8/10/14 2:14 PM

This is a variation on what happened when I rode with my niece a couple years ago. My 20 year old nephew visits this weekend, and brings his bike, a bright yellow "Pure Fix" single sped flip flop urban bike which he pedals around campus. He wants to ride, so I ask him how he does on hills with the single speed. He says OK, as long as I see them coming and can build up some speed. Well OK.

So we're out noodling on the flats, and a guy on a road bike passes us. We approach the first moderate hill, and Owen blows by me like a rocket, then past the road bike guy. I upshift and punch it, and the best I can do is maintain the gap (passing the road guy). I'm thinking jeez, where did this come from? This repeats a couple times, and on the hills I'm really not having an easy time keeping up.

We're spinning on the flats and the road bike guy passes again and says "impressive riding on those bikes!" I'm on my rando bike, which is not a disadvantage but probably looks slow to the guy, but I'll admit it is a bit unusual to get passed by the bright yellow Pure Fix, ridden by a kid in sneakers on platform pedals, pedaling with his arches.

At the end of the ride we come to a long hill and Owen is a bit winded so I can finally handle him on that, but I didn't go out expecting a sprint workout!

The Pure Fix is a $300 bike but pretty well thought out and a real bike from a real bike shop.

8/10/14 9:52 PM

Youth and endless energy!

8/10/14 10:24 PM

So looking forward to that. ;)

8/11/14 8:37 AM

Nice story. Did he ride it as a fixie or as a freewheel? If a fixie, how did he manage on the descents? That could be equally challenging as the climbs.

8/11/14 9:35 AM

Damn whippersnappers.

8/11/14 9:48 AM

"whippersnappers"

Literally, if it was fixed. ;)

8/11/14 10:08 AM

He wasn't messing with the fixed. He tried a friend's, and found it not as easy to skid as he'd hoped, so he hasn't gone back to it.

8/11/14 10:11 AM

Does he know about odd teeth setup for more skid patches etc? Saves on tires if one skids a lot...