I came across this inspirational video, thanks to my little Sister Yaya (congratulations on Graduating) about a bike team like no other; hailing from West Oakland, CA. In an area where growing up is perilous, at the very least, Babye Champe or Scraper Bike King has managed to emerge as a role modelw with flair to boot. Just going to show you, you don’t need expensive rims and chromed out rime to roll in style. Though you do need 2.0 GPA, a pimped out ride and a healthy respect for the team and most of all boundless creativity. I tip my hat to the whole scraper bike team and to Babye Champ I say “Long live the king”.
A few months back, I traipsed around New York interviewing whomever I could about fixed gear bikes and the people riding them. I returned to Brisbane and got caught up in “le vie quotidiene” and let them collect the proverbial dust on my hard drive. Recently I’ve moved to the new studio and with it a renewal of inspiration, so I’ve decided to dust off the interviews and post them as I had intended.
After each dialogue, I got into the habit of asking the interviewee who they thought I should track down and feature on my blog. One name consistently came up always with the utmost respect but also tinge of caution a bit like how I imagine a voodoo witch doctors name to be uttered in Haiti; Dave Perry. I was told the author of Bike Cult: the ultimate guide on human powered vehicles, could be a bit particular and eccentric but all the same was the foremost authority on anything and everything cycling. I walked up to Bike Works on 106 Ridge Street, and it appeared like any regular neighborhood bike shop but upon entering you realize you’ve crossed the threshold to a bike sanctuary. It’s like a the laboratory of a mad scientist that deals with all things bicycle, there are bike, parts and cycling paraphernalia covering every square inch of the floor, walls, and ceiling. I found Dave behind the counter deeply absorbed in daily happenings of Bike Works. My first impression of him, wasn’t to dissimilar to what I imagine meeting Dr. Emmet “Doc” Brown for the first time would be like. He clearly worked to his own internal tempo and when it came to bikes that tempo was faster and sharper than anyone I’ve ever met. When asked whether I could interview him he agreed, and kept right on his manic pace.
What’s your name?
Dave Perry
Where are you from originally?
Born in California
How long have you been open?
……Sorry what?
How long have you been open?
Open?…uh…well we started in …uh…. technically in ’97
What do you think your biggest influence into making cycling your life was?
My biggest influence…uh… having always done it and um… and you know having a, kinda of a social conscience about um.. how its a good thing for people.. and um.. always being enthusiastic about it.
Why do you think the whole fixed/single speed craze has exploded so much recently?
Well..um… the fixed gear is a pure, its a really wonderful type of bicycle and I guess its just like …um…compared to maybe… what …um kids always had you know…, people first they had bmx bikes, they had mountain bikes before that they had either road bikes or cruiser bikes and uh…fixed gears are just another style and uh… maybe its a reaction to the other, the mountain bike or the bmx, cause its different, its almost the opposite. So yeah, I mean I don’t… I’m not sure why its so popular except that its like having a hot rod and its also a purist thing and its just thrilling its more thrilling theres more to it. And I guess yeah, its like being a part of a cult or culture.
Do think that there’s anyone person or crew that’s really influencing the whole scene/culture or is it more of a natural progression of everybody working together to creating what its becoming?
I don’t think um… I wouldn’t I wouldn’t… I think its splitting apart more than anything, its already different theres people that ride fixed gear traditionally with a road bike type of orientation and now you have straight bar, polo bike you have fixed gear for stunts they’re different they look different the guys you know…. theres fixed gear mountain bikes, some people hook up fixed gear on their folding bike. So I would say that theres… its a wide variety, and nobody is really working together it really they’re all different um….
What do you love about the fixed gear scene and its explosion lately?
Um…. I dunno… just um just seeing the like young, the real young…like 14 year olds learning about it and maybe they’ll have a different…it seems already that we’ve noticed that they have a different way of approaching it than lets the 18 -20 year old, but um… the 18-25 year old, you know. Like this guy is 23 right? and look at the bike he rides, he doesn’t have straight bars…i dunno why. He’s more into the track… like not the WHHHOOoooooaaaa
Like just straight riding rather than tricking and all that?
