled with multiple bike events every day. bike parades, bike jousting, bike polo, bike-in movies, and countless themed bike rides, all ending in the Multnomah County Bike Fair.
Size. Location. Names.
I can’t see it losing popularity. Fixed gear bikes I can definitely see losing ground but bikes in general I think aren’t going anywhere. I don’t really see the media attaching to it the same way it did skateboarding. They’ve made an attempt or two but it didn’t really stick. People are still going to want to have fun, people are still going to want to save money, and hopefully people will start wanting to get in shape.
Portland is amazing. So many bicyclists and so little pretentiousness.
I guess conversions don’t count as track bikes but I got into them a few years ago. I build up my first “track” bike last year.
What got you into it?/ How did you come to know of it?
Friend was a messenger and I saw his. It looked pretty neat. Went out to an alley cat a year ago and saw some, looked like tons of fun so I built my own.
Would you say that the track bike trend is growing? How so / why?
What, in your mind, makes a city bike-friendly?
Bike advocacy groups, government backing (i.e. bike lanes, routes), aware and understanding drivers.
What are some major differences between cities?
Almost every city will be completely different in almost every one of its aspects. I’ve rode in many cities and some are way better then others in terms of bike safety and riding-friendly. They range from lack of bike routes, shitty drivers (Usually holds true for almost every city), condition of roads, etc…
what do you think the future holds for the bike scene? why?
Its only going to get bigger like always, I think the fixed scene is going to stop growing very soon and move on to different things. Those are the things I’m looking for. (There are only so many things you can film on a fixed trick sesh…). Gas prices are going to drive the way the bike community grows I believe.
is there anything else you want me to know about your scene or any other? blurbs, facts, random stuff, etc?
If you are looking for some more information, Watch: Pedal, Red light go, and sadly enough MASH (to see where the fixed gear scene is going towards). Each one of them is different with what it tells about the biking and messenger/track bike scene.
track bikes or fixed gears? A friend of mine gave me a conversion he’d built some time in 2005, but my first “track” bike was my '07 BFSSFGIRO .
Well I’ve always ridden bikes, I guess I was initially exposed to fixed riding via a couple out of town friends. Sheldon and Bikeforums is where I really learned though.
I’d definitely say that it’s growing, it seems like over the past few months I’ve been seeing a new track bike on the streets at least once a week.
The attitude of the people who live there. I’ve ridden in bike friendly cities, but New Orleans is definitely not one of them. We’re working on that though.
Size. Location. Names. Attitude towards cyclists.
I think that cycling as a whole is going to continue getting popular again, with the rising cost of gas and environmental awareness, I don’t really see how it couldn’t. As far as the tarck scene is concerned, I’m really not sure. In my opinion though, the less barspins the better.
i never rode a ‘real’ track bike as in one that is meant to be raced. i built up my fixed gear bike about 6-7 years ago.
i was looking to build a new bike, working at a shop will do that to you. i rode a co-workers fuji and had a blast. i ordered up a surly steamroller frame and high flange track hubs the next week.
i’ve noticed more and more track bikes and fixed gear bikes in the past few years. when i first built mine it took me a bit of time to explain to people why i could not coast. now the standard response is “oh, a fixie.” so, yes, the trend is growing.
the people
the people: cyclists and non cyclists. having people buzz by you in their cars on the main roads yelling things like ‘get out of the road, fag!’ or ‘allez! allez!’ while trying to give myself a heart attack climbing a steady grade. other things like the condition of the streets, bike paths, sidewalks, hills, flats, wind, smog, bums, broken glass, parked cars, abandoned cars, smokers, drunks, children…
trendy kids are buying fixed gear bikes, cycling caps, girls jeans and riding around all over the place.
friends and around here you cant walk up to a bike rack with out double locking to a fixed wheel bike
I would say that the fixed gear bike trend is holding steady. As new people come in older riders are moving on, not necessarily from bikes but just on to other types of bikes.
It is all in the attitude toward cyclists.
Attitude toward cyclists, “bike culture”, winter
The bike scene? I think the bike scene will stay similar to what it is today, maybe grow a little, old will be replaced with new. As this bike boom continues i don’t know how many people will want to become involoved in the “scene” rather they will just ride there bikes. There are lots of people who own cars but just use them for transport…right
Never ridden track. I have ridden fixed for 2 years. 05 Langster.
I had an old Peugot frame I rode around. Realized I only used 1 gear most of the time so I tried getting it converted (French frames are impossible) so I bought my Langster SS. Friend told me about fixed. Haven’t looked back.
Yes. I live in SF so I see all the fashiontarckers all the time. Its a green (therefore hip) cheap (therefore hip) mode of transportation that you can customize and make your own(therefore hip), tarck is popular because its easy to deal with. Simplicity is beauty.
Bike lanes. driver awareness. Plentiful lockups that aren’t parking meters or sign post. Active bike community.
Culture. Location. Quantity of people. Terrain.
More people getting into it. Hopefully more people really enjoying it for itself and not just because it saves them money and is cool.
good job jim…you gonna be around for the pub crawl on Sunday? and were do you work over there? i might have a job there so depending on where you live, we can ride together
Hey, I’m writing a paper on the tarck/track bike scene and it’s growth and I was wondering if you people could answer some questions for me. They’re pretty simple, but answers w/ lots of detail are always best!
I am focusing a lot on the Richmond VA area, but anything will help, and i really want perspectives from people in other areas, but if you have any knowledge of the RVA scene or experience post those too!
