These "old school" style bikes, particularly sleek because they are built from old road bikes - yes, yes, those from the beginnings of the Tour de France! :who has not already noticed them in town, available in many colors, sometimes two-tone, chains, handlebar tape and matching leather saddles? What are the origins and uniqueness of these little hipster queens?
The "fixie" (nicer abbreviation of "fixed gear") is a bicycle mounted with a non-freewheeling gear and therefore fixed to the wheel at the rear (a classic bicycle is normally mounted in freewheel). The unicycle is also mounted in fixed gear, which allows the happy "pilot" to be able to pedal backwards and thus roll backwards:the fixie bike has, logically, this same characteristic. It is therefore possible to do tricks (called "tricks", inspired by BMX) but the fixie is also appreciated for its fluidity on urban surfaces and its generous turn of the wheel.
A phenomenon of urban cycling dating from the late 1990s-2000s, the fixed gear has become the choice of many daily users, for its intuitive and flexible nature, especially in town:not only quick and fun to use (once 'we know how to do it!), it also has the advantage of being highly customizable. The umpteenth derivative of street culture, it could only be invested in by graffiti and street art enthusiasts… but also by those who follow the trend! A strange fate for a "simple" bicycle.
This craze for the fixie does not stop, far from it, at the only means of transport that it represents. Even if, as mentioned earlier, it enjoys many advantages in this regard, the fashion effect aroused is growing and leads to the appearance of specialized stores. Various sites on the internet even offer to personalize your bike from A to Z and have it delivered ready to ride at home. The procedure is very simple:an online virtual visualization, modifiable in real time and down to the smallest detail. The first prices range from 395EUR to 550EUR, for a "basic" fixie without delivery (Funked up fixies, Singlebikes; Fixiestudio is a simple viewer).
The practice of fixed gear, imported from the United States, represents a real subculture and creates a feeling of belonging, like any fashion. Clothing brands in his image are born in the States as well as magazines that are entirely dedicated to him. The ways of exercising, and above all of showing off in a fixie, are increasingly varied:track cycling, bicycle polo, street (artistic cycling), and finally the competition for the most beautiful bike are all activities born of this emulation. . But rest assured, if the competition is not your thing, the fixie is aimed in practice and above all at Sunday do-it-yourselfers, skateboarders in retraining and other street sportsmen in search of new sensations.
