WHAT ARE BIKE-FIXES: THEIR ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
If you are accustomed to a traditional bike, it’s hard to understand why complicating your life so much. Bicycle transmission with a fixed transmission involves the most direct and simple transmission of torque to the wheel - without gears, without free pedal travel. Therefore, during the movement, it takes place all the time to work with our feet - not a second of rest. In its pure form, the fix does not even have a traditional single-sided rear hub and brakes.
Fixed-gear, best fixed gear bikes, did not appear yesterday, or even the day before yesterday. Bikes of this type are widely used on sports tracks and it is quite justified. Because they have very low weight, high speed and fantastic reliability. It would seem that there is the place for them. But in the forties of the last century, Japanese cycle trackers carried rubbish from the Japanese hut, or whatever they called it. They began to actively earn extra money in courier services, rolling out new sports bikes through the city streets.
Mail was very willing to use the services of these crazy couriers who delivered mail at lightning speed to the necessary address. Over time, fixes became fashionable in Tokyo at the level of the cycle obstacle. As soon as Japan calmed down, the fyked boom moved to the USA, where it already acquired some new facets and shades. And in the UK even managed to get the police, who began to fine bikers for driving without means of braking.
From a practical point of view, the main advantages of fixes are their low price and extreme simplicity of design. In service, they are no more difficult than a kettle. There is practically nothing to break there. There are no problems with setting gears, setting up jumpers and shifters, no need to lubricate and clean the cables because of their absence. The same is with brakes. But in the end we get a very light, high-speed and maneuverable bike with excellent handling. The fixes are often imputed to the absence of brakes, but for greater peace of mind, nothing prevents to put the front brake.
Summarizing the technical advantages of fixes, we note the following positive points:
Ease. Incredibly low weight due to the lack of "extra" components and parts;
Maneuverability. Since the pedals are directly connected to the wheel, the sensitivity and flexibility of the bike to the biker's actions increases;
Efficiency of 100%. From the point of view of physics, fix bikes have a more efficient use of energy;
Appearance. The stylistic design of such bikes is unique and emotional.
The most expensive bike rental in the world
You thought the most expensive city bike rental turned out in Moscow? No ... The Danes have bypassed us! Each bike costs 500,000 rubles to Copenhagen! Almost like a car;) And not because they steal, just bikes here in the city hire are not simple, but electric!
E-bike rental opened in Copenhagen last year. According to the city program, GoBike was supposed to supply a total of more than 1,800 new high-tech bicycles with an electric motor. As a result, they managed to establish only 400, and even then the cost of a bicycle caused quite a few questions to the economical Danes.. Here it is necessary to clarify that the amount of 480 thousand rubles, in which the electric bike for Copenhagen is estimated, also includes its maintenance for 8 years. But still, half a million rubles for city rolling is great, of course, surprising.
By the way, a year ago in Moscow they declared that they were ready to spend 450 million rubles (until 2017) for the maintenance of the entire bike rental system. These are 300 rental points and 4,500 bicycles. It turns out that one bike with maintenance cost the city 100 thousand rubles. True, not for 8 years, but for three years.
1. The electric bike rental system in Copenhagen is called Bycyklen . And, as you understand, it is paid, although until 2012 it was possible to rent a large rental in the capital of Denmark absolutely free.
2. Now in Copenhagen there are already about 60 bicycle rental stations with electric bikes. According to statistics , the new bikes have aroused great interest among the Danes relatively recently. In August, bicycle rental services were used more than 32 thousand times. For comparison, in July, Bycyklen registered only about nine thousand trips. The city authorities say that when the rest of the bikes are delivered, the number of rental points will increase to 105 stations.
Criticism of high-tech bicycles in Copenhagen was reduced not only to the high cost of the project, but also to the fact that the city bicycle rental will lose in the end to small private firms that lower their prices. Although the prices here, of course, are completely different. So, in Copenhagen Bicycles you can rent an electric bike for 1600 rubles for six hours, and in the EPO-cykler for 1500 rubles you can rent a bicycle for the whole day.