Fixed-gear bikes spark police crackdown in Berlin

so... there's been an unfortunate accident involving a fixed gear bicyclist? oh, well clearly ban all fixed gears then. yes, that makes sense. because of the weight and wheelbase, cargo bikes and recumbants require more stopping time than a racer. maybe let's ban those, too, eh?

my point about most of the cyclists i see in berlin still stands. many have no concept of road safety or how to deal with traffic, and i cannot tell you how many deathtrap bikes with poorly adjusted shakey brakes i see every single day. the police should be spending time taking these dangerous cyclists and their bicycles off the road, rather than hassling skilled fixed gear riders.

I once saw a guy on a major city road taking one lane wobbling back and forth riding against traffic It was not in Berlin mind you. Of course he was getting honked at a lot. I was not close enough to see if he was just ignoring it or if he was smiling and waving. Right next to that road was a quiet service road he could have been riding along without any problems but go figure.

Anyway, yeah, the police should be going after all unsafe riders and bikes instead of focusing on certain types of bikes. Then again, if you are riding your fixie without a brake, it is an unsafe bike. Maybe you are super good at it but what if somebody borrows it?

But if you know a thing or two about bike mechanics, I imagine they're quite cheap to maintain.

Until the frame is bent when you're hit by that truck that you couldn't stop in time to avoid.

aaaaaaah, see this is what separates a lot of fixed gear riders from other bikers. i'd never lend my bike to anyone. and my friends know better than to ask.

Fixies don't look safe to me, but they should start by cracking down on people with headphones and people not stopping at red lights, this is even more dangerous IMO.

it seems pointless to be arguing this point on here, but i'm a glutton for punishment so i'll give it a go. yes, intuition says that a bike without brakes is dangerous. but fixed gear bikes have a really good braking system built into them -- you can stop the bike very quickly and efficiently by controlling the speed of the rear wheel using the pedals and chain. it works exactly the same way a traditional rear brake does (slowing down/stopping the wheel), except it doesn't loose efficiency in the rain and the brakepads don't need to be replaced twice a year.

german law states that a bike must have two independent mechanical braking systems. i've put a front brake on mine, and my drivetrain is a very effective braking system, so i therefore am biking within the law.

But what if they didn't ask

you mean what if someone stole my bike and was riding around and got into an accident? i've very little pity in my heart for bike thieves... i'd hope that they ended up at the very least with a few broken bones.

Yes, that is just punishment for the thief but how about the broken bones of the people they ran into because they couldn't stop?

let me use an analogy. fixed gear bikes are like skateboards or in-line skates or recumbant bikes or ...

if the average person got on one for the first time, they'd be dangerous. but once you learn the basics, how to control it and how to stop, you're fine. but we don't suggest banning any of those things from our streets/pavements.

remember that it takes children several weeks to learn how to use a bicycle.

sorry. are you seriously suggesting that your arguement against fixed gear bikes is that someone might steal one and not be able to handle it?

Well within the law as it pertains to brakes maybe, and that is debatable but what about all the rest of the gubbins the German law says you need to be street legal. I would guess that you probably have about zero amount of that?

As for the brakes you reckon it is a good system but I can't see how it can be when the only way to slow down your back wheel is to pedal slower than the wheel is turning which means the only brakeing mechanism is your muscles which are no way as effecient as a decent roller brake or even the old fashioned back pedal type brakes, which also do not lose efficiency in the rain or wear the brakepads out.

I am not saying you shouldn't ride your junkheap bikes and enjoy yourself but no complaining when you end up either fined by the cops or splattered across the road when your "more efficient" brakeing system lets you down.

wow. why so full of hate, mate? chill out, the world's not out to get you, you know?

i can only speak from personal experience (and from what i see from my friends), but my braking distance is the same on my brakeless fixed geared bikes and my geared road bikes -- none of which, i might add, are junkheaps.

oh, and german law otherwise says that to be streetlegal, your bike needs to have a bell, lights and reflectors, and to not damage the roadsurface. should police be confiscating bikes that don't have bells, too?

Yes, just like if you'd lend it to your friend. If your bike is unsafe in everybody's hands except yours, then maybe it doesn't belong on the road. I could say my cars brakes are shot but because I drive slowly and gear down, it's ok. I am afraid that wouldn't fly with the law.

that's a bad analogy. i'd say its more like a ferrari. safe if you're used to driving it, but i wouldn't borrow my mate's enzo and expect it to drive like a ford escort.

or, say, if i'd only ever driven an automatic, i'd feel uncomfortable borrowing my friend's stick shift and thinking that i'd be safe.