# Why Do Roadies Hate Fixed Riders?



## madequity (Aug 10, 2005)

I am an obsessed bike rider. Have ridden all my life and have no less than 10 bikes in the garage from a Moots titanium mtb to my $8k Look TT Bike. That said of course my favorite and thus daily ride is my 1974 Peugeot PX-10 Fixie. I use it for a daily commute to the office in the burbs about 24 miles roundtrip. 

So today I am cruising back at my normal clip and see about a 1/4 mile up the road a cyclist. So I crank it up in an effort to catch him for nothing more than it is fun to chase and to say hi, shoot the ****, etc.. So its not too hard to catch him and I reach him in about 3 minutes. He gives me this look like "what the **** are you riding next to me for"? As if he might be seen with this guy riding this junky fixie who is not wearing spandex and is caring some type of pack (my messenger bag which fits my laptop perfectly). So as not to "embarass" him further I simply put the hammer down and pull away, turning at the next light and to no suprise he goes straight.

So long story short, does everyone else who rides a fixie have similar stories of roadies with attitudes? To me a bike is a bike is a bike and we are all one big family with the common enemy (SUV's and ignorant drivers). Am I just to ideaological?


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## TurboTurtle (Feb 4, 2004)

madequity said:


> I am an obsessed bike rider. Have ridden all my life and have no less than 10 bikes in the garage from a Moots titanium mtb to my $8k Look TT Bike. That said of course my favorite and thus daily ride is my 1974 Peugeot PX-10 Fixie. I use it for a daily commute to the office in the burbs about 24 miles roundtrip.
> 
> So today I am cruising back at my normal clip and see about a 1/4 mile up the road a cyclist. So I crank it up in an effort to catch him for nothing more than it is fun to chase and to say hi, shoot the ****, etc.. So its not too hard to catch him and I reach him in about 3 minutes. He gives me this look like "what the **** are you riding next to me for"? As if he might be seen with this guy riding this junky fixie who is not wearing spandex and is caring some type of pack (my messenger bag which fits my laptop perfectly). So as not to "embarass" him further I simply put the hammer down and pull away, turning at the next light and to no suprise he goes straight.
> 
> So long story short, does everyone else who rides a fixie have similar stories of roadies with attitudes? To me a bike is a bike is a bike and we are all one big family with the common enemy (SUV's and ignorant drivers). Am I just to ideaological?


So you pull up next to a guy, don't say a word, "...put the hammer down and pull away,..." and then he goes straight at an intersection. And this makes you post on a forum that you think HE has an attitude problem??? - TF


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## JWRB (Nov 29, 2005)

I experience the exact opposite. I commute to work daily on my CX bike with fenders, helmet and generic messenger bag. The only folks I see fixed around here are messengers. I will give them a nod or a quick wave and they are never returned. I guess the fact that I wear a helmet and obey the traffic laws don't make me cool enough to fit into their "group"

After recognizing this for the last 2 months I have stopped the nods and waves.

Maybe the guy you saw on your ride today has had a similar experience I have and has put you into that group.

Then again, maybe he was just a jerk. If you see me out on the rode, pull up, give me a kind word I would be happy to chat it up with you for a while.


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## thegood (Feb 27, 2004)

TurboTurtle said:


> So you pull up next to a guy, don't say a word, "...put the hammer down and pull away,..." and then he goes straight at an intersection. And this makes you post on a forum that you think HE has an attitude problem??? - TF


I was thinking the same thing, nicely done.

As far as coming upon other riders...I just say "hi" and continue doing my own thing.


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## FTF (Aug 5, 2003)

I dono man, but when I'm out riding, and someone on any bike just started riding next to me, I would think that it was a little strange. I guess I'm a ******* though.


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## JoeDaddio (Sep 3, 2005)

I ride fixed to work and school, and every time I pass another commuter and nod or give a little wave, it's always returned, regardless of what they are riding. I've been riding on a really popular trail with my friend before while he had his fixed, and I wasn't, and half the people who passed gave him compliments on it. 

Maybe it's being in Orange County, CA, where I've seen probably 5 other people on fixies, and we're more of an oddity than a nuisance.



joe


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## mquetel (Apr 2, 2006)

*Whatever...*

Some times I ride fixed, some times I do not.
Some times I wave at people, sometimes I do not. 
Some times I wear lycra, some times I do not.
Some times I throw a little attitude, some times I do not.
Some times I've had a bad day, other times I did not.
Some times I stop at stop signs, some times I do not.
Some times I ride my bike to work, some times I do not.

Some times I drink and post, other times I do not.