Thanks so much!
When did you first start riding track bikes?
[color=#0000FF]I’m also not entirely clear on whether you mean trackbikes or fixed-gears… my first conversion was… around early 1995, I think I might’ve gotten my current trackbike by the end of 1996[/color]
What got you into it?/ How did you come to know of it?
[color=#0000FF]I was messengering at the time, I was having some issues with my cassette and decided it might be the time to take the plunge… anything lower maintenance and higher durability is an excellent thing for someone like me[/color]
Would you say that the track bike trend is growing? How so / why?
[color=#0000FF]Definitely growing, just look at the availability of entry-level trackbikes/fixedgears… I won’t go into conjecture on what’s driving the trend, I’ll leave that to others to riddle out[/color]
What, in your mind, makes a city bike-friendly?
[color=#0000FF] I’m not sure I’ve ever lived in a city that I would qualify as “bike friendly” outside of a few months in PDX, which I didn’t like[/color]
What are some major differences between cities?
[color=#0000FF] Boston has hills, New Orleans does not[/color]
what do you think the future holds for the bike scene? why?
[color=#0000FF]more people cycling to avoid the insane gas prices and maybe help global warming while they’re at it?[/color]
is there anything else you want me to know about your scene or any other? blurbs, facts, random stuff, etc?
What got you into it?/ How did you come to know of it?
Saw lots of people with them. Read about them on brianforums. Finally went and tried out a Steamroller and bought it that day. had been biking in the city for almost a year, but got tired of my shifters not shifting and my brakes not braking.
Would you say that the track bike trend is growing? How so / why?
well, it’s a fad for a lot of people. the fad is what got me into it, i guess, but i’m riding one just because i like it. i think there are a lot of people like me.
What, in your mind, makes a city bike-friendly?
i dunno. i think a lot of the drivers accept the crazy-ass bikers and try and just do their thing. plus, there are lots of plans for new bikes paths and they try painting them and just try and find the safest way to include us.
What are some major differences between cities?
no clue. haven’t really been to any other cities besides ny and boston. although they all suck besides nyc. that’s a major difference, right?
what do you think the future holds for the bike scene? why?
got me
is there anything else you want me to know about your scene or any other? blurbs, facts, random stuff, etc?
MY scene? I don’t really have a scene… I just bike alone. Never been apart of the bike scene, so I don’t really know.
[quote=“lynnajs”]Hey, I’m writing a paper on the tarck/track bike scene and it’s growth and I was wondering if you people could answer some questions for me. They’re pretty simple, but answers w/ lots of detail are always best!
I am focusing a lot on the Richmond VA area, but anything will help, and i really want perspectives from people in other areas, but if you have any knowledge of the RVA scene or experience post those too!
Thanks so much!
When did you first start riding track bikes?
What got you into it?/ How did you come to know of it?
Would you say that the track bike trend is growing? How so / why?
What, in your mind, makes a city bike-friendly?
What are some major differences between cities?
what do you think the future holds for the bike scene? why?
is there anything else you want me to know about your scene or any other? blurbs, facts, random stuff, etc?
Name? age? location? etc…[/quote]
Coincidentally, I first found out about track bikes while sitting at the Village Cafe on Harrison and Grace one night in summer of 2004. How’s that for an RVA experience? I was there with some friends, and one of their friends showed up on a green conversion. I asked why his bike had no brakes, he explained, I decided I must have one of my own, and a few months later I was paying an LBS here in Blacksburg to build me up an old Gitane. Shortly after wrecking that bike I became part of the local co-op and started using their tools to build a replacement. I then bought tools of my own and have built several more bikes for myself, friends, and relatives. I even built one for my brother, who lives just a few blocks from the Village Cafe.
see above.
Yes, I live in a small town and I am constantly seeing new fixed gear bikes show up in the area.
The presence of at least one major university, extensive bike paths and routes, plentiful and well-designed lockup racks, and lots and lots of cyclists/bike commuters. Blacksburg, VA is a decent example. Madison, WI is a shining example.
Besides the things mentioned in #4, a major concern for me when riding in a new city is how likely it is that someone will try to steal my bike.
More bike commuters and a more active bike culture in most cities and large towns, as suburban sprawl recedes into new urbanism.
What got you into it?/ How did you come to know of it?
-I had heard of it a long time ago and seen messengers in MPLS riding them. I thought it was interesting, but didn’t pay too much attention to it. In 2004 I found Sheldon Brown’s website which first planted the idea in my head. At that time I was converting a mountain bike to single speed. Jump to 2006, I was riding a lot and bikes just weren’t offering the same enjoyment that they had in the past. I decided to build up a fixed gear to try to rekindle my love of bikes. Short answer: It worked.
Would you say that the track bike trend is growing? How so / why?
-It’s growing. Every week I see more and more fixed gears being ridden and locked up around town.
What, in your mind, makes a city bike-friendly?
-The overall attitude and acceptance of bikes as a relevant form of transportation.
What are some major differences between cities?
-You can’t buy Leinenkugel’s, Old Style, or Grain Belt in Boise.
what do you think the future holds for the bike scene? why?
-Eventually the bikes with gain consciousness and overpower us. A crack commando unit that was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn’t commit, and escaped to the Los Angeles underground will be our only hope.
is there anything else you want me to know about your scene or any other? blurbs, facts, random stuff, etc?
-I just bought some new Sambas today and they are made from Kangaroo skin.
loves Bourbon Street