{"id":409,"date":"2011-01-06T22:50:00","date_gmt":"2011-01-06T22:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ssgc.co\/2011\/01\/fix-the-flaws-in-your-fixie-laws\/"},"modified":"2011-01-06T22:50:00","modified_gmt":"2011-01-06T22:50:00","slug":"fix-the-flaws-in-your-fixie-laws","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/singlespeedgoldcoast.com\/2011\/01\/06\/fix-the-flaws-in-your-fixie-laws\/","title":{"rendered":"Fix the flaws in your fixie laws"},"content":{"rendered":"
Reading this article<\/a> on the venerable Bike Snob’s blog got me thinking about how we’re treated when we’re cyclists. (I say, “when<\/i> we’re cyclists” because many of us consider ourselves cyclists and forget that we’re often also car drivers — cough — or pedestrians.)<\/p>\n I have to say I have a disdain for road rules<\/a> when I’m on my fixie. Many of them are positively dangerous to us fixie fans (and the other detritus of cyclists too). I’m quite comfortable sneaking through a pedestrian crossing against the red. I can do it safely, at walking pace, and I can get up to 200 metres of gloriously empty road to myself before the cars catch me and begin once again to endanger my wellbeing. That drivers would cry foul over such a safe and innocent (and necessary) act goes to show how frustrated and anxious they are about being stuck in a 1 tonne beast doing 100 metre sprints between red lights and other traffic jams.<\/p>\n The fix is on for fixies and we’re hated on the road. We represent a level of freedom that makes car drivers’ ulcers glow red. Enforcing irrelevant rules is a way to bring us down to their level. If possible they’d have us indicating left and right, even indicating a stop signal<\/a>. How the hell you’re meant to stop and turn safely with one hand all the time waving about is beyond me but the rules are there. It’s the sole reason why brakes in Europe and Aus tend to be on the opposite side, so we can safely brake while giving the requisite indication.<\/p>\n