what the fuck happened to FGFS part II: the shift and split

when i last left you on this series of essays,  i dove into the origins of FGFS. it was quick, and basically spanned from the days of breaking carbon forks doing keo spins, into breaking everything doing 360 flyouts. now here comes the stuff that will make you either love what i'm saying or hate what i'm saying. get it after the jump.

what the fuck happened to FGFS part I: the rise and shift

get your popcorn, get warm blanket, sit on a log, and gather around the campfire folks- it's story time with jmikBHSK! i've been thinking about this for years, and it's been gnawing at my brain like a rabid zombie squirrel so i think it's about time that i do some self regulation and let this one out.

let's preface with this: i am by no means any crazy authority over FGFS. i'd like to think of myself as a curator and maybe historian of such things, but alas, i'm just a dude who like certain things and puts it out onto a silly website which no one really reads anymore (part of that is my fault, i went off to do grown up stuff for a bit). whatever- i've been around FGFS for a long ass time, and i've seen it go through it's inception to evolution to de-evolution in a matter of a few years. i've had people ask me what happened to FGFS, and to answer that we have to tell the whole narrative. by the way, i did do a bit of this a few years back, so if you'd like to revisit it.... here it is. now for me to babble on after the jump!

six years and only one decent idea: an apology and some BHSK project introduction

i started this blog in a dorm room in 2008. i really didn't see this more than a chronicling of crap that i do day to day since at the time i moved to a new city knowing no one. it's 2014 now and a whole lot has changed during that amount of time- including BHSK. initially this was supposed to highlight full on track bikes on the street but with the rise of FGFS, it's become more of an FGFS blog with a small track bike fetish when no one is looking.



how the fuck did that happen? that's what i'm going to try and find out. there's been so many things  that have influenced me as a blogger/rider/photo dude and i want to kind of shine a light on these people and places. with the fixed gear culture basically being dumbed down and diluted to shitty cookie cutter bikes which the general public deems as a colorful, inconvenient nuisance, i want to bring up some original shit and backtrack to why this thing became a worldwide phenomenon. i mean think about it: there are some people, companies, bikes and places out there that have brought the track bike/fixed gear/fgfs bike to where it is today. this is a huge undertaking that i have no clue how i'm going to fund, plan or do, but i'm going to try and work my ass off to do it.



i'm also going to redo the site because it's looked like this for a really long time and i'm kind of getting sick of how shitty and ratty it looks compared to the other homies' blogs. i mean come on.... i havent changed ths layout since...... 2010? 2011? damn i've been doing this shit for way too long.



forgive me for being away from the keyboard for such a long time, but i really needed this space to think and stuff.


jmik

how to save FGFS part I: edits and riding

there are really two parts to FGFS and i think i covered the equipment part alright. so lets move on to something that could really get me into some heat. if you havent noticed, im getting kind of picky with the FGFS stuff that i'm posting. you'll find out why after the jump.

how to save FGFS part I: the equipment

if you havent noticed, i've been very critical of FGFS as of late. no, i'm not turning my back against the thing that made me, just giving a couple of constructive criticisms of what's going on. i wrote this out in a notebook somewhere and quickly realized that i have a whole fucking lot to say. so let's get to it, shall we?

bhsk rants: why FGFS isn't working.

i've had this post queued up for a while and every time i want to post it, something comes up in the FGFS world... then i erase it. i cant tell you how many time's i've edited and erased and debated internally over this topic but i think i'm at a point where no one will care what i say anyway. i've been in this for 5 years or so, and i'm not going to say i'm an expert or complaining at all, but these are just things i have seen.

RANTISH: wheeltalk 2013 revisited, response

MATT REYES | WHEEL TALK 2013 from Matt Reyes on Vimeo.
so why am i posting this up again? well a while back i got a little thing in my inbox about someone responding to my comment on hypebeast saying, "waiting on the hate from bmx riders and the "i didn't know you could do that on a fixie" comments."

now this is me being a smart ass, but i didnt really expect anyone to respond to my comment. the actual response doesn't show on the actual page, but here is what it said:

"Gnari manG to bhsk • 24 days ago −
I don't want to say i am hating because people can do w.e. they want(especially if it means riding any type of bike), but the truth of the matter is I'm just not impressed.
He was kind of smooth, but he was doing basic tricks. Also he didn't do a single big thing that would be intimidating to an average rider.
"wheel talk" if you liked this, you should check out Chase Dehart's part from "let em talk".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
I hope this comparison can further explain my points, and will help you guys see the resulting stigma against fixies in the bmx culture."

the comments section closed before i could respond. so here is my response.

rant: wu tang x state bicycle

(via state)
okay, i'm fucking disappointed right now. ever since i found out about this, it's been picking at my brain. i have nothing against state bicycle, i really don't. they put kids on bikes and that's all i ever ask for. they also support the community and have an intense team going on which is hella cool and shit.  i fucking love the wu. they're the fucking wu tang clan, and you dont fuck with them. BUT WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?


lets back up here, there are some things that i like. well, two things might not be "some" for many, but irregardless of that i do happen to like the headtube badge and the stem faceplate. that's about it. hold up, can we talk about how greasy this motherfucker is? that shit greasy as fuck, i mean, shit. at least wipe the goddamn thing down before you take beauty shots.

