Sooooooo, I nearly bagged my first backwards circle yesterday, they were so close I could smell them. I got that camera out of my bag soooooo fast, documentation was essential, no backwards circle is real until it's on YouTube as you know. 17 minutes later I still hadn't got one and it was time to ride into the sunset. I have compressed the 17 minutes into just over 1 minute of pure backwards circle attempt madness, check it out...
I went over to Tredz in Llansamlet today for a look about. It's a pretty massive shop catering to all types of riders. There is a pretty good complete fixed section of Bianchi, Giant and Langster but no real fixed specific components but that's no different from practically every other bike shop in the world. There is a fairly sizeable collection of grips, bar tape, peddles and saddles that will deffo cover whatever your needs are in those departments.
I ended up buying another lock, my fourth this year, although not exactly what I want it is closer than the other three, I'm beginning to think that the lock of my dreams doesn't exist. Tredz has the best selection of locks I've seen, fact.
The staff were all really cool including Chris Hughes who organises the Critical Mass rides from Castle Gardens to Mumbles on the last Friday of every month. A nice ride over to Tredz is made easier because it is just off the cycle track that runs along the river so pop over there when you can and say Fixed Gear Wales sent you!
I had the absolute best day riding today :-D I managed to tot up about 22 miles which has blown me away. I hadn't exercised in years before I got this bike at Christmas time but in just 2 months I'm managing more every time I go out and getting further up hills that I used to look at and dismount. It's a great feeling when you achieve a goal, I can't wait until the summer, it's only a little tiny but warmer this week but there is such a huge difference and so much more fun riding without gloves and a massive coat on.
I went from my house to Morriston Hospital, got the all clear for my wrist after she prodded and poked the living daylights out of it, then rode back home, had a bath and some beans and toast then flew down to town, had a bottle of pop and some Space Raiders in Exist shop before taking the cycle path to Mumbles and back. After another short stint at Exist I headed off to Sainsbury's to get some vegan chocolate and Hula Hoops, on returning to the shop Ev and JT were there and we headed off to SA1 to try and learn at least ONE trick. I managed about 2/3 of a wheelie, JT still hasn't got them either, none of us can manage anything resembling a backwards circle but Ev has got his "I can trackstand until I'm bored, I'm gonna win my own trackstand competition" trash talk down to a tee. After a bit more pissing about town I headed home back up the never ending hill known as Llangefelach Rd.
I have made a killer Google Map to track where I go and easily calculate distances, check it out:
I think we finally have proof that brakes really are for "gays". This greeting card available at Hobo's in Swansea clearly shows two gentlemen about to set out on the fixed gear ride of their lives, complete with big leather boots and a full set of brakes, lucky buggers!
As a skateboarder, I find it such a strange concept when on the streets receiving complements from old folk (mainly men) for riding fixed gear, I'm just not used to it, "fixed gear?.....fantastic boys" I guess bike riding is still an older form of transport that they can relate to, and probably less loud and annoying as the old clickety clack skateboard.
Read more...Every fixie rider likes to have a gear ratio chart to look at every 5 minutes, if you also happen to own an iPhone or an iPod Touch then you can fork out £2.99 for a great app called Bicycle Gear Calculator by a developer (and fixie rider) named Jean-Pierre Martineau.
My bloody chain came off today as I was coming down a (luckily) small hill! My life flashed before my eyes, fortunately I've not done much in my life so in a fraction of a second my foot was on the ground bringing me to a stop a couple hundred feet later. I knew the thing was a bit loose cause it has stretched but it really didn't seem bad enough for it to come off doing a simple skip. It made me think about hooking up a brake, what with the using my hip to stop the other week and now this. I have come to the conclusion that a bit of death defying danger is a good thing and I don't need a brake. :-p This is worth a quick read.
Here are three pics taken at the Veldrome earlier this year. It was really cold and lonely. Hopefully this spring we will get a group together and spend a day there. R.I.P my yellow bike.
Exist Clothing is a skate clothing brand and shop based on Oxford Street in Swansea. Although it is not a bike shop in any way, shape or form the owner Ric Cartwright rides a fixie and all the clothes he stocks are great for riding your bike in. The shop stocks Zoo York, Rebel 8, Girl, Nike SB, Supra, Vox, 4star, Chocolate, Brixton, Diamond, Nu era and it's own brand as well as tons of skate hardware and spray paint/pens and second hand records. Ric can, and will, sell you a fixie, he is able to order them but doesn't have any room to stock them so ask to check out a catalogue if you wanna buy one complete and not build it yourself.
It is the only skater owned shop in Swansea and does loads for the local scene including hosting events and working hard to get a skate park. Exist the brand is a one man operation and all clothes are hand printed, there will be fixed gear specific designs coming soon.
Exist is based in the same building as Hobo's
The shop is small but packed with killer gear
Girls clothes and hats
Shoes, decks and bags
Ric, trackstand and skate hardware
Records, decks, longboards and videos
Molotow spray paint and pensI've been telling people for years that Kanye West sucks, his music is awful. He seemed cool enough when he was on the Sunday Night Project but then he threw another hissy fit at a photographer and I remembered that he is just a total douche. We all know the 'Kanye rides fixed' headlines but it turns out that he hardly ever rides and can't even stop properly and feels like his life is in danger whenever he does ride (isn't that the whole point???) so it is clear that he really does suck, in his own words "I guess I am just a complete poser", ha!
