fixies

my bicycle doesn't have a freewheel, or any way of coasting. it doesn't have gears. it doesn't have brakes, or brake levers, or cables.

i've found that the easiest way to explain my bike is in terms of it's differences, or things it doesn't have.

with a short list of the ways in which my bike differs from most other bikes, you gain a lot of information.

how often do we do this? and is it necessarily a bad thing?

with the understanding that a lack of components doesn't actually indicate a deficiency, it's far easier to describe my bike in terms what it lacks rather than what it has.

a little over a year ago i bought a scooter, and it changed my life. people look at me strange when i tell them i don't have a car. they offer me rides when they think it's too cold to ride. but since that purchase, i've become somewhat anti-car. most people just don't understand.

not that i'm some crazy tree-hugging suv hater now. you can drive whatever you want. it's mostly personal preference: i don't really need a car. between my scooter and my fixie, i've got just about everything covered.

groceries aren't a problem. i can bring home an entire shopping cart worth of food on my scooter. i think i can carry about 15 fridge packs of soda... the weather's not a problem as long as you bundle up. dates aren't a problem, since chicks dig my scooter.

i figure one less car on the road is better for traffic, and it's better for the environment. it's better for my health, too. when the weather's nice enough, i ride my fixed gear bike. it's invigorating.

so that brings us to today. i rode my bike to campus tonight. then i got a flat tire, and left my bike in my office. it was a nice night, so i decided to walk home. and i took the long way. according to google maps, i walked about six and a half miles. and it felt great :)

holy balls, that's fun.

one of these days i'm going to forget to pedal and then i will die...