fixie

The purest and simplest form of bicycle. "Fixies," usually adapted from an older (10 speed) road bike, use a single gear that is fixed directly to the back hub. Fixed-wheel bicycles do not allow the rider to coast, however, but force them to constantly pedal- making the "rider" more in touch with every move the bicycle makes. In order to stop a "fixie," one must perform a slide-stop- which involves strategic locking of ones legs. Some fixies have a front brake, but that detracts from the supposed simpleness of the bike. "Fixies" can be as much a piece of art as a functional and exciting bicycle.