Yeah yeah, you know, cause there are people that hold informal races and stuff and as well as there are real races and um… you know a lot of people… not everybody s into that there are people who are doing it. Like the track here in Cassena, the one out in Queens, you know there are definitely more people coming out every year.. uh.. at the same time theres more.. you know polo grew like that, in a matter of 5 years polo was taken [up] in every city of the country.
Is there anything you hate about it and the direction its heading it?
Um…The consumption, the consumer aspect, theres going to be over production of this stuff and; just you know it sucks that everything needs to be shipped all over the world, although thats what we do here.
So the commercialization aspect?
Yeah, thers alot of the cheaper stuff, ow like you see $199 fixie bike, which you know its just its natural that people would, you know everybody wants the lowest price but um you need to think about quality too. Throw away stuff is never good, in our opinion, just the fact that we repair them its the ones that are cheap or cheaply built we need to repair them.
What do you think the future holds for fixed gear bikes?
The future?….
What is it going to hold and evolve into?
Genetically Engineering.
Half Man half Bike?
Yeah, I mean I don’t know.
Helmet or Helmetless: No Helmet, Helmet not necessary
Brake or Brakeless: As you like.
Fixed or Single Speed: Either or.
Thank you.
I’d like to thank Dave Perry for his time and sharing his views on a topic he’s clearly dedicated his life to, if you get a chance it would be well worth checking out the resources he’s made available about cycling whether through his site, book, or his shop.
By the time I made it over to Affinity Cycles in Brooklyn to buy my much anticipated Lo Pro frame, I had built it up in my head so much I was convinced that I would be disappointed. I thought for sure, I would walk in to the store to be confronted by a group of unapproachable fixie/cycling hipsters, but my prefabricated opinions couldn’t have been farther from the truth. I strolled in about 10 minutes after opening, my Gimme Coffee mocha keeping my hands warmed on the drizzling New York winter morning, the store was in an orderly and unpretentious disarray. At the counter I was greeted by Jason Gallagher while directly behind him Miguel Fernandez worked methodically on that mornings project. I could tell immediately by his work ethic and focus, that once he had serviced your bike, you could rest assured in the mechanical sanctity of your ride. He didn’t say much, preferring to nod occasionally when he agreed with Jason or chime in to explain the convoluted technicalities of NYC bike laws.
The new year has brought with it professional redirection, a handful of resolutions, and what at the time seemed like an insurmountable amount of work piled up on my desk causing a regretful hiatus. Having dug myself out, I now have the opportunity to present a little prize I’ve been sitting on since New York. As we all know I capitalised on my trip to New York by sourcing the parts for my dream build but what you may not be aware of was that I took advantage of the situation to interview my favourite NYC bike shops. Over the next 4 weeks, I’ll be posting a series of interviews focusing on past, present and future of the fixed gear sub culture and those responsible for putting some of the nicest rides on New York streets and possible the world. A big thanks to Jason & Miguel at Affinity, Dave Perry at Bike Works, Joe & Ken at Brooklyn Machine Works, the boys at Grove St. Cycles, Jahoon at Chari & Co and last but certainly not least Fritz at Continuum for their patience and accommodating me and my questions.
I was restlessly floating around the internet at 4 am when I came across this conceptual gem. This final university project of Wytze Van Mansum in collaboration with Cannondale and its a true engineering marvel, at least aesthetically speaking. I’m not sure how the drive train works but I like the void in the crankset, as well as the locking handlebars and the rear brake lights. Though I wouldn’t trade in the Affinity for it, I think its testament of where bikes may be going.
I’ve greedily kept this completed gem to myself while uttering “mY PreCioUs” under my breathe. But seeing as I’m feeling rich with christmas spirit I thought I would share. I put it together the day we landed from our 32 hour flight. It’s everything I had hoped for; the true stand out in my regard is the Sugino 75 BB and Crankset combo. Its like pedalling in…um..butter, well you get what I mean. Seriously though it has nothing to do with the standard drive train on my ‘09 Fuj Track. You can feel the responsiveness and BB and the crank set working in unison coupled with the stiff straight fork and the Phil Wood hubs the bike rides better than I could have hoped for. So without further ado I present to you my ride.
