Why do I Ride a Fixie?

I have thought about this question many times. Why do I love my fixie bike? The answer is lifestyle! I absolutely love spending my free time gliding around the hustle and bustle of the city. I love floating through cars with my narrow bars. I love pushing my rear tire out to the left and sliding through a concrete playground with wind in my face (sideways skid stop), the sun in the sky and life all around me. I love how it feels like more of dance than a sport. Bloody hell, I sound more like hippy than hip!

It's just that riding a fixed gear feels so fluid compared to other bikes. It seems like the perfect city activity. If I lived in the country, I'm sure I'd be flying down a mountain on a trail bike. I live in the fringe though. I'm not in the burbs and not in the middle of skyscrapers. I live in a no man's land stuffed with graffiti, cool cafes and plenty of concrete. I am young and free and this is why I'm fixie crazy!

My First BMX

I was 6 years old. It was Christmas of 1984 and all I ever wanted was a cool BMX. All my friends had one. I had a boring old road bike, I cant even remember the name, but it was popular at the time. My brother and I woke up on Christmas morning and ran outside to find my grandmother had pulled into the driveway. In the back of her station wagon were two BMX's all wrapped up, a blue one for my brother and the above red one for myself. We have never been so exited in all our lives! She also had wrapped up helmets and pad sets all matching of course.

Our font yard was a kind of hill that went down from the top side of the house to the bottom. It was the perfect dusty dirty mound type terrain for a first go on a BMX. We pushed our bikes up to the top and were off before you could say go. The race was on! At the tender age of six, I wasn't exactly accustom to the idea of front and back breaks.

We were half way down our exhilarating first run when I came face to face with a pot hill and slammed on the first brake that came to mind. It just so happened to by the front break. I did a full forward somersault over the pot hill and landed on my back. A little shaken, but surprisingly not injured other than a little scrape here and there. This was the begging to a fantastic childhood. We made all kinds jumps and tracks in the front yard and before we knew it, we were at the race track with other BMX enthusiasts. It's a fantastic age, where fear is an afterthought and the present is everything. What a marvelous feeling.

My first race was a brilliant experience. The other kids were quite a bit older, but I didn't even notice. The race began as per usual with a steep decline to build up your speed and the then some bumps, jumps and turns. I was going for gold, and madly fearlessly so. I was loving it. Speed, competition and  a mouth full of dust. It didn't take long before I hit an unforeseen ditch, half way through the track and went head over heels. The other kids took no notice and just rode over me lying in the dirt. When the last one had gone through, there were tyre marks everywhere including my face. I could see my dad rushing down to the track and I threw my hand up to give the 'I'm okay' signal and jumped back onto my bike. I came last that day in my first race but I was the happiest kid in the world.

Bike, Scooter or Skateboard. Which is Better?

Hmm, what should I buy, a bike, a scooter or perhaps a skateboard? If your asking this question, what you should be asking yourself is what do I need it for. What type of activities to I want to perform. We get that you want something to get you around but for what?

The Scooter or skateboard

If your just looking for something to get you to pub or bottle shop and back, say within a couple of blocks, the scooter or skateboard will do just fine.

Pros

It's light, hassle free, easy to carry and take into the shops and on public transport, compact and convenient and doesn't require much to get the hang of it. Maintenance is also very low, (no flat tires to worry about).

Cons

If there are hills involved they can be quite a challenge. It's also not a good solution for long distance, you can't really ride it on the road, and it's a pain in the bum if you have to carry groceries or any kind of excess baggage.

 

 

The Bicycle

If you need to commute to work, do a fairly significant grocery shop, travel a decent distance, meet your friends for coffee or a beer a few suburbs over, then the road bike is for you.

 

Pros

You can ride on the road, travel greater distances and its much faster than a scooter. It's easier to carry a larger load (you can attach a basket to the bike etc). Bikes often have gears which makes hills, well, not a pleasure but a hell of a lot easier.

 

Cons

High maintenance (flat tires, break pads, the list goes on), bulky for storage, can't get it on all forms of public transport or take it into shops and one always has to risk chaining it up outside. Bikes are are also generally the more expensive option. 

One form of carbon free transport that we have not covered is the roller blade. This almost seems to be the perfect form of transport. Low maintenance, compact, great for distances long and short. The only drawbacks are the dreaded hills and the need to carry an extra pair of shoes with you when you reach your destination. Of course, you also have to lug around your heavy blades if your shopping etc. Another consideration is the learning curve. This can be drawn out and dangerous with roller-blades even if your a natural!

In the end, all of these forms of transport have some great things in common. They have a low impact on the environment, an exhilarating exercise component and low comparable costs to cars and even public transport. Who would have thought fun and health could go hand in hand! 

BMX Backflips Dave Mirra

Dave Mirra backflips at the X Games

 Photos of Dave Mirra BMX

 

Harga Sepeda Anak

Fantastic Italian Kitchen Designs

The Italians are experts at design, style and food, so it's only natural that their kitchens are siete magnifici!
In this post we portray a combination of rustic and modern Italian kitchens.
 

 

Mila Kunis Sexiest Women Alive 2012

Milla Kunis was voted as the sexiest woman alive in 2012 by Esquire Magazine. She is shown topless and in some very skimpy underwear in photos for the magazine. We find it a hard idea to swallow that one women can be said to be "the sexiest women alive" as 'sexy' is a matter of personal taste.What is sexy? Each of us have different ideas of what sexy is. It's true, a lot of our perceptions are swayed by the media and our environment as we grow up, but we still have unique ideas of what we deem attractive. We wonder how Esquire determined this outcome; Was it a vote? Were there as many women voting as men? etc.

The dictionary gives us the definition of sexy as "arousing or tending to arouse sexual desire or interest". We would assert again that the arousal of sexual desire in someone is an extremely personal and individually specific notion and therefore one cannot claim that one person is the sexiest in the world by the entire populations standard. Maybe the magazine is merely asserting that they themselves find Mila Kunis Sexy!

Mountain Biking - Giant, Cannondale, Yeti

What brand should I be shooting for when considering a mountain or trail bike? Before you look at brands think about what you will be using the bike for? Consider what kind of frame you want, suspension (front, rear or both), and of course size. Size can only really be figured out by trying a bike out in person. Once you have the size right, you should be able to comfortably by the bike online for a better price once you have chosen your brand and model. 

How rough will you be with your bike?

 

If your gonna be riding beyond the beginners level, you will need rear suspension, solid parts and will have to specialise depending on your activity (you will need a down hill bike for downhill etc).

When it comes to brands, I wouldn't be too concerned as long as you go with a well known brand. They all are better than each other in different areas with different models types and styles. Focus more on the individual bike than the brand. Make sure to read as many reviews and forums as you can and this should allow you to comfortably and confidently make the right choice. It;s all about doing your homework!

Hipster Fixie or Racer?

Blurring the lines between fixies and racers. Whatever the case, these tricked out beasts are getting crazy! Where is the fixter revolution gonna take us?

Beige Bull Horn Fixie Caught on the Street

We caught this Bull Horn Bad boy just hanging out outside Westgarth Theater in Northcote, Melbourne Victoria Australia. We can only speculate that the owner was inside catching a movie. One light on the rear, regular pedals and one left hand back wheel brake.

A Mad Fxed Gear Race in Los Angelos (LA)

BMX BMX BMX Olympics Mens Final London