Urban Outfitters Now Sells Fixed Gear Bikes
- story Peter Macia
Living in New York changes the way you think about bicycles and the people who ride them forever. In every other city, bikes are merely things that sit in the garage most of the time only to be taken out for leisure or groceries. Here, people ride bikes as their main form of transportation—from messengers, to moms, to office dudes to that girl who has the fully color-coordinated and souped track bike and rides through lights like it’s a business—and so they inevitably have a much stronger bond with their machinery and can get testy when it appears that the unspoken cycling community is being encroached upon, even if they are themselves relatively new to that community. So it will be without a doubt quite a blow to New York cycling’s mindstate the next time they ride past an Urban Outfitters (and they will because they are everywhere) and see a fixed gear in the window because Urban Outfitters is now selling customizable fixed gears. But to be honest, as long as these bikes aren’t dangerously crappy, there is really nothing to be mad about because it mostly means more people will be riding bikes and not almost running over bikes in cars, AND when this flood of Technicolor cycles hits bike parking areas around the city, it will actually serve as a deterrent to all the thieves out there looking to swipe your expensively upgraded ride, as looking at the locked pile-up on every corner will probably drive them insane, or at least into another field of thievery (hopefully one that does not involve stealing stuff).
Related:
- Lark And Wolff By Steven Alan For Urban Outfitters
- Freeload: A Bunch of Songs From Urban Outfitters
- The Wild Things Are on Cahuenga Blvd
- Style: Bowery Lane Bikes
- FADER TV: Fixing Bikes with Jimbo at Jack Spade
- posted on Jul 15, 2009 in ART+CULTURE NEWS
- tags bikes, fixed gear, Urban Outfitters
July 15th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
This is un-FUCKING-real… Someone has finally packaged up Coolness all nice and ready for you ride. No need for individuality or preference or knowledge of cycling, this will guide you right past all of that… YOU TOO CAN NOW FINALLY BE HIP AND COOL ON YOUR FIXIE!
July 15th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
i don’t remember much of an uproar from the community when you could buy skateboards at chain stores.
just shows how entitled and self absorbed the fixie crowd is. guess it’s on to the next thing for you guys.
July 15th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
i wonder if they will be made in china like evrythibg else at that fucking store. whatever at least these kids will have to say to other bikers with a straight face that they bought their bike at urban mo fuckin outfitter. it will sting their guts as the words come out of their mouth and all will be fair and true.
disclaimer: i purchased a winter hat from urban two motnhs ago for ten dollars while waiting to be seated at breakfast joint and enjoy it and was amazed it was made in USA. couldnt believe that shit.
July 15th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
“In every other city, bikes are merely things that sit in the garage most of the time only to be taken out for leisure or groceries.”
Wow, so wrong my friend.
July 15th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
Dollah, dollah bills ya’ll! They obviously wouldn’t be doing it if they didn’t think they could make some money off it. Remember when you had to BUILD your own fixie with a road bike and ebay parts because nobody made a complete fixie?
July 15th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
“In every other city, bikes are merely things that sit in the garage most of the time only to be taken out for leisure or groceries.”
Right, because we don’t do that in Philly. And noooooobody out west (bay area, sacramento, san diego, portland) rides fixed, right? Did you grow up in Houston or Atlanta or something? Any place with reasonable density will lend itself to biking, b/c it allows people to get around quicker than they can by car/foot.
July 16th, 2009 at 1:41 am
@billy parnham where were you when skateboards hit chain stores? do even know when that was? and what uproar are you talking about here – yours was the second comment! haha
July 16th, 2009 at 3:53 am
wow?!!! really?
You are so cool fixed gear elitist with “these kids will have to say to other bikers with a straight face that they bought their bike at urban mo fuckin outfitter. it will sting their guts as the words come out of their mouth and all will be fair and true.” You now have enough rep to not be the last one into the fixed gear trend. congrats.
July 16th, 2009 at 11:59 am
you really do have to have your head up your ass to think ny is the only city where people ride bikes for transportation. then again, if you’re riding a fixed gear bike for transportation, thus boldly giving a big punk rock middle finger to 50 years of gear technology, you’ve already demonstrated where your head is located.
but while we’re broadly generalizing, all hipsters in any city think that their city is the only one cool enough to _____________. this is especially true the closer one’s city is to a coast of some sort.
July 16th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Nope, New York is pretty much #1 at everything. Sorry, guys.
