Fixie News

In a country where cyclists are expected to have a working bell on their bikes, it was probably only a matter of time before fixies fell afoul of the law in Germany.

Evolved from indoor track bikes with no gears and brakes, fixies have long been favoured by couriers and other cycling enthusiasts in big cities around the world. But a surge in popularity in Germany has prompted an unprecedented backlash by traffic cops in Berlin in recent months.

“Interest in fixies has exploded in the past two years,” said Dustin Nordhus, owner of the Cicli Berlinetta bike shop in central Berlin. “Everyone sitting in an office all day thinks they’re cool these days.”

Nordhus has filled his shop with gorgeous high-end racing bikes that are street legal, but he also makes custom track bikes for a growing market of fixie riders.

Since there’s no freewheel on a fixie, the pedals continue to rotate as long as the bike is moving forward. This means the rider either has to slow the bike by fighting the momentum or brake by locking up the back wheel to skid to a stop.

Seeing what they considered a growing danger to traffic safety, Berlin police announced this spring they would begin cracking down on fixie riders. Since only April, they’ve confiscated 18 bicycles.

“Fixies have become a real problem,” Rainer Paetsch, a Berlin police official for traffic issues, told The Local. “It wasn’t a hunt, but we decided to do something to undercut this trend.”

To get their bikes back, cyclists have to pay a fine and convince the authorities they won’t ride them on the street anymore – or at least show an inclination to install brakes on them.

“For all I care they can ride them in their backyards,” Paetsch joked. “We just want people to realise it’s too risky to ride them around the city. Then we’ll be content that we’ve helped improve traffic safety.”

It's "too risky" to have agressive and unattentive car drivers on the street that hit cyclists. Do some traffic enforcement Rainer.

Thats unfortunate for those who know what they are doing. This is what happens when individulas who have no idea what they are doing want to be with the "in" crowd, just so they can meet at the water cooler and talk about their exploits about thier rides into work or to the local convinience store. I'm sure there are many sides to the debate but like MA stated...

Modestly Arrogant wrote:It's "too risky" to have agressive and unattentive car drivers on the street that hit cyclists. Do some traffic enforcement Rainer.

Fixies are favoured by many in Holland and many bikeshops will recommend fixies before handbrakes, especially for kids, who generally have more trouble braking a handbrake with their small hands!
So there you go...