Fixie chicks are FAST FRIENDS

Even better than loving your bike – is sharing that passion with your pals. Aiyana Kane & Jackie Avery tell us about their love of fixed gear riding.

Jackie and Aiyana are close friends who met in a summer literature course at UBC. Together, they fell in love with bikes. In 2005 they both switched over – and learned to ride – fixed gear. They slowed down long enough to answer our questions about their bikes and their riding style. (To learn more about fixies see page 44.)

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST RIDE LIKE?

AIYANA: My first ride was exhilarating. I picked up the bike from my brother’s house. He was out. I went circling through downtown on my own. It took a while to turn off what I call the “automatic coast response.” The coast response kicks in when you need to react faster than you can think. There were a few times that night when I tried to coast, and was reminded by my bike that I couldn’t. There was also a bit of fear. The motion of the pedals felt so strong – like the bike had more control over me than I had over it. It took a week or two to feel like I was completely in control of the bike.

JACKIE: Getting used to the perpetual motion of the pedals was easy but getting in and out of the straps was another matter. I felt comfortable on my fixie after about a week of riding and then I fell in love with it. I used to try to persuade geared/freewheel bikers to go fixed but I am beginning to realize that only a certain type of rider should convert their bike. The riding is more intense and dangerous. I recently went over my handlebars and had to be carted to Emergency in an ambulance. If I was on a bike with a freewheel, I would not have flown over the bars.

AT KIND OF FRAME DO YOU HAVE?

AIYANA: My frame is an old-school steel Bianchi. It’s red with a brand new set of blue racing clinchers (which I love). It’s got bullhorn bars (road drops flipped over and sawed off). It’s got a front brake. I believe in my brake and my helmet.

JACKIE: I have a white CCM frame, with magenta tires and a mix-match of other parts. The entire bike Is white, silver and fuchsia.

WHAT IS YOUR GEAR RATIO – 42-TOOTH CHAIN RING? 16-TOOTH REAR COG?

AIYANA: 42:15.

JACKIE: 40:13

DO YOU USE BRAKES?

JACKIE: I use a front brake; I am considering going brakeless (I want to buy track bars) but sometimes the brake is a relief.

DO YOU USE YOUR BIKE FOR COMMUTING TO WORK, GOING OUT, SHOPPING ETC.?

AIYANA: Yes, yes, and yes. I commute all over the city all day, every day. I work one-to-one with individuals who live with disabilities and I usually work with about eight different clients. I see two to three clients a day in their homes. They live in various places, from Burnaby to Kerrisdale to UBC. I usually take my bike on the SkyTrain to get to the Burnaby appointment and then ride back. Other than that, I ride rain or shine. On the weekends I ride for pleasure, especially if it’s sunny.

JACKIE: Yes. I ride my bike everywhere.

DO YOU DRIVE A CAR?

AIYANA: Not anymore. Sold it four years ago. Hope I’ll never have to buy another one.

JACKIE: Nope; sitting In traffic seems horrible.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN RIDING A FIXIE?

AIYANA: I first started riding my fixie in October of 2005. So it hasn’t been long. But I don’t know that I’d ever go back – unless perhaps my body gives out. Sometimes it’s hard on the knees for me. But hopefully I’ll be able to find out how to work around that.

JACKIE: I have been riding my fixie since November. I decided to build the bike after hearing my friend Nathan (Aiyana’s brother) talk about his fixie. We built the bike at Bike Works on Hastings with the help of the marvelous Martin and Henry. I try to fix the bike myself, but sometimes I seduce Aiyana, Nathan or my friend Mark to help me. Learning to build my new wheel set was the latest challenge.

WHAT DO YOU WEAR FOR RIDING?

AIYANA: I wear street clothes – sometimes work clothes. Never bike clothes.

JACKIE: This is the first year I have ridden all winter and the rain sucks, but not as much as taking the bus. I wear regular clothes when biking (jeans, skirts and hoodies). My style has changed, and because I bike everywhere, I don’t buy clothing, shoes, or jackets that would not be comfortable to ride in. Sometimes I buy clothing that matches my bike.

DO YOU WORRY ABOUT IT BEING STOLEN?

AIYANA: I keep it in my front hall at home. When I lock it up outside in the city I have the nagging worry in the back of my mind that it will be stolen. I don’t think it’s a hugely desirable bike to a thief, but it could happen. And the thought of that freaks me out. I really love my bike. The time that I spend on my bike (which is a lot of time) is one of the true joys in my life. If someone stole it, I would cry. It would take a long time to let go of it.

JACKIE: I use a chain lock and keep my bike In my kitchen and my friends understand that when I visit so does my bike. I would be really sad If my bike was stolen and so I try not to leave her alone for too long.

DO YOU GO ON GROUP RIDES?

AIYANA: I haven’t gone on any of the long fixie rides, but I’m on the “Fixedvancouver” yahoo group because I want to start doing those rides. I do go on some group rides, but not specifically fixie ones. And my friends and I often do little unofficial group rides together around the city – out to UBC or whatever.

JACKIE: I love group rides. At first the slow pace annoyed me, but now that I am friends with other riders, I enjoy the social interaction, and checking out all of the bikes. Group rides are important in creating awareness that cyclists share the streets with cars.

DO STRANGERS ASK YOU ABOUT YOUR BIKE?

AIYANA: Yes. I like to tell people why I like my fixie. I get so much joy from riding my bike. I want other people to know what that’s like, so maybe they will try it. Sometimes I let people take my bike for a spin. But I don’t think people realize how much they will love it until they ride it for awhile. Lately a lot of people are surprised to see a girl riding my bike. People seem scared of fixed gear. I suppose I was too.

JACKIE: Yes, but mostly they just stare. People check out my bike first and then look to see who is riding it. I guess I do the same thing.

ARE THERE HILLS IN THE CITY THAT ARE DIFFICULT ON YOUR BIKE?

AIYANA: The only hill that really threatens me is one between where I live, just west of the VCC campus (just off of East Seventh), and Clark Avenue. It used to knock me off my bike and I’d have to walk the last little bit. But now I can ride the whole thing.

JACKIE: I really, really hate the hill just west of Alma on the way to UBC, but I have a psychological battle with every steep hill in the city.

WHO RIDES THIS TYPE OF BIKE?

AIYANA: One thing that bothers me is the exclusivity of some of the fixie scene. It’s become trendy to ride a fixie, so old-school fixie people sometimes seem judgmental of us newbies. I ride my bike the way I do because I love it, not for style or status. Riding a fixie is a joy I want other bikers to know about.

JACKIE: Fixie riders are more intense riders (especially if they ride brakeless). Riding becomes more of a challenge and the city feels like an obstacle course. Skidding, track standing, pushing through lights and racing traffic make my commute entertaining. When I ride with Aiyana, we compete against each other; she destroys me at track standing.

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