(cream, indeed)
maybe i'm just bitter- the last thing we saw that was wutang related with bikes was the affinity collaboration set forth by raekwon the chef. that shit was sick and also made better by the fact it was not for profit in support of rebuilding the hard hit new york city areas during their natural disaster. but this... this is like seeing a general lee paintjob on a damn hyundai. it's not right.

i think it's also because i'm a huge fan of the wu tang- yeah all these little logos and dedications to the shaolin are nice and all, but is it all really in line with the principles of the wu tang? it's kind of tacky to see all these logos and dedications. i mean when you see the wu tang, you know there's some thought and quality. i feel like this was slapped together.


you don't need the w logo on the hubs, you don't need the w logo on the bars, you don't need the w logo on the seatpost. lets be honest here, that just brings the "value" up. i wouldn't be surprised to see "limited wu tang fixie wheelset" up on craigslist after a while. while on that not, this thing is $600. WHAT? FOR 40 DOLLARS MORE, YOU CAN GET A BRAND NEW 2014 SPECIALIZED LANGSTER.  and that thing doesnt have that "fixie" geometry- it's got a real goddamn track geo.

let's do a recap: i think it's over priced, not a good dedication to the people who brought the world the 36 chambers, it's tacky, and greasy as fuck. i want to like this. it's wu tang. it's a bike. but this doesn't come through for me.

</rant>

jmik

updates and maybe a rant: redbull ride n style 2013

so patrick from pedal consumption got a little update on what's happening with redbull's iconic SF event. i'm lazy so i'm just gonna copy-paste what he's got to help spread the word.

"On Saturday, May 4, Red Bull Ride + Style will return to San Francisco for the third time, reuniting the world’s best fixed gear racers and freestylers together in Justin Herman Plaza. The event also brings together four of the world’s top street artists through collaborative art on both the racecourse and the freestyle ramps.

In addition to the riders who will be invited back from both race and fixed freestyle categories, there will be an opportunity to qualify for the race in multiple locations:

State Bicycle Company: On April 7, a “survivor crit race” will be held in Gilbert at The Farm at Agritopia.

If necessary, there will also be a last-chance qualifier race in San Francisco to fill any remaining spots. For more information on the qualifiers, please visit HERE.

Riders automatically invited to Red Bull Ride + Style are the finalists from both race and freestyle portions of the 2012 event. The top 16 racers and top 10 freestyle competitors from last year’s event will be invited.

Fixed Gear Freestyle: Pre-Qualified Riders (Top 10)
Josh Boothby, Joe McKeag, Matt Reyes, Michael Chacon, Justin “Congo” Mitchell, Matt Montoya, Ed “Wonka” LaForte, Jakob Santos, Miles Mathia, and Tyler Johnson.

Race: Pre-Qualified Riders (Top 16)
Addison Zawada, Walton Brush, Edgar Juarez, Jason Clary, Hernan Montenegro, Kell McKenzie, Austin Horse,Massan Fluker, Chas Christensen, Jerome Stretch, Steven Tortorelli, Justin “Congo” Mitchell, Kapri Gonzalez, Tony Rabeneau, Scott Piercefield, and David Trimble.

Partners for the 2013 event will be announced shortly, as well as the confirmed artists who will create the look for the ramps this year.

For more information, please follow @redbullSFO / #rideNstyle on Twitter and join the Facebook event page for updates.

Above photo credit: Justin Kosman / Red Bull Content Pool"

rant after the jump?

an event i can get behind: redbull hill chasers

(via pristine)
dear redbull, it's very nice that you give northern california the ride n style event. i appreciate it, i really do. but you guys are fucking up. why, you ask? because i would fucking love to see a hill chasers event stateside. it's the ultimate game of king of the hill. i mean, who wouldn't want to be a part of that. i always look forward to seeing what comes out of these hill chasers events and i always get bummed out that there's not one near me. shout outs to the scottish peoples out there participating in this one- it's going to be a bundle of fun with a side order of leg muscle pains.

