There has been a bit of buzz amongst bikelists everywhere about the Mountain bike speed record, it currently stands at just over 130 mph, as set a few years ago. Now it does at first make you shocked to think of a bike (especially a non fixie) going at speeds of over 100mph, but its not by the riders own strength of leg muscles that this is achieved. Basically the 130mph mountain bike speed record was achieved by finding the biggest mountain to ride directly down a single slope to achieve a bone shattering speed. Perhaps this is why theres no Fixie bike speed record, but surely going 130mph down a hill would be possible if the hill was big enough, trying to stop a fixie doing 130mph though would not be as simple as a bit of back wheel skid out!!

For the first time ever on fixed gear bikes we are going to feature a non fixed gear bike. Shock. Horror. Yes I know, it has gears (plural ), but this isn’t just any mountain bike (I promise this will be the only non fixie for at least another 6 months..lol) this is the 2010 Superfly and it is 100% hot. What makes a mountain bike hot enough to make it out of the fringes of downhill biking lunatics and into the mass of cliche’ single speed bikes? 2 american national mtb title’s, held by a couple (yes man and wife) on a superfly.

This probably doesn’t mean a lot to pure fixie fckers but for all those out there that like to occasionally fly down a hill that isn’t tarmac’d here is a few pics of the super fly, superfly 2010 bike. Weighing just 24.3 pounds (that’s just over 11 kilograms!) this bike is big but light making it manoeuvrable and far from a chore on any terrain. It will cost you $5600 or at least £4k though – although this price is cushioned by a good suspension.

Don’t worry fixie heads, normal service will now be resumed!!

SSBUK – single speed bikes uk – now thats a cool name for a group (sorry if you already exist – couldn’t easily spot you anywhere) – If you were to open up a shop for fixies what would you call it? theres some standard ones people always use like “Fixienation” or “Fixed gear gear” but there must be some really creative names you can make with fixed gear bike connotations.

Single Speed Steve, Forest Fixies (like pixies – you get it?), Fixed Gear VAULT – ok so my naming isnt so great, I mean my site is called fixed gear biking – but still there must be some really imaginitive names out there in the fixie community – or are we all on Single Speed Bikes uk?

Fixed gear bikes in the city, or indeed in the smaller towns are breeding like rabbits! This is a good thing of course but it does mean remembering to pack the spare inner tube, pump, etc is becoming more important by the day. I have ridden past two ‘pushers’ this week who had clearly forgotten, and I had little time to stop and help.

What I think the city of london, as well as the bigger towns need is a fixie garage. Now I don’t mean a fixie shop that repairs bikes, I mean a small unit with specially designed furniture to make it easy to fix bikes – a quick fit of the bike world if you will. There are obvious price issues but I am sure an AA style yearly membership or fixie failure subscription would go down well in the city.

Then of course you shopkeepers could all just stock inner tubes and we could have bike city furniture which meant easy repairs? Just ideas, little sadder than seeing a dude have to walk home his fixie!!!

Its been a busy week at fixed gear biking uk, lots of riding lots of writing lots of tinkering – so much so that the Wired Magazine review of the newly released folding fixed gear bike almost slipped the net! yes you read that last sentence correct, not only do we occasionally read wired but yes some madcap company has designed and built a folding fixed gear bike!!!! Check this out!!

This folding fixie phenomenon (nearly 3 f’s) has been launched by Montague and has been entitled “Boston”. Now I am not one to point it out but that is one generic fixie name…lol. Anyway wired had some good things to say about it, I personally am not a huge fan – I like my fixies traditional, although I do see the appeal for those who don’t have bike shed’s or a decent place to store a few bikes. Its a bit like wearing a tshirt which says “im a closet fixie rider, no literally my fixies in the closet” but meh it would probably ride ok.

I do kind of like the double central bar but cant help but think the designs more about being foldable than being a fixie, maybe it can do both? I suppose untill I have blagged a ride on someone’s “Boston” I won’t be able to definitively write off this fixed gear folding bike. If I brought on though I’d get rid of that pesky back break…:p

I particularly like this paragraph of the wired review:
Wired say: “The Boston isn’t quite as clean-lined as a brakeless, Aerospoked fashion-machine, but the aluminum framed folder should be both light and sturdy. The most curious aspect is the folding mechanism itself, which looks a little like a mountain bike suspension system. The whole front-end is one solid piece, and the rear triangle pivots around the seat-tube and locks on to both of the double top-tubes. Handy for hauling up to elevator-free apartments, and even handier for bagging and taking on vacation.”

National Cycle week – pshhh what about national fixie week? I swear someone needs to get that going, even though I saw a lot of fixed gear bikes about during the week, it was pretty much a clean normal week for me – rode my bike about as normal. Its good to get people on their bikes, but if they can do it for one week why doesnt everyone ride bikes all year? Especially if they found fixie love!

A telegraph (telegraph.co.uk) reporter said about the national bike week “Having spent my first biking weeks in a construction worker’s fluoro-yellow gilet – beyond ugly – I quickly graduated to a Prada Sport yellow zip anorak. I can now be assured that at my next black-tie event, I can arrive in my Puma green satin trainers (heels and clutch in basket), Sophia Kokosalaki stretch LBD, bright orange MAC lipstick and a TWOnFRO tuxedo.” – I think Harriet Quick (What an awesome fixed gear biker name!) gets the idea

If you are going to attempt a high speed record regardless of what vehicle you are using there is going to be the possibility of pain. Trying to ride a bike fast, is no doubt likely to be high up on that pain scale as a bicyclist is typically rather unprotected as they ride their two wheeled frame around the environment.

This video proves you have got to have nuts if you want to attempt high speed bike records!

Other Fixed Gear Posts on Mountain bike high speed record Accident – Bike Accident video

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• Intense M6 World’s Fastest Bike « dhRENO * downhill, freeride …
• Extreme Downhill Mountain bike crash
• Extreme Downhill Mountain bike crash

It turns out that some citys have big problems with off road bikers, yeadon being one of them. What I think they should do is introduce a “trailsbike for fixie” trade where by they will let you switch your bike for a nice fixie, this might coax at least a few of these wreckless offroad bikers out of their usual dangerous habits, and heck it would even do its own little bit for the environment!

The other thing that would be sensible would be to provide an off road biking place, the city is the home of the fixed gear, but offroading needs a home too.