Posted by admin | Posted in Bicycle Parts | Posted on 21-04-2010
Tags: bicycle, bike, bike fixed gear ratio, bikes, cycling, fixedgear, mountain bike fixed gear, mountain bike fixed gear conversion, road bike fixed gear conversion, track bike fixed gear
Bike Fixed Gear
A Short History of Bike Messengers (and Their Fixies)
Even in our modern information age the bike messenger still has a job. You would think that in the age of the fax and email none but the most special of packages and documents would need to be delivered by hand.
Still, what saved the bike messengers' 120 year old profession is that inherent human mistrust of all that is new(ish) and the need to physically feel the things that are important.
From my findings it seems that the first bike courier company in North America appeared in the 1880's. H.T. Baily opened a non-stop delivery service that used couriers on bikes.
In the United States bike couriers got their start in 1894, when a railway strike had mail deliveries stopped in San Francisco. A Fresno bike shop owner got the brilliant idea to set up a route from Fresno to San Francisco, which had remarkable success.
Soon enough big companies also started using bicycles to do deliveries, at first including Western Union and eventually even the US Postal Office.
With the appearance of UPS and DHL and other big delivery companies messenger services started to suffer, but bicycle messengers still provide faster service for local deliveries.
In the 20's and 30's bike messengers. Even though most businesses called on specialized companies to take care of their needs some companies had their own messengers, Tamblyn Drug Stores being having one of the biggest messenger "fleets".
Due to the fact that messengers became more commonly used to transport pricier packages (and more than often even money) they became prey to thieves and muggers. At one point there were even gangs specialized in robbing bike messengers, making things so bad that in places like Toronto nighttime deliveries were stopped for some time.
The best known messenger company after the Second World War was founded by Carl Sparks in 1945, in San Francisco. Sparkie's later became Aero which was bought by CitySprint in 1998.
Today's bike messengers are as modern as they come: phones with internet access, state of the art walkie-talkies or even gps devices (though most use the good old paper maps), but the most important piece of their kit is often a throwback to the past - fixed gear bikes.
Though fixed gear bikes (or fixies) might be viewed by outsiders as an unnecessary headache bike messengers use them for a good reason: when you cycle 80 to 100 miles everyday for work, the more pieces your bike has the more chances there are for something to break down.
However, many messengers prefer to take it easy on their knees but still keep it simple so they use single speeds. For those who don't know the difference - a fixed gear is a single speed without a freewheel - on a fixie the pedals will always spin while the bike is moving.
Theft is a very serious issue for bike messengers, especially when you consider they have to leave it on the street and a suitable anchoring structure can't always be found. Most messengers wear thick chains around their waist and secure the bikes with U locks whenever possible.
About the Author
Business Courier is a Romanian courier company (curier) with special express delivery services (curier express) as well as international courier services (curierat international).
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obey - fixed gear bike by fuji 56mm $1200 Obey have teamed up with Japan-based Fuji Bikes for this limited edition fixed gear bike. The frame itself is a matte black with all accents anodized gold. This bike has many components that Fuji has made specially for this bike while also featuring: Mache Primato 48T crank set. Mache bottom bracket. 18T fixed track cog. KMC Z410 chain and the Brooks Swift leather saddle. 300 of these bikes will be available worldwide. with 75 going to Obey clothing retailers. this bike was originally released in April of 2008. the size is 56mm. domestic shipping only. this is an open box item. Used for photographs and display only. condition is new unridden and unused. |
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Vilano Fixed Gear / Single Speed Road Bike $239 The all new 2012 Vilano Drift is an excellent, stylish every day commuter. It's simple and a breeze to maintain. There's no gears to tune or maintain, just hop on and go. The bike comes configured as a single speed (freewheel), you can flip the rear wheel for fixed gear operation.Full Specs: Frame: 700C Single Speed Fork: 700C Steel 1 1/8 Threadless Crankset: Tec9 Forged Alloy w/ 46T Chainring Cassette: 16T Freewheel / 16T Cog Hubs: Alloy Hi-Flange Rear Flip-Flop Fixed / Freewheel Rims: 700c Double walled w/ CNC machined sides Tires: 700c x 25c Brakes: Promax Front & Rear Handlebar: Alloy Riser Saddle: Vader Seatpost: Tec9 Alloy Stem: Tec9 Alloy Pedals: Platform Type: Road Bikes Size: 50cm Color: Black Color Mapping: Green Age: Adult Frame Material: Steel |
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Fixed : Global Fixed-Gear Bike Culture $18.25 No Synopsis Available |
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Fixed (Paperback) $33.54 Fixed-gear cycling has today become the coolest form of urban transport, giving rise to a global fixed-gear culture. Fixed is the first book to document fixed-gear cycling. The authors have traveled to cities around the world to examine at first hand the intersections between the fixed-gear bike`s design and its racing heritage, and the street style and customization that are at the heart of its current popularity. Interviews with sports-people, frame-builders, and those at the nexus of design, art, and fixed-gear culture give an insight into fixed-wheel design, philosophy, and riding experience. The book will appeal to cyclists fixed-gear riders, urban riders, racers, and those interested in cycling heritage as well as to a wider design audience. |
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Fixed 2 - Juliet Elliott Fixed Gear London Girl Charge Bikes, tricks,Girls