jmik

another reason why designers shouldn't mess with bikes: clarity bike

(via um.... here)
so yeah this is photoshopped and this is just a concept, but i think you and i can make the call on how terrible this is. first, there's the fact that this will be composed of injection molded plastic polymer. a plastic polymer bike. really? can you imagine how flexy this would be? it's kind of a step backward. then there's the think where the designers forgot that there are areas that actually see friction and pressure. i can't imagine any good outcome if someone overtightens that bottom bracket. unless they utilize a press in bottom bracket. but torsional wear would eventually fuck that frame up. i don't see any kind of headset working. everything that's installed on the frame would have to be loose to some extent. looking at this, they put a belt drive- plastic polymer with a break in the seatstay equals NO BUENO. considering there's no brakes, the designer was probably thinking "fixies! fixies are cool, right?" well, if this has the potential to be a standard "fixie", then there's some CRAZY flex that will happen. not to mention the potential for the rear wheel to slam forward in a skid.

then there's the geo. oh god, the geo. have fun riding that thing because it's got so much trail to the point it's probably unrideable in the drops. yes, this geo was probably good in the 40's or so when they used pushrods instead of cables for brakes, but this is unacceptable in a contemporary setting.

designers, please.... don't try to reinvent the bike.

jmik

meanwhile in belgium: fixerati x opel's "adam fix" documentary series

The ADAM Fix - Episode 8: The Reveal from LDV United on Vimeo.
so here's the part where you say "oh, it's a collaboration between 2 companies, i bet you jmik hates the shit out of it." well this time... is like almost every other time. i hate it. i'm going to get a little repetitive because i'm going to probably use the same template for all the collaborations i dislike. the fixerati is a great shop based out of belgium. opel is a german car company owned by general motors. they made one of my favorite cars in gran turismo 2, the tigra ice race car. now, opel is coming out with a new car called the "adam" and it's ugly as shit and it's marketed towards a certain demographic. opel and fixerati teamed up with unik (i'm not sure if it's pronounced like "unique" or "eunich") bikes to make the adam fixed gear bike.

The ADAM Fix - Episode 6: Test drive from LDV United on Vimeo.
now, i caught on pretty quickly because the shape of the bike looked really familiar. oh yeah, i have one of these sitting my my garage. IT'S A DAMN FUJI TRACK 1.0. really? you couldn't make a damn bike so you just repaint one and slap wasted mavic io and call it a day? not only that, they managed to make the already questionable 2013 fuji track 1.0's paintjob worse with the dog vomit yellow and white.

i'm okay with what they did in terms of events and stuff, but the fact that this is simply a waste of a fuji track 1.0 as well as a perfectly good mavic io makes me kinda sad for the damn bike. if you want to see how this thing made it's way to sadness watch all the episodes. (by the way, the last one is eerily like a funeral procession if you watch it)

Episode 1 The Briefing: vimeo.com/52164678
Episode 2 Inspiration: vimeo.com/52241120
Episode 3 Alte Schüle: vimeo.com/52541545
Episode 4 The Frame: vimeo.com/53233532
Episode 5 The Components: vimeo.com/53704979
Episode 6 Test Drive: vimeo.com/54471035
Episode 7 Paint Job: vimeo.com/54660034
Episode 8 The Reveal: vimeo.com/55098909

jmik

a rant: purefix fgfs

Pure Fix FGFS from Pure Fix Cycles on Vimeo.
you know what? i'm not going to sugarcoat this or nothin'- i hate this bike. with every bone in my body, i desipise it so much. why? because it's design is SO TERRIBLE it makes my eyes bleed. cole and bijan are awesome riders and i have nothing bad to say about them (luh you guys). but these bikes are so terrible.


well, why don't you like them jmik? well i'll tell you.



right off the bat- this thing has 14mm axles. you're going "well yeah, a rear should be 14mm". i'll respond by saying "it's plural..." YES THIS THING HAS 14MM AXLES FRONT AND REAR. so if you wanted to swap out the front with a well built wheel, you pretty much cant because the fork takes a 14mm axle. wanna sell the front wheel? can't because NO ONE RUNS A 14MM AXLED WHEEL IN THE FRONT.

(the front setup, not the 14mm axle)

then there's the stupid seat tube that looks like it's too long and has a really terrible looking seat clamp. it's reversed too so it looks like metal cyst a mistake. no one wants a bike that looks like a damn mistake. i guess you can cut it off, but who wants to take a saw to a frame?



the rear triangle is way too long. with a 2.2 and the axle slammed, there's still a sea ocean of space between the tire and the seat tube. companies are trying to get that back wheel as close as possible to that seat tube boasting about how short their chainstays are. so why the hell does this thing have so much room?



the components are decent enough. i guess.

here's the last thing, and i'm going to tell you though anecdote. so some kid was selling one of these on a facebook forum claiming it was a  26" 14 bike co. i couldn't have that. i told him straight up what it was, and for a while he was seriously trying to fight my allegations. alas, i convinced him that he had been screwed. the worst part of this bike is the crap they're pulling off another company's look and setting the seatstays lower.


this whole bike sucks and it's competing against the pfix and the SE primetime. what a waste of decent 4130- it just comes to show that some people just want to see the world burn.

jmik