#1250 ... Fixed Gear

This is Gareth ... outside the local dairy in Tinakori Road ... met him last night and you can see that he is obviously proud of this fixed gear cycle which he built himself. Vintage frame, front wheel from the UK back wheel from the US etc. The fixed gear community are very passionate about their sport. Some of the cycle couriers use these bikes although the hilly nature of Wellington usually dictates a geared model !!

A fixed-gear bicycle (or fixed-wheel bicycle, commonly known in the USA as a fixie) is a bicycle that has no freewheel, meaning it cannot coast — the pedals are always in motion when the bicycle is moving. The sprocket is screwed directly onto a fixed hub. When the rear wheel turns, the pedals turn in the same direction. This allows a cyclist to stop without using a brake, by resisting the rotation of the cranks, and also to ride in reverse.

Track cycling in a velodrome has always used fixed-gear track bikes, but fixed-gear bicycles are now again used on the road, a trend generally seen as being led by bicycle messengers. Recently, fixed-gear bikes have emerged as part of the hipster trend due to their appeal as a "vintage" accessory.