What is a fixed gear bicycle? ? bicycle with only one rear cog or “gear” which is fixed directly onto the hub of the wheel. This style of bicycle preceded the more modern freewheel single speed which allowed the rider to stop pedalling whilst coasting. Still more modern yet, is the multi-speed freewheel or free hub design which is just an expansion upon the single speed freewheel. The fixed gear was most popularly used as track or “velodrome” racing machine but has since made it to the streets and has seen a rise in outdoor road usage. Currently, in many large cities across the world, the fixed gear, or “fixie” as it so often called, has become the focal point of a growing urban subculture which includes bike messengers and the like. This subculture is seen as being quite counter cultural even in the cycling community and is often associated with the punk rock/anarchist scene.