July 16th, 2009 at 11:51 pm
Not bad components, whatever, who cares? let people ride bikes. Who is anyone to say who can and can’t ride whichever bike, fixie or not, and who sells them. Fuck a fixie elitist. What really will be funny are the kids the are riding them with hub flipped to free wheel, then they are officially the posers. And Yes Urban Outfitters sucks and for sure “packages coolness” like the first comment said, but I like the idea of more people riding bikes, maybe we can get more representation on the road… sheeeit.
July 17th, 2009 at 10:45 am
what fuckin difference does it make where someone bough their bike? As long as it works an gets them where they need to go all the rest of this is just some strangers ego gettin bruised for no reason. do it movin people, stop worryin about everyone elses bullshit an handle your own.
July 17th, 2009 at 11:32 am
The only fixed gear I will ride is a mothafuckin UNICYCLE!!! Everything else should be melted in the fires of Mt. Etna.
21 speed bike with grip shifters – now you’re talkin.
July 17th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Dammit. One more thing for me to not care about.
July 17th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
At least they have brakes. When I first heard about this I figured they’d think they had to follow the fad and go with the brake-less fixies. That would mean a whole lot more bike deaths in urban areas, no pun intended.
NOTE – A brake-less fixed gear is a terrible idea for anyone who is not a totally dedicated/experienced/avid cyclist! A front brake is easy to put on and will probably save your skull. I’ve seen two people get totally fucked because they thought they had to be raw. Don’t be a fucking idiot! Put a brake on your bike!
July 17th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
hey, as long as this gets more people out of cars and on to bikes, i’m cool with it.
July 18th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Nice set up, the person who rides on that seat will soon be impotent, talk about bike being rad…
July 20th, 2009 at 2:09 am
I bought this bike from the original site (http://www.republicbike.com) two months ago and I love it.
July 21st, 2009 at 10:23 am
I went in to Urban and tried to buy Rollerblades. They don’t sell these?
July 21st, 2009 at 12:10 pm
“i don’t remember much of an uproar from the community when you could buy skateboards at chain stores.
just shows how entitled and self absorbed the fixie crowd is. guess it’s on to the next thing for you guys.”
Actually, I’ve been watching the “fixie” filter on twitter and it seems like most of the people who are poking fun at the UO bike posers are the fixie/hipster haters looking for a new reason to tell us we’re not cool. From what I’ve seen the twitter fixie crowd has been relatively silent about it other than criticizing the cheap parts on the bike, but we already knew about Republic Bikes from their previous website anyways, so it’s not really a surprise topic.
July 21st, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Fixed gears are for the track or for wankers. Wanker alert!!
July 21st, 2009 at 2:05 pm
This is amazing!!! I’ve always wanted a fixed gear bike…I just never knew where to buy one.
July 21st, 2009 at 3:28 pm
“Living in New York changes the way you think about bicycles and the people who ride them forever. In every other city, bikes are merely things that sit in the garage most of the time only to be taken out for leisure or groceries. Here, people ride bikes as their main form of transportation”
I guess the author has spent outside of NY, but “Every other city”? Do some traveling Peter.
July 22nd, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Less moustache more gears you fixed gear hipster d-bags
July 24th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Philly has a huge cyclist population fyi.
July 30th, 2009 at 12:06 am
Urban Outfitters has commercialized on a part of our culture that has long been more about individuality rather than consumerism. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5qIFqF5ynk
July 30th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
who gives a shit what UO sells, if you don’t want to support, don’t. i’m tired of this I’m too cool for this, I’m too cool for that. your dollars don’t mean shit to them, and you probably don’t buy shit from anyone anyways. so what the fuck it your point.
“i’m so indie, i’m so cool, and so individual”
ok, you all have your girlfriends jeans on, you ride fixies, drink PBR and have trust funds…
August 2nd, 2009 at 8:10 am
First of all this article is completely misleading. UO has simply partnered up with Republic and incorporated their ordering system on their website. These bikes have been available at REPUBLIC’s website (www.republicbike.com) for a long time. And it doesn’t appear that they will be selling them in the stores, so the next time you “ride past an Urban Outfitters” you probably won’t see a fixed gear bike, or at least these ones.
Republic seems like a pretty legit, grass roots company to me. So what’s really the difference if someone purchases the bike through UO’s website or the original website? Either way it’s supporting Republic which seems to be a pretty cool company.
August 7th, 2009 at 7:39 am
“Here, people ride bikes as their main form of transportation…”
There are many other cities in the US where people ride bikes just as much if not more then NYC…
Ever hear of Portland Oregon ?
August 9th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
Disregard this entire write-up, I suck cocks.
August 9th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
If you’re going to be a fake me dickhead instead of just being an anonymous you dickhead, at least be funny.
August 19th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
“In every other city, bikes are merely things that sit in the garage most of the time only to be taken out for leisure or groceries.”
