[*BCM*] Are Fixies Illegal?

[Thomas John Vitolo]

1.  The judges questions and qualifications on brakes were stupid.  What if the
brake wire broke?  What if your hand muscles were suddenly not strong enough to
squeeze?

2.  The M-W definition was a good stunt: the chain and riders' leg muscles work
to stop the tire just as a caliper and riders' hand muscles do.  Sure,
mechanical advantage and extra friction help in the latter, but it's the same
principle.

3.  Is a fixie with a hand break still a fixie?  Is this modern cyclists' new
philosophical dillema?  It sounds like Oregon isn't waging war on fixies, just
fixies lacking a handbrake.  Incidentally, how about tricycles and bigwheels? 
Does this only apply if you were riding on the road?  What about youth bikes
without handbrakes: I had a bike as a kid that had no freewheel, but it wasn't a
fixie either.  You could pedal forward or not, but pressure backwards slowed,
skidded the tires.  It too would fail the judge's test.


 - stomv

Quoting Jim Leonard <vleonard at infinet.com>:

> Note that this is in a) in oregon where the requirements are
> different
> (and absurd, being able to skid is meaningless, If I grease my tires
> I can
> get just about anything to skid) b) this person didn't have any
> "brakes"
> on the bicycle at all other than being able to stop the fixie by
> pushing
> backwards on the pedals.
> 
> Fixies, especially with one or two standard brakes, are perfectly
> legal.
> 
> -- jim
> 
> On Fri, 11 Aug 2006, Vicki Siolos wrote:
> 
> > http://bikeportland.org/2006/07/28/judge-finds-fault-with-fixies/
> >
> > I'm interested in everyone's thoughts on this. I'm going to Harris
> tomorrow to ask about
> > getting a new bike, and
> > I don't know, STILL, if it should be fixed or not. I'm very on the
> fence...but then again, I was
> > when I switched
> > from PC to Mac three years ago, and I never went back ;)
> >
> > -V
> >
> >
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