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I didn't know fixed speed bikes were popular among couriers. Do you know if this is regional? I've always thought fixed speed would be a nightmare in somewhere

by ericyd 2y ago

I didn't know fixed speed bikes were popular among couriers. Do you know if this is regional? I've always thought fixed speed would be a nightmare in somewhere with any elevation gain like the hills of San Fransisco. Or, is fixed speed with electric assist the combination that makes this tolerable?

luqtas 2y ago
Brazil here... city had lots of hills tho i always said it was a 'mild hilly city', my cycles when i measured were around 700-2000 meters of altimeter, between 35-60 kilometers; sometimes we had bad days of few workers (motor and bicycle), so they had to send bicycles far away from the center (which was flat). i remember 3 or 4 people having fixed gears, some single (i had one for a short time, with a ratio of 1.6 or 1.8:1 i think) speed but the vast majority used gears didn't read much on the internet but fixed gears is quite popular among couriers in flat cities (London, NY). maintenance is simple and cheap. salaries are quite low too :) i never saw an electric fixed gear bicycle, nor much electric bicycles down here (i can remember only 1 guy with an electric bicycle back in 2017 and never saw him working much... maybe it was a occasional teen worker that was there to get some dime for parties (we had a bunch of them)). lately people here ride four-stroke engine adapted bicycles... it's quite rare to find a human-powered bicycle courier nowadays. basically Ycombinator liberated a grand for a super anti-competitive and non-ethical company (Rappi) and they destroyed the local courier scene here, later Uber also entered the scene. now you either work on a motorcycle (which also got effected) or you probably be working as most people back in my days; if you don't love cycling in 3 or 4 months MAX. you will give up from the job and you are doing strictly as an extra income or till you find something better (basically any legal job as far as i know)
0_____0 2y ago
People have ridden fixed in SF for decades. I have as well. You learn to prefer certain routes, and when the hill is steep, you just deal with the low cadence.

by ericyd 2y ago

luqtas 2y ago

Brazil here... city had lots of hills tho i always said it was a 'mild hilly city', my cycles when i measured were around 700-2000 meters of altimeter, between 35-60 kilometers; sometimes we had bad days of few workers (motor and bicycle), so they had to send bicycles far away from the center (which was flat). i remember 3 or 4 people having fixed gears, some single (i had one for a short time, with a ratio of 1.6 or 1.8:1 i think) speed but the vast majority used gears didn't read much on the internet but fixed gears is quite popular among couriers in flat cities (London, NY). maintenance is simple and cheap. salaries are quite low too :) i never saw an electric fixed gear bicycle, nor much electric bicycles down here (i can remember only 1 guy with an electric bicycle back in 2017 and never saw him working much... maybe it was a occasional teen worker that was there to get some dime for parties (we had a bunch of them)). lately people here ride four-stroke engine adapted bicycles... it's quite rare to find a human-powered bicycle courier nowadays. basically Ycombinator liberated a grand for a super anti-competitive and non-ethical company (Rappi) and they destroyed the local courier scene here, later Uber also entered the scene. now you either work on a motorcycle (which also got effected) or you probably be working as most people back in my days; if you don't love cycling in 3 or 4 months MAX. you will give up from the job and you are doing strictly as an extra income or till you find something better (basically any legal job as far as i know)

0_____0 2y ago

People have ridden fixed in SF for decades. I have as well. You learn to prefer certain routes, and when the hill is steep, you just deal with the low cadence.