LEVEL 4 / POST 7 (WEEK 9): THEMED / FREE POST
Dear students,
Nineth week, and this time it’s our seventh blog session, in which you will write a free post/topic on your blog.
IMPORTANT:
Remember! After your writing activity you must read and leave comments on my blog and on 3 of your classmates' posts.
This is a 230 words post (as a minimum).
Riding a bicycle without brakes sounds like a rash move, but a new wave of cyclists is eschewing traditional bikes for a stripped-down machine known as a fixed-gear. It is one of the most basic machines you can build with two wheels. A fixed-gear bike – or fixie – has no derailleur as it has only one gear, so as long as the wheels turn, so do the pedals. Its rider can’t freewheel and the only way to brake is to stand on the pedals.
The fixed-gear’s renaissance supposedly stems from West Indian immigrants in New York working as cycle couriers in the Eighties. They had used them at home because they were cheap and easy to maintain, and continued using them in the US. Their popularity spread throughout the courier community, crossing to the UK and other countries.
Remember! After your writing activity you must read and leave comments on my blog and on 3 of your classmates' posts.
This is a 230 words post (as a minimum).
Riding a bicycle without brakes sounds like a rash move, but a new wave of cyclists is eschewing traditional bikes for a stripped-down machine known as a fixed-gear. It is one of the most basic machines you can build with two wheels. A fixed-gear bike – or fixie – has no derailleur as it has only one gear, so as long as the wheels turn, so do the pedals. Its rider can’t freewheel and the only way to brake is to stand on the pedals.
The fixed-gear’s renaissance supposedly stems from West Indian immigrants in New York working as cycle couriers in the Eighties. They had used them at home because they were cheap and easy to maintain, and continued using them in the US. Their popularity spread throughout the courier community, crossing to the UK and other countries.
As the fixie craze has taken off so has the number of new riders who enter ‘alleycats’ – unofficial road races consisting of a series of checkpoints on a set route. Alleycats originated in America and were organised for and by cycle couriers but now inexperienced riders participate.
These races now take place in British cities and threaten to colour public opinion of the growing urban cyclist subculture.
Just the fact of ride a bike in Santiago makes me feel quite afraid... incompetence of drivers it's too much for me...fixies are not an option to me..but if it is for you..great; be careful with that and enjoy it
ReplyDeleteOne of my hobbies is riding a bike, although not professionally just to relax :)
ReplyDeleteI like to ride my bike, only that where I live I don't have friends to go out with, but it's great that you can enjoy this beautiful sport.
ReplyDeleteI find the “fixie phenomenon” to be so sociologically strange that I’m actually interested on investigating how it was possible.
ReplyDeleteI I really like to ride a bike, however I would not drive that kind of bikes in this city, I searched about riders of these bikes on youtube and I saw a video in Santiago (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP-HrwNLa3Q&t=499s), they and the city where very dangerous! I prefer my bike haha
ReplyDeleteHow interesting that bicycles are so different in their mechanisms. I do not know to ride a bicycle, but I hope to learn in one that has brakes hahaha
ReplyDeleteI'm very afraid to ride a fixie, I feel that my mind will not process not having brakes haha.
ReplyDeleteThe fixies are my main enemy, they leave a mess on the roads, mtb's are better jaja
ReplyDeleteI love watching cyclist races, although this fact of the "alleycats" did not know, it's quite interesting as informality is increasingly common in all areas.
ReplyDeleteI learned to ride a bike this year and achieved my "spiritual balance".
ReplyDeleteI once did 'the audacity' of climbing Mount San Cristobal by bicycle, it cost me too much, but the descent made it totally worthwhile. I can’t think what the descent would have been like without brakes.
ReplyDeletecycling is an activity that helps to increase the hormones of happiness. glad you like it.
ReplyDeletemy dad used to compete in bike races, many members of my family compete too, but I don't, I don't like it, besides when I get tired I feel like I'm going to faint hahaha
ReplyDelete