I see much mention of hipsters in relation to certain elements of bike culture. Not just on here but in other parts of the internet and meat space as well.
What separates dirtbag sports aficionados / mechanics / delivery riders from hipsters?
They look really similar to me and I would like to be able to better differentiate between the groups.
The Facts
>All fixed gear rider aren't hipsters
>All hipsters don't ride fixed gear bikes
>Dirtbags and punks have tattoos / piercings
>Hipsters have tattoos and piercings
Is it the flannel?
Wat do /n/?
Also, I don't have tattoos, piercings, or a beard... nor do I wish to.
Help me.
Simple quiz to tell if someone is a hipster or not:
Do you wear a cycling cap with no helmet?
Yes? - You are a hipster
No? - You are not a hipster
>>966440
Thanks, that actually might be a good metric for me. I'll report back later.
>1 week ago
>talking with a friend at his birthday
>He had a beard/moustache and everyone was joking that he got angry when his gf told him that he looked like a jew.
>He rides bikes so I told him ´´ I know the reason you don't want to shave, you live on a ´´cool neighborhood´´ you are a hipster and probably are planning to getting a peugeot fixie´´
>´´Hey, I have some stored frames, one of them a peugeot and I was thinking on building a fixie´´
>>966439
>What separates dirtbag sports aficionados / mechanics / delivery riders from hipsters?
If they do heroin they're legit punk scum
If they don't do heroin, hipster faggots
>>966440
Cycling caps with no helmet are completely fine if you're in lycra
Not to mention completely unacceptable unless in lycra
>>966477
>lycra
You mean wool.
First, OP, check if you have a dick in yer ass, if you do, it's no wonder why you complain about how other people like stuff.
It has no correlation to your own liking of the same stuff.
>>966477
>Cycling caps with no helmet are completely fine
You can delete the rest. Cycling caps work for cycling. The small bill blocks the sun but not your view like regular baseball hats.
>>966477
I wear cycling caps with no helmet, and I don't have a beard or flannel shirts. They look fucking sick.
this is the only guy that looks good in a cycling cap off a bike
>>966439
There's always some group of people who dislike some other group of people - all it takes is someone taking offence to someone else.
Whether it's justified or not doesn't matter - people love being angry about little things.
When your buddy invites you for a ride but you have to be downtube
If someone sacrifices practicality and functionality to look cool then they're a hipster. Examples would be going single speed when the places you ride would require multiple gears, using a fixie outside of a track, and being brakeless (having a fixed rear wheel does not count as a brake).
Usually this sort of shit will be combined with stuff like cringey stickers and hipster clothing. These don't bother me as much as it's just a matter of aesthetic taste, but it's still shitty taste.
>>966439
>All fixed gear rider aren't hipsters
True, some are track racers. But at this point in time I think we can agree the sport itself is hipster.
Can't get more hipster than a shaft driven recumbent
>>966945
>If someone sacrifices practicality and functionality to look cool
>no fun allowed
>>966945
Narrow ass bars with giant chain ring that makes you ride all wobbly and slow.
Cards in your spokes
Riding down the street with helmet dangling from your handlebars.
big ass back pack while your rack is empty
>>966964
>big ass back pack while your rack is empty
I do this all the time. My rack is for covering long distances. If I'm just going to work, it's much easier to take my normal backpack than to transfer all my stuff into panniers.
>>966439
this is the way I see it:
fixed gear fags tend to be no hipsters because riding with fixed gears isnt that easy and needs training.
people with their singlespeeds with flipflop hub (pic related) are hipsters
because they would never change their hub to fixed
they only ride it because it looks "cool" ( I tend to disagree )
>>966977
>riding with fixed gears isnt that easy and needs training.
Not really. All it requires is not leaning too far when cornering (which isn't hard if you're a slow pleb) and if you're brakeless getting used to slowing down with the pedals. Other than that it's no different to riding with a freewheel.
>people with their singlespeeds with flipflop hub (pic related) are hipsters
because they would never change their hub to fixed
>hey only ride it because it looks "cool"
No, they do it because it's more practical, fixed is pointless and inconvenient and pedal only ride it to look cool. That's all fixed is good for, hipster cred and doing skids.
You're just on the verge of realizing that that "hipster" is a completely meaningless epithet, but obviously you're not quite there yet.
>>966979
>People can't like what i don't like: The post.
>>966996
They're free to do whatever the fuck they want but I'm free to judge them as being idiots.
>>966997
>People are idiots because they don't agree with me
>>966999
People are idiots because they make idiotic choices.
>>966997
>>966997
But you're more than judging them. You're assuming you know their motivation.
Why can't something just be fucking fun and that's enough? Why must you assume that everyone wants to run at max efficiency at all times?
When I was a kid, I used to rollerskate to the store, and it would have been a lot faster is I biked or drove, but fuck, was it fun.