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## Cory (Jan 29, 2004)

*Personally, I don't even think of them*

I'm a roadie, and I don't hate fixies. Whole weeks go by when I don't even think of them. It's NOT ALL ABOUT FIXIES.
But I do have a singlespeed I like a lot.


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## TurboTurtle (Feb 4, 2004)

"Some times I drink and post, other times I do not." - Made me laugh. - TF


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*That was a mirror you were looking into.*

Didn't like what you saw? Better change some things.


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## lampshade (Jul 18, 2002)

*Opposite*

I usually find just the opposite. When I ride my 80's [email protected] lugged fixie, the geared riders I encounter are usually pretty stoked on it. They often ask a few questions and engage me in convo.


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## Kalukis (Jan 13, 2005)

*It's not always about you*

Actually, I'm amazed sometimes about the interaction between bike riders in general. I generally say hello (or nod) to everybody; it's only common courtesy, especially to my fellow riders who are out there risking death in traffic with me (to be a little melodramatic).

When I'm on any of my bikes, I often see people ride right now by with a word--roadie, fixie, it doesn't seem to matter. I guess it's a coolness thing. I don't let it bother me (too much) unless they do the pass without 1 foot without a word --then we do have words.

But as for roadie vs. fixie, I don't see any difference in how people treat me. In general, people seem to be more respectful when you're keeping up with the paceline with a fixie.

Don't let other people control your emotions.


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## djg (Nov 27, 2001)

Some roadies have attitude issues. Some fixie riders have attitude issues (for me, carving the world into us-vs-them over brakes or pants seems like a strange religion, but that's just me). And there are good folks everywhere too. I'd just ride and fuhgettaboutit.

FWIW, I rode my fixie to a pro race in Virginia a few weeks back (the CSC Classic). Jeans and mtb shoes. Roadies were everywhere. I have never, and I mean never, heard so many compliments on my ride. I mean, you woulda thought I was walking Charlize Theron around the course or something. It got a little embarassing, and I have a pretty high threshold for that sort of thing.


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## BianchiJoe (Jul 22, 2005)

I have met people of all stripes on all kinds of bikes with all kinds of attitudes, agendas, and ideologies. Attempts to categorize and define people serves only one purpose: to make false generalizations easier. Yes, sometimes people have attitudes. But let's not let the actions of a few define all others who might only have a type of bicycle in common.


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## awesometown (May 23, 2005)

*70% fixie attitude, 30% roadie*

Around these city parts, its the fixie riders that have the attitude. Since there are limited places where you can safely ride, everyone knows each other....every is friendly in one way or another. But of course, every college kid on his new fixie and every grizzled veteran on a rusted out s**tbox act like they are above the rest of us. 

Its simply demonstrated by first passing a group of roadies, and then passing anyone on a fixed gear and seeing the difference in the reactions. 

Just like in the OP's post, alot of people act like some how people who haven't figured it out yet are still loafing around town with their gears and their brakes (etc,etc.) while the more cool and enlightened folks got it all straight the day they fished an old peugot out of the dumpster.


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## Girl Anachronism (Apr 30, 2006)

Around here I'm usually too busy trying to avoid that oncoming bus/taxi/dog/small child/old man standing in the middle of second avenue (that one happened today) to pay much attention to other riders, let alone notice what their bike is like...However, I certainly nod at other fixie riders on the bridge...


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## Noël1 (Mar 2, 2006)

*I called you fixie a bunch of animals*



madequity said:


> I am an obsessed bike rider. Have ridden all my life and have no less than 10 bikes in the garage from a Moots titanium mtb to my $8k Look TT Bike. That said of course my favorite and thus daily ride is my 1974 Peugeot PX-10 Fixie. I use it for a daily commute to the office in the burbs about 24 miles roundtrip.
> 
> So today I am cruising back at my normal clip and see about a 1/4 mile up the road a cyclist. So I crank it up in an effort to catch him for nothing more than it is fun to chase and to say hi, shoot the ****, etc.. So its not too hard to catch him and I reach him in about 3 minutes. He gives me this look like "what the **** are you riding next to me for"? As if he might be seen with this guy riding this junky fixie who is not wearing spandex and is caring some type of pack (my messenger bag which fits my laptop perfectly). So as not to "embarass" him further I simply put the hammer down and pull away, turning at the next light and to no suprise he goes straight.
> 
> So long story short, does everyone else who rides a fixie have similar stories of roadies with attitudes? To me a bike is a bike is a bike and we are all one big family with the common enemy (SUV's and ignorant drivers). Am I just to ideaological?


read these posts http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=62815

I have nothing but admiration for you fixies. Though I was giving a compliment at the link above, I still got shot down. I still think fixies are awesome riders even when I haven't even tried it. I may try to convert my old cannondale to either a single speed or fix. If it's even possible. Here in Denver, fixie are nice to me as I am to them. Keep on riding!