I literally dreamed this bike into reality, I had my heart set on building one way and I refused to be swayed any other way. Every part was sourced for specific reason and I owe a big thanks to NJS Exports, Track Super Market, Green St Cycles, Chari and Co., Affinity, and Gear for making it seem so easy.
Part List
Frame: Affinity Lo Pro
BB/Crank Set: Sugino 75/ Blue Sugino 75 49T
Front: Phil Wood Hub / H Plus Son / Blue Rubino Pro
Rear: Phil Wood Hub / Velocity B43 / Blue Rubino Pro
Handlebars: Nitto x Tee19 / Black Nitto RB021
Stem: Thomson
Head Set: FSA
Seat Post: Nitto x Tee19
Saddle: Kashimax Black Ostrich Aero
Cages: BO Gear FRS Straps
Cog: Phil Wood 16T
This is it, the cornerstone of my build, a matte black Affinity Lo Pro frame. I’ve had my heart set on this heat treated 4130 chromo tubed marvel for the last 7 months, in that time I have literally counted Lo Pro’s bunny hopping over me to lull me to sleep. What drew me to this frame in particular was the colour, I love the matte black, its strong without being flashy and it seems to eat up light when the sun hits it. It’s a pursuit frame so the top tube drop about 2 inches providing for a much more aggressive riding stance. I think the lugged 1 inch straight bladed forks look great, I find the the gradual taper gives the frame a complete look as well as providing the a responsive stiff ride. Finally, and this was a deal breaker, the graphics are subtle, aesthetically complimenting, and perfectly positioned, my favourite being the sans serif Brooklyn down the rear of the seat tube. If your interested in learning ore about this frame I’ve included the technical specs below.
When I arrived in NYC my first port of call was Chari & Co to get my wheel set built up. For some time now, I’ve had my heart set on a pair of H Plus Son Rims laced to Phil Wood hubs. Though when I got to Chari they informed me that they only had one machined H Plus Son. I must have been obviously disappointed by the news because Ken came out from behind the counter to hand me a Velocity B43. The rim looked great, and near identical to the H Son except for obvious weight discrepancy. I had considered the B43 when planning the build but was scared off by the weight, but when you’re 220 lbs. whats an extra 185 grams, right? Plus I’ve heard that they’re near indestructible. Hopefully the weight I lose by having deeper rims and therefore shorter steel spokes will recoup some added weight. Anyway, I told them to go ahead and build the set, I wanted to get the order in as early in the trip as possible to have them ready by the time we I left. Much to my amazement, I received a call the very next day to inform the wheels had been completed and were waiting for me. This was my first experience with Chari and I can honestly say that I was impressed and they deserve their flawless reputation.
A few months ago when I was planning my build, I had considerable trouble settling on a stem. I knew I didn’t want a quill stem for two reasons; first I don’t find that they suit pursuit frames because of the aggressive look. Secondly, my ideal frame, the Affinity Lo Pro comes with a non threaded fork though, the boys at Affinity are happy to thread it for just $40. When I rocked up to the shop in Brooklyn, the stem was the only part on my list that had a Roger Marris type asterisk next to it. I had loosely planned on going with a matte black Nitto UI-5BX Stem from Chari & Co but it turned out they were sold out, which turned out to be a blessing in disuise. I settled on a Thomson Elite, and couldn’t be happier, I find that the glossy black stem will better compliment the matte black Lo Pro than the matte Nitto. A bonus find, the Nitto stem being out of stock at Chari, I found the perfect finishing detail in a set of blue anodized bolts, giving the Thomson the perfect finishing touch.
Today I purchased the latest accents for my bike build, a black Ostrich Bici Concepts frame pad and a black ostrich Kashimax Aero. I went down at Chari & Co on Stanton on the East side to buy the saddle and I couldn’t resist the matching frame pad. During the planning process I hesitated between a Kashimax and B15 Brooks Swallow saddle, I preferred the NJS saddle due to aesthetics and affordability. I found the Brooks too classic of a look for a pursuit frame and the black/blue color scheme. I chose the black ostrich because it was padded and thought it would accent the bike perfectly. The Bici frame pad is reversible Black Ostrich/ Black Canvas, perfect to accent the uniqueness of the seat. Overall two great buys, I find though that the closer I get to completing the build the less patient I become.