>>967000
>Choices are idiotic if they don't go according my opinions
>>967001
>Why can't something just be fucking fun and that's enough?
If you find it fun then go right ahead, I couldn't give a shit. There are people out there that don't like the things I like to do but I don't care, but I understand that they're free to share their opinion so I'm not going to get all mad at them for it.
That said I don't see what's so fun about it. A freewheeling bike would be just as fun, even more so as you can take corners much faster and slow down much quicker and easier. You can even do skids if you want and you won't fuck up your knees whilst doing so.
>>967003
It's not an opinion. Fixed bikes are for tracks, that is their purpose. If you choose to ride something outside of its purpose you should expect to be judged for it. I would also think the same of someone who buys a mountain bike for road commuting. If you do actually ride on a track and also use the same bike to get to the track then that's fine.
>>967008
>That said I don't see what's so fun about it. A freewheeling bike would be just as fun, even more so as you can take corners much faster and slow down much quicker and easier. You can even do skids if you want and you won't fuck up your knees whilst doing so.
>People have the same amount of fun as me on everything
>It's not an opinion. Fixed bikes are for tracks, that is their purpose.
>My opinions are facts
>>967010
Fucking this.
Is it hard to cycle with a dick lodged so firmly down your throat like that?
Sheldon didn't die for this.
>>967010
>People have the same amount of fun as me on everything
Okay then, explain it to me. What makes a fixed bike so much more fun than an otherwise identical freewheeling bike?
>My opinions are facts
It is. Track bikes are fixed and having a fixed drive train has no practical purpose outside of a track. Of course we're talking about the more typical fixed bikes, road style frames with drop bars. If you have a fixed mountain bike for example then it's not a track bike, but it's just as idiotic (even more so as being fixed is even more impractical off road).
>>967011
>Sheldon is a prophet and everything he says is gospel
Don't get me wrong, a lot of what he says is right and very useful but like everyone else he isn't (or wasn't) infallible.
>>966439
>Is it the flannel?
It's the flannel.
>>967015
>Okay then, explain it to me. What makes a fixed bike so much more fun than an otherwise identical freewheeling bike?
Have you ever rode a fixie? It's clearly different.
>It is.
Never mind, i should have kept on greentexting.
>>967017
Different =/= more fun
Do you find not being able to take corners very fast fun? Do you find killing your knees to slow down fun?
>>967019
>My opinions are facts
>People can't like what i don't like
>>967020
So you do find that stuff fun? That's fine, you be you and do what you do, but you're still an idiot.
>>967021
>People are idiotic if they don't go according my opinions
>>967021
>being this mad
did some fixie riders rape your little bumhole or something?
>>967015
What the hell do you think the purpose of a fixed hub on a track bike is? It's just there because of tradition, it's not serving some great cosmic purpose.
>>967066
>It's just there because of tradition, it's not serving some great cosmic purpose
I never said otherwise. It may help to better control speed but I've never been on a velodrome so can't say for sure if that's a benefit. My point is that fixed bikes I used on a track, whatever the reason may be, and have no purpose off the track.
>>967068
They have no "purpose" on the track, either. What "purpose" does racing serve, anyway? For that matter, what purpose does that giant stick up your ass serve?
>>967073
>They have no "purpose" on the track, either.
I never said they did, they are however a requirement.
>>967073
Good question. It titillates the male g-spot.
>>967079
And you find that acceptable, and people riding fixed on the street unacceptable, because...?
>>967084
Because a fixed drive train is a requirement to racing in a velodrome, you can't race a freewheeling bike. There is no such requirement for riding on the street, it is a (dumb) choice that the rider makes. I don't really find the fixed requirement to be acceptable but it is what it is.
>>967088
>he thinks his opinions are facts
>>967089
So which bit of my post is wrong? I'm certain that being fixed is a requirement to velodrome racing but I'm happy to be proven wrong on that. If you're talking about fixed for street use being a dumb choice that is definitely a fact, there's no logical reason other than hipster cred to make that choice.
>>967094
Do you think that hipsters (i.e. people cooler than you) invented fixed gear bikes for street use? Is that the root of your stupidity? Because people have been riding fixed gear for, oh, as long as bicycles have existed. The freewheel was a later invention.
There will always be people that enjoy doing things the old way.
>>967094
>I don't think it's fun so it's dumb
>no one can enjoy things that I do not
>everyone is dumb and I am smart
Interesting thing is that fixies existed for centuries now, but you only found them "fun", or even learned of their existence once they became trendy.
Just be honest with yourself and us and say it's a fashion accessory you picked because of its popularity, not its properties.
>>967426
If it was the early 90s, would you be yelling at mountain bikers?
>Why would you want to bike in a forest?
>You could be going so much faster on a road
>You're not really having fun, it's just a trend!
>>967457
A fixed bike doesn't do anything better than a freewheeling bike, a mountain bike is better at riding off road than a road bike. Riding off road and on road are completely different and which one is faster is irrelevant.
>>967467
Did a hipster steal your girlfriend or something? Or, more likely, do hipsters steal all the girls that you wish were your girlfriend, if you weren't such an unlikable person?
>>967467
>A fixed bike doesn't do anything better
But it's more fun
>>967482
I thought it was cost.
>>967482
How so? People keep saying this but no one seems to be able to explain it.
>>967483
The only difference would be getting a fixed cog and lock ring instead of a freewheel and the cost difference between the cheapest of each would be hardly anything. I suppose if you want to be an idiot and run brakeless there's some cost saving there.
>>967483
That can be part of it
>>967484
We've explained it best we can, sorry you're a fucking robot, dude.
The pedals always spinning can be fun. It's a little difference, you get into peddling a lot more I find, and it's a bit of a challenge, just enough to be fun.
I usually use roller blades, but quad skates can be fun for a change for much a similar reason.
Why can't things just be fucking fun, dude? Are you actually autistic?
>>967487
>The pedals always spinning can be fun
You know you can keep pedalling with a freewheel, right? The difference is you have that choice, you can stop pedalling when you don't need to (going downhill or taking turns for example).
>it's a bit of a challenge, just enough to be fun.
The only thing challenging about it is turning and trying to keep up when going down a hill. Neither are fun challenges, in fact they can be downright dangerous. If you enjoy danger that much then just ride a brakeless freewheeler and use your feet to slow down.
>>967488
>Caring this much
Go outside and fucking bike man
>>967488
You have more efficency on a fixed gear bike
>>967525
Fucking teenagers, man
>>967488
>You know you can keep pedalling with a freewheel, right?
And with a fixie you can't, that's the point.
>The difference is you have that choice, you can stop pedalling when you don't need to (going downhill or taking turns for example).
But not stopping is the fun, retard.
>Neither are fun challenges
*TO YOU*
Your opinions, little boy, are not facts.
I have a geared bike that I spent way too much money on; it's fun when I gotta go fast or I gotta go long.
I have trash bike single speed coaster brakes; that's fun when I want a chill ride, or wanna pop into a store real quick without worrying about it.
I have a fixed gear bicycle; it's fun when I wanna get thunder peddling, in the zone, and it was fun to put together from other, once geared, trash bikes.
Why is it so hard for you to admit that your little opinions do not rule the world beyond your mother's basement?
>>967527
>And with a fixie you can't, that's the point.
I see, so the handicap is the fun part, or is it the danger? Do you also ride blindfolded?
>But not stopping is the fun, retard.
So then keep pedalling. you can pedal all day on a freewheeling bike if you want.
>>967530
>I see, so the handicap is the fun part, or is it the danger? Do you also ride blindfolded?
Are you being retarded on purpose?
>So then keep pedalling. you can pedal all day on a freewheeling bike if you want.
It doesn't feel the same, it doesn't handle the same.
>>967532
>Are you being retarded on purpose?
No. Answer the question, do you find being handicapped fun or riding dangerously fun, or both? If so, why don't you ride blindfolded? It's an even bigger handicap and even more dangerous so it must be more fun.
>It doesn't feel the same, it doesn't handle the same.
If you're actually applying force to the pedals then it feels exactly the same. If you're not and you're just letting the cranks move your legs and you enjoy that then fair enough, it's weird though.
>>967533
Because it's neither a skill, nor is it reasonable.
You might as well be asking me why I don't run headlong into traffic.
>it feels exactly the same
False
>>967536
I'd say riding blindfolded is pretty damn skilful. Would you say Daredevil is unskilled?
>False
Like I said, if you're actually pedalling, applying force to drive yourself forward, there's no reason why it wouldn't feel exactly the same.
>>967539
>I'd say riding blindfolded is pretty damn skilful. Would you say Daredevil is unskilled?
And I'm saying you're strawmanning. Yes, it is a skill, just as riding a unicycle down I-95 juggling axes would be, but we're not going there.
>Like I said, if you're actually pedalling, applying force to drive yourself forward, there's no reason why it wouldn't feel exactly the same.
I'll give you the reason, autist; because we are fucking HUMANS and we like shit.
People pet dogs because it feels fucking good and soft and shit, but we don't go around petting stuffed animals with the same zeal because something's not there. The simple fact that you have the option at any time to stop pedaling ruins the illusion, it does not feel the same. (Mentally, or even as much as you protest, physically.)
Your opinions are not our law. I started jokingly, but at this point, I honestly do believe that you are actually on the autism spectrum.
>>967540
He's 15, just let him be.
>>967457
Did mountain bikes exist for centuries?
>>968291
All bikes were off-road bikes before there were paved roads everywhere.
>>966977
>fixed gear fags tend to be no hipsters because riding with fixed gears isnt that easy and needs training.
LOL
Are you like 18? You missed the 2004-2008 fixie explosion and the drunk retards riding them I guess
>>967010
I once saw a fixie bro riding in the rain, skidding left and right down a steep, car-and-pedestrian-filled side street like it was a ski slope
It was beautiful. He was 200% more in control of his bike than anyone I'd ever seen.
Probably a bike messenger. The guys who brought back fixie riding
Old bike messengers (pre-2002?) were riding fixed and they were fucking cool
The problem was the hipster thing happened, the basis of the social movement being young people hunting for an "authentic" lifestyle while still being consumers. It came down to suburban shopping-mall youths trying to BUY their way to a real, meaningful life. They saw how messengers were living and wanted that "beautiful simplicity" of simulated gritty poverty cycling
After that proved too painful/dangerous for someone who isn't on a bike 8 hours a day, it moved on to "randoneur/french/le velo orange/fop wagon/650b!" --- that aesthetic got old fast, and the new thing is "Adventure biking" and "bikepacking rigs" so you can pretend to be a transient cycle tourist dude who totally boils eggs for breakfast on a pop-can stove in public parks
Next trend? Ugh who knows.
Go read "The Hipster Handbook" - published in 2001 I think. The hipster thing was already old news in Brooklyn by then.
>>968382
Here's a legit messenger bro on Ellen, 2006
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXR14MKTH8M
>>967426
>or even learned of their existence once they became trendy.
Very true. Doesn't mean i enjoy it any less.
Tfw ride a fixed gear because I feel closer to my bike and I enjoy being able to brake with legs to help my front brake
There are a bunch of fixie faggots that live near me but of course they are slow as shit and probably don't ride further too far because there ARE hills in my city (that they obviously could never go up)
>>966452
>dude confronts you like no ones bussiness and confirms your claims
>you get triggered
so you think you are cool now somehow? seems like a bro to me.
>>966860
This. I really need one. It keeps the sun and hair out of my face, it won't fly off going fast, and I can fit it in my jersey pocket
>>968382
#yolobathsalts
/thread
I know a bunch of messengers, aka dudes who deliver food and legal documents on bikes for a living and a ton of them ride fixed with no brakes b/c 'muh cadence' and 'its way cheaper to maintain a sick fixie then a sick other bike' / I'd rather spend my money on drugs so I can ride my bike on drugs to make more money for drugs.
I was wondering whether or not these guys were hipsters but based on your anecdotal evidence, I guess they're just good at bikes and fixies are how they do.
I do really appreciate the comment about 'authenticity while still being consumers'. That seems to sum up what I've seen of that movement pretty well.
>>966440
I checked the cycle cap thing out... no dice.
Based on >>966457
I've identified 'legitimate punk scum' that wear cycle caps without helmets
>>968653
If you're a messenger and you spend 8 hours a day in the saddle you'll have the bike skills to ride brakeless fixie. Not only that but you'll also be putting so much wear and tear on your bicycle that stripping it down will be worth it.
>>968694
When I was a messenger, I switched to a coaster brake after about a year. Most of the same 'benefits' of fixed, but it was kinder to my knees. The only disadvantage I noted in 4 years of coaster-brake-only riding for work, was that most coaster brakes aren't sealed terribly well, and water can and will find a way in, and will wash vital grease out.
I wish the Handsome Cycles Bogart took off... Sealed-bearing coaster hub would have been great for my uses.
>>968816
For some reason i find it terribly annoyed to have to unscrew three nuts rather than two when fixing a flat on a bike with a coaster brake.
>>968694
>messenger
>8 hours a day in the saddle
You mean 4 hours being idle, smoking and waiting for jobs to come in, 3 hours walking through lobbies, standing in elevators and down hallways, and 1 hour actually in the saddle, right?
>>968819
Use patches instead of replacing the tube. Another option would be those double ended tubes (like one long tube instead of a loop, with a hole on one end that slips over the valve stem) but I dunno what sizes they do them in as I've only seen them for BMXs.
>>968823
Bruh, I spent more time biking than that when I was doing PostMates
>>968823
>smoking
not even once tbqhwyf
>>968828
>Use patches instead of replacing the tube.
I do. New tubes are expensive here.
But finding the hole without removing the wheel seems even more annoying.
>double ended tubes
Never heard of those.
>>968836
Gaadi make some, not the exact ones I was thinking of but the same idea and they do all different sizes. Fucking expensive though.
Can't say I've ever had much trouble finding a hole, just pump it up a lot and you should be able to feel the air coming out fairly easily. I've noticed that I can feel it a bit easier with my cheek than with my hands, plus it's near my ear so I can hear the air escaping too.