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## michaeln (Mar 9, 2006)

Kalukis said:


> I generally say hello (or nod) to everybody


So do I. Heck, if they're on a bicycle, we have something in common!


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## Spinfinity (Feb 3, 2004)

*Nope.*

Some people are more outgoing than others. It doesn't seem to matter what kind of bike I ride. Even caught the local team once. They were clearly loafing at the end of a ride or I wouldn't have caught them. When I stood up to slow down, they asked about riding fixed and a few told me about their fixies. It was a very pleasant few miles on an early spring ride.

It's beginning to look to me like there is a reverse snobbery projecting itself onto unsuspecting road riders with nice bikes and clothes.


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## Kram (Jan 28, 2004)

*?????*

A lot of roadies I know also ride fixies. (Me included.) Seems to me that if some stanger came up to me and I was a;
a) having a bad day
b) not wanting any company
c) a$$hole
I'd have done the same. But that's just me.


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## beergood (Feb 16, 2005)

I have been a road rider for a few years, and a fixed rider for the last few months. Recently I was passed by a couple guys riding together on some fancy rigs decked out in all their colorful plumage while I was out on the fixie. My fixie is a ghetto camouflaged asian bianchi painted flat black, It looks like nothing special, maybe even ratty, but it rides great. I wasn't going all out to kill myself, just moving at a decent clip. Anyway, as they passed me they both slowed down and gave my bike a double head-to-toe look. I expected some kind of comment, or acknowledgemeant, but they just sped up and road off, and I'd swear they smirked at each other. I was a little ticked off. I realize that I could have said something as well, but they initiated the encounter. Besides, when you are cought eyeing someone else's girl it's your job to break the ice.

That being said, I have run into attitides from all types of riders. And my responses have been different depending on my mood. There was the one time I was on a recovery ride on my geared bike, just keeping a nice pace when a particularly arrogent teen shouted 'On the left!' as he passed me. Technicaly he did the right thing, but you had to be there. Trust me he was being a jerk about it. It was kind of the sarcastic Steve Martin '_Excuuuuse me_!' type of comment. Now, I can be a little competative depending on my mood, and I chewed on this long enough for him to get a 2 block lead. Then I decided to heck with the recovery ride and poured it on. He was about two blocks behind me when I let the speed trickle off. I know I was being immature, but it still felt pretty good.

However, most of my experiences with other riders have been good.

I like to give other riders a friendly acknowledgment when I am out. I am rarely riding so hard that I can't at least wave a hand off the drops for a second to a fellow rider on the other side of the road. And I pleasent 'hello' to a family of riders as you pass them is always nice. I think it is important to remind everyone that we all have at least this one thing in common, regardless of the bikes we choose to ride. Who knows, maybe a sense of friendly camaraderie might make that person who is riding for one of the first few times on a townie enjoy it a little more, and make them ride more often.

I guess I kind of got on a soapbox there, and I apologize. I am as guilty as anyone else of being a jerk sometimes. But I try to remember that were all trying to make our lives a little better by being on a bike, and that we're all in the same family.

Except recumbent riders. Those guys are weird.

That last line is a joke. My mother and stepfather both ride recumbents. He got her into it, and they have both been trying to convince me to get one. Took one out for a ride, interesting, but ultimately not for me. Not yet anyway. Did I mention my stepfather is a big bald guy with a white beard and kind of eccentric? Anyone else noticing a trend?


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## madequity (Aug 10, 2005)

I spent the last week on vaca in Durango, CO mostly to mountain bike and had some epic rides. Maybe it was my more laidback vacation mindset but everyone I came across (mountain, roadies, and even some fixies in oldtown) were nothing but cool. 

Notwithstanding the foregoing I think the "I'm better than you" attitude of some roadies here in S. Jersey is simply disgusting and I will continue to ride my piece of s*** fixie with pride. I know I should chill but I just love blowing by a roadie in his matching little pants and shirt at about 25mph on my fixie.


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## FTF (Aug 5, 2003)

madequity said:


> I spent the last week on vaca in Durango, CO mostly to mountain bike and had some epic rides. Maybe it was my more laidback vacation mindset but everyone I came across (mountain, roadies, and even some fixies in oldtown) were nothing but cool.
> 
> Notwithstanding the foregoing I think the "I'm better than you" attitude of some roadies here in S. Jersey is simply disgusting and I will continue to ride my piece of s*** fixie with pride. I know I should chill but I just love blowing by a roadie in his matching little pants and shirt at about 25mph on my fixie.


