DAMIEN'S BLOG: Understanding Modern Bicycles

I'll admit it. I am a bicycle fanatic. There's just something special about the combination of human-power, fun, and technology that makes my mind churn bicycles for hours. The point of this article is not to provide advanced technical information about bikes. I would be incapable of writing such an article. Instead, with this writing I hope to get the average Joanne up to speed on what's happening in the world of bicycles these days.

Fixie (fixed gear). Did you know people are throwing away some of the very basics of bicycles. Brakes. Gears. Who needs 'em? Right into the dumpster! You may have heard this term, maybe not. A "fixie" bicycle refers to a design many of us had as children. A typical kids bike has only one gear and no hand brakes. To stop the bike the rider must force the pedals backwards, and there is no "freewheeling". This concept has now become a huge buzz in the world of adult bikes. We now see these gearless brakeless adult bikes all over the place and, boy, they sure do look clean. The appearance of a bicycle with no derailleur, no hand brakes, and no shifters looks uncluttered--immaculate! The cultural phenomenon of "fixies" has made its splash. Manufacturers are shipping fixed-gear bikes and the many associated variants. Personally I find the idea of back breaking too dangerous for my taste. I can remember, as a kid, the pedals smacking my feet. While I can appreciate the appearance of these "fixie" bikes I cannot imagine owning one. I like to stop on a dime and be able to climb hills.

Single Speeds (one gear, freewheeling). Take a fixie, make it freewheeling, add some hand brakes and you've got a "single speed" bicycle. This is a logical step away from the traditional fixie. A single speed is a much safer ride as it has far easier to use brakes and the pedals can freewheel (spin backwards or remain stationary with no resistance), like a typical road bike. While these are clean looking and fun bikes, they do not climb hills without a tough workout.

Hub Dynamo (bike power). Imagine a bicycle that uses the spinning of the wheel to generate electricity, for let's say, a bike light. Wouldn't that be cool? Thankfully we don't have to just dream about such a bike--hub dynamos actually exist! Whether your bike is old or brand new it can make its own power with very little drag to the rider. You will not need batteries any more once your bike light is powered by you! These have been around for years now and several new bikes are shipping with this feature. You won't get ten watts (yet) but you will have a magical bike. Go green!

Internal hub gears ("Where's the gears?!). The latest technology in shifting gears allows the bike to have a very clean appearance. "Hub gears" put the whole shifting system into an enclosed internal hub that cannot be seen by the eye, but lives in the inner rear wheel area. When shopping for a bike with this feature you will notice the lack of a chain tensioner (that little gear sticking out in the back of the bike). Some manufacturers are shipping bikes with as little as basic 3-speed internal hub gears. The bike looks like a "fixie" but isn't! I find this concept the best of all worlds--you get the ability to change gears without the ugly mud-collecting chain tensioner that bicycles have had for decades. Enclosed gears are a selling point in tougher weather conditions as they remain clean and well-functioning.

So many types of bikes! For decades we had just a few "categories" of bikes: road bikes, mountain bikes, cruisers, and dirt bikes. The list has increased drastically these days as buyers are coming to the shop with more specific needs. Today the list also includes commuter bikes, track bikes, touring bikes, hybrid bikes, trekking bikes, city bikes, and comfort bikes, just to name a few. In my opinion you should just call it Fran. This list is waaaay too long, and doesn't include Going To Grab A Beer bikes, which is my favorite category.

The days of hoity toity bike shop sales-people are hopefully coming to an end. When they ask, "What are you going to use it for?" you can now safely answer, "Listening to Michael Bolton at a reasonable volume," and they should have something just perfect. Note: do NOT wear headphones while riding a bike.

Don't forget that you can take an old frame and give it all the "love" mentioned in this article. But, of course, you can also plunk down the cash. And now, some hand-picked references for your enjoyment:

Fixie - Bianchi Pista