How long have you been skating?
I’ve been a skateboarder for at least 12 years now. Southbank is where I mainly skate, but I try to skate as often as possible and bikes are a good way to travel to those faraway skate spots. Fixed gear rules over the underground tube system.
Why do you think fixed gears are so popular among skaters?
There are a lot of similarities. For me, I love skating down the street and having to negotiate the environment and the architecture. On a bike it’s the same thing but you can race the cars, go faster with a lot more control.
In the US, the fixed scene descended from the bike messenger culture in places like SF and NYC. What started it out there in London?
Mainly from the messenger culture. At first I didn’t know about messengers in London, I’d be looking at all the stuff from the States. But if you look hard enough… Everybody would go to the local pub and watch the start of an alley-cat; before you knew it there would be 150 people all hanging around talking about bikes and riding. The London forum really brought people together and that’s when bike polo started. It provided a different type of atmosphere, a more welcoming one and that was really how the scene developed into what it is now.
Tricks or style? Style or speed?
Style then tricks. Anyone can go fast, what’s really hard is to go fast and do tricks with style. Everyone has a different approach, just like skateboarding. If skaters were fixed gear riders, Mullen would be the trackstand king, Eric Dressen or Chris Senn would be winning all the alley-cats. But what I’d really like to see would be Gino or Carroll just cruising down the street with style, doing a few tricks. It’s all about the lines.
What’s been the hairiest situation you’ve gotten into on your bike?
My chain snapped coming down Park Lane once, I was in the middle of four lanes of traffic keeping up with the cars and the chain snapped and wrapped around the rear cog. It stopped the wheel going around so I skidded to a stop right in the midst of traffic.
Is there anyone in the fixed scene you look up to?
I look up to the Mash SF crew. They gave me a lot of inspiration. But why wasn’t Gabe’s part in the film? He’s good on his bike!
What’s your setup right now?
My setup for the moment is my Nagasawa with Dura-Ace hubs and cranks with 45×19 gearing. But I usually ride my Red 3rensho with the 650c on the front for tricks. Both bikes have deep Vs and the same gearing. I’ve been riding this Continental Top contact tire for the last two months. It just gave out yesterday; best tire yet!
Photos by Cédric Viollet / www.fixed-bike.com
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