The trendy trend in bicycling these days seems to be fixed gear riding. The “fixie” seems especially trendy with city hipsters and other trendy types. While I can appreciate that “fixsters” relate to the simplicity and road feel of a fixed gear bike, coasting is one of the coolest things ever invented. Ever.

Fixed gear bikes’ main use are for track racing where the fine art of a track stand is necessary for strategy and a fixed rear cog makes that maneuver easier. Somewhere along the line some trendy rider thought they were cool because they could ride a track bike other places. “Scorching” became really trendy. The act of unweighting the rear wheel while stopping the wheel results in skidding the rear wheel when weighted again. As most have discovered, skidding is cool but doesn’t lend itself to complete control of a situation. That’s why brakes were invented.

With the advent of brakes, the rear wheel could be mounted on a “free wheel” that allows for coasting. Now you’re talking. If anything makes you feel 8 years old, it’s coasting downhill on a bike. And after all, isn’t that one of the main reasons we ride?