You know, maybe they just aren't social people, not everone that dosen't act in the way you want them to is a *******, maybe you are the ******* for expecting them to act in a certian way.

You percive them as being stuck up, perhaps they percive you as being clingy, or weird. Different people relate to people differently.


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## Armchair Spaceman (Jun 21, 2003)

beergood said:


> Except recumbent riders. Those guys are weird.



And should all be shot...and buried head down with their orange flags jammed firmly in their fundaments...


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## tobu (Dec 19, 2004)

madequity said:


> ... I know I should chill but I just love blowing by a roadie in his matching little pants and shirt at about 25mph on my fixie.


I know I should chill but I can't help putting on my full discovery kit and hop my Trek Madone on the local bike path so I can show up all those arrogant non-roadie cyclists. I then go blowing by those Freds with panniers (they think they're all that carrying their house and all...), fat beginners on their $500 pieces of crap, those smiling fixie riders spinning too fast, and those laughing families all on their huffys. I especially enjoy passing kids on tricycles, and I can't help think to myself, "you wan't some of this b***ch! You better move your little a** if you want to get to be a cat 4 like me!"

Ride your own bike.


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## filtersweep (Feb 4, 2004)

I think many roadies do not realize that bikes can be used as more than just sports equipment- they can also be a form of transportation. It took me quite some time to "get it." Now that I live in Europe, everyone rides bike, and a huge percentage commute.




madequity said:


> I spent the last week on vaca in Durango, CO mostly to mountain bike and had some epic rides. Maybe it was my more laidback vacation mindset but everyone I came across (mountain, roadies, and even some fixies in oldtown) were nothing but cool.
> 
> Notwithstanding the foregoing I think the "I'm better than you" attitude of some roadies here in S. Jersey is simply disgusting and I will continue to ride my piece of s*** fixie with pride. I know I should chill but I just love blowing by a roadie in his matching little pants and shirt at about 25mph on my fixie.


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## wipeout (Jun 6, 2005)

madequity said:


> Notwithstanding the foregoing I think the "I'm better than you" attitude of some roadies here in S. Jersey is simply disgusting and I will continue to ride my piece of s*** fixie with pride. I know I should chill but I just love blowing by a roadie in his matching little pants and shirt at about 25mph on my fixie.


Irony, eh?


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## Armchair Spaceman (Jun 21, 2003)

FTF said:


> You know, maybe they just aren't social people, not everone that dosen't act in the way you want them to is a *******, maybe you are the ******* for expecting them to act in a certian way.
> 
> You percive them as being stuck up, perhaps they percive you as being clingy, or weird. Different people relate to people differently.


3/10 for spelling.

No need to apologise for them...here's the thing...we know something they don't, and it SCARES them!!!


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## tamu (Apr 16, 2006)

same way with motorcycles, some wave, some dont.. 

I could not say people who ride crusers wave less than sportsbikes.. or visa versa..

I could say however, that the people on harleys who think they are hardcore, and the people on sports bikes who think they are badass stunters dont wave..

it seems you only get attitude from people that.. guess what, have attitude.. i dont think it would matter if i saw these people walking on the street, riding their mototcycle, or flying a kite.. i think they would act the same way reguardless....

but you shouldnt just complain the the person who started this thread was being a jerk himself and deserved it.. i think the main reason most of us say hi is body language.. 

i dont always say hi. If someone makes eye contact and looks friendly, i say hi. but if someone looks pissy, well.. i usually ride by.


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## Henry Chinaski (Feb 3, 2004)

In the 80s and early 90s most people I'd see riding fixed were experienced riders. Most people I see riding fixies these days are trendoids with poor bike handling skills and often no brakes so I tend to keep my distance.


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## beergood (Feb 16, 2005)

I prefer to be called a dorkoid.

side note:
In college one of my roommates bought a 68 beetle. It was fascinating at the time the whole waving sub-culture. Classic beetle owners always honk and/or wave. This last summer I bought a motorcycle for he first time, and was pleasantly surprised to see that most motorized 2 wheelers also share a common greeting and courtesy.


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## Jamieshankland (Jan 8, 2005)

I'm not sure about this "hate" you speak of, BUt I know the local rodies in my area hate track sprinters. Also known as "tuesday night sleepers". No matter the headwind, grade, start speed or pack size, if your going to lead out a sprint against a sleeper....your not going to win


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