That’s about the stupidest thing ever. Here in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada there are tonnes of fixie and single speed bikes going all year even when it’s -40 outside. (It’s not that bad as long as you’re dressed properly.) Biking is a way of life everywhere, not just in NYC.
August 19th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
“In every other city, bikes are merely things that sit in the garage most of the time only to be taken out for leisure or groceries.”
That’s about the stupidest thing ever. Here in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada there are tonnes of fixie and single speed bikes going all year even when it’s -40 outside. (It’s not that bad as long as you’re dressed properly.) Biking is a way of life everywhere, not just in NYC.
One of these things is not like the other.
August 22nd, 2009 at 12:08 pm
someone posted earlier on:
[“In every other city, bikes are merely things that sit in the garage most of the time only to be taken out for leisure or groceries.”
Wow, so wrong my friend.]
and well theres nothing more to add. FADER is funny tho thats for sure.
not the Bill Hicks style of ‘funny’, just the ‘get the fuck out why am i wasting time on this?’ funny.
August 25th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
now hipsters, new to the hipster scene can walk in buy all their hipster clothes, turn around, buy a hipster car (fixed gear). hopefully they are complete piles of shit and all the hipsters that buy them…Die.
August 28th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
OMG….i really want one! i hope UOF will come out with a fixed gear clothing line as well!…..i cant wait!
August 31st, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Pretty cool I guess… doesn’t hurt to have more options. Very smart of Urban Outfitters also, hopping on an obvious and growing trend that fits their demographics. I wonder if they plan to brand the bikes though… where are they made / how much are they? I think bikes are of the best value when bought used though.
Here’s a good post about finding the right fixie:
http://fixiecafe.wordpress.com/2009/08/25/finding-your-fix/
September 10th, 2009 at 4:07 am
honestly i have four bikes and currently am employed by a bike shop.
and my fixed gear is my favorite bike. its simple easy to take care of. and very very fast.
i do have to say though comment 15 is completely right i have a front break on mine. and it has deffinatly saved me. i would say 2 or 3 out of every fixie rider that comes into my shop to fix there bike, its messed up because they fell or got hit because they couldnt stop
that is stupid
but who cares where you get your bike as long as you have fun riding it
plus you can always by it and make it better put a personal flair
it does make me laugh to see people dressed like the girl above
or the guys with there fresh nikes on and little scarves its gonna look really good when you fall and its ruined
September 16th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Hipster this hipster that. Really, who cares? Everyone’s got their own definition of what a ‘hipster’ is that it’s lost all meaning anyway. I’m sure every person here has been called a hipster, I mean come on, you’re reading Fader.
Anyway, nobody’s commented on the waste cycle issue. All these ‘hipsters’ will buy these fixies, realize they’re ruining their knees after a few years or realize that gears are nice to have. Either way, in a few years there will be all these cheap steel frames on the market cluttering up the used bike shops and people into building their own bikes will have a heyday.
That’s what I’m excited about.
September 26th, 2009 at 2:21 am
I love that all the lil wanna be gangsta shits in LA are riding fixed now. i used to get so much shit from them while riding mine, just like a few years ago. i havent seen a bmx in forever lol. trends.
September 30th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
Cycling is as much about the journey as the destination, long way home or short cut. If paragon helps to put more riders on the road or makes the window shopper more aware of cyclist we all will be better off.
October 8th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
http://www.sebikes.com/ has had complete build fixies for a while now.
October 8th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Also note to the writer alot of other citys outside of NYC use bicycles as there means of transportation check out boston for prood.
October 12th, 2009 at 9:28 am
I hate that storem nothing but cheaply made clothing and dirty wanna be hipsters staff.
October 13th, 2009 at 9:59 am
Wearing black leather and riding huge Harleys, a motorcycle gang thunders through northern Georgia as if en route to a rumble. But the only rumble for this gang–the Atlanta Harley Owners Group (HOG)–is the one in their stomachs. It’s another Sunday ride in the country for the group, and as usual it ends with a feast. “We live to ride, and we ride to eat,” says club assistant director B.K. Ellis, a systems analyst.
October 15th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
“The only fixed gear I will ride is a mothafuckin UNICYCLE!!! Everything else should be melted in the fires of Mt. Etna.”
-Polyphemus, you are my hero. Thank you for lumping all of these comments into one tidy, hilarious package.
October 15th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
fixed gear bikes = retarded…
nyc is one of the least bike friendly cities in the country.. fyi
October 27th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
yeah! Fixed gear bikes!!!! Will they sell Surly bikes?
October 27th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
yeah! Fixed gear bikes!!!! Will they sell Surly bikes?