Bike messengers ride fixed-gear bicycles for five main reasons — tradition, fashion, low maintenance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. The Messenger Series was built in collaboration with the true road warriors, the salt of the earth, bike messengers of New York City.
These bikes are built to be strong and responsive with a triple butted chromoly steel frame and 32 spoke Rogue Bullet rims. In fact, not only are there still bicycle messengers, but the world of commercial cycling has become even more diverse and nuanced, thanks to the advent of app-based delivery services. The messengers depend upon their bikes working. Fixed gear is lower maintenance.
Yes, road bikes have multiple gears, but a fixie could have any one of those gears as well. It can also have the same sized tires and cranks. So, if you match the gear ratios and other relevant proportions, a fixie can travel just as fast as a road bike when it is in that same gear. Booking a a delivery service for your bike is easy on parcelforce.
You can also deliver with motorcycles, scooters, or bicycles in some markets. They had only one gear and no way of breaking other than back-pedaling. Even though the modern fixed-gear bicycles are more sophisticated and lighter than the machines used at the time, their simplicity is still reminiscent of the early era of bicycle couriers.
You can think of the current fixies as modern cars preserving the symbolic characteristics of previous models. No rule states that a bike messenger should ride a fixie.
However, as it often happens, the environment creates unwritten, silent regulations that people follow to be accepted by the group. Fixies without brakes require very little maintenance. Outside of annual servicing or an emergency, the riders only have to lube the chain and pump the tires.
There are no derailleurs that can get bent nor brake pads to replace. This quality makes them attractive to messengers who accumulate many hours of riding every day and throw their bicycles around all the time. Below is a list with all the parts of a fixie and the maintenance that they require:. The cleaning part is more needed during the winter months when the roads are treated with various substances preventing the formation of ice.
Stem, handlebars — occasional cleaning, inspection for cracks, and tightening of the bolts;. Brakes — If the rider uses brakes, the pads, the brake cable, and the housing will have to be replaced periodically. Wheels — The wheels will need cleaning and eventual truing due to the frequent riding. Chainring and rear cog — cleaning and replacement upon reaching noticeable wear and tear;. Most of the tasks above aside from the chain and tire maintenance are not done frequently.
This increases the attractiveness of the fixie in the eyes of couriers who just want to focus on riding. The fixie is a simplified bicycle. This increases its reliability because there are fewer parts that can break. This is an important factor because mechanical problems slow down the working process and result in financial losses due to incomplete or postponed deliveries.
Truth be told, geared bicycles are very reliable too. I have well over 15k of commuting on my bike and have bent my derailleur only once. Many bike messengers ride dirty, non-pretentious fixed-gear bicycles with steel frames scratched at multiple places, torn bar tape, and deteriorating paint. Another reason why some thieves avoid fixies is the learning curve. And if there are no brakes, the escape plan of the robber becomes even more complicated.
Furthermore, fixies have questionable resale value because average people prefer to ride a bicycle that can coast and has brakes. This limits the pool of potential buyers. Even cheap fixies can be exceptionally light because they use fewer components than geared bicycles. It allows for the rider to engage in and practice proper cadence, which is the balanced and rhythmic flow of pedaling, enhancing performance for both cyclist and bicycle.
When first riding a fixed gear, a cyclist used to a freewheel may try to freewheel, or coast, particularly when approaching corners or obstacles. There are other benefits. A fixed-gear has fewer parts to purchase and to maintain. So it is, in a very real sense easier to sense how much traction you are getting. Fixed gear means that the motion of the pedals is directly connected to the motion of the rear wheel.
If you stop actively pedaling, but the rear wheel is still turning, the pedals will continue to turn. This means there is no coasting, if that back wheel is spinning, so are the pedals. Bike messengers work 9 to 10 hours per day. They are paid on commission for runs. In short, no. To our knowledge, it is completely legal everywhere in the world to ride a fixed gear bicycle when they are equipped with brakes. If you want to take your fixed gear bicycle up a big hill, you certainly can.
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