If you're a cyclist, the fixed-gear craze is probably old news to you by now--especially if you live in a big city. But for the mainstream public, it's only now just appearing on their radar. As a result, every so often some newspaper or website will publish the obligatory article about it in their local news or cultural section, as the New York Times notably did this past spring. So, in my ongoing attempt to provide public services of dubious value, I've decided to save America's journalists the trouble by creating a template for future articles. If you're a journalist in a smaller city that hasn't yet reported on the fixed-gear trend, please feel free to use the article below in its entirety. Simply cut and paste, fill in the blanks, put your feet up on your desk, and cruise on up to that deadline!
THE FIX IS IN: Coast To Coast, Nobody's Coasting
by: [your name here]
You may have noticed that a new type of bicycle is taking over the downtown area. At first glance, it looks like a racing bicycle of the sort that Lance Armstrong used to win the Tour de France. However, a closer look will reveal that it lacks the shifting mechanisms that are technically referred to as “gears.” It may even be lacking the stopping devices mechanics and gear-heads call “brakes.” If you’ve seen, hit, or been hit by one of these bicycles recently, then you’ve encountered the hottest thing in bikes today—“fixed-gears,” otherwise known as “fixies.”The most important difference between fixies and regular bikes is that fixies don’t let you coast. Why wouldn’t you want to coast, you may ask? “It’s like a zen thing,” explained _____, an American Apparel sales clerk, filmmaker, graduate student, and fixed-gear aficionado. “You feel totally connected to the bike. It’s like taking the stairs versus riding an escalator.”Okay, but what about the part about not having brakes? While some fixed-gear riders do use brakes, others eschew them and instead slow their bikes by locking their legs and skidding. _____, a bartender, filmmaker, musician, and fixed-gear aficionado explained, “It forces you to pay more attention and to stay a step ahead while you’re riding. Instead of playing my iPod at full blast and only looking a car or two ahead, I keep the volume lower and look all the way to the next intersection. I feel much more like an integral part of what’s going on around me. It’s like a zen thing. You feel totally connected to the bike.”Fixed-gear bicycles are nothing new. In fact, they’ve been around since at least 1986, when Kevin Bacon famously rode one in the film “Quicksilver.” That movie, about a person who delivers documents to companies for money, singlehandedly created the bicycle courier industry. Those couriers, called “messengers,” rode fixed-gear bicycles, bathed infrequently, and carried voluminous shoulder bags just like their idol Mr. Bacon did, and in turn were the inspiration behind fixed-gear craze of today.Part of the appeal of the fixed-gear bicycle to young people is undoubtedly its minimalism. State-of-the-art carbon fiber road racing bicycles with complicated gear-changing systems can cost thousands of dollars, whereas fixed-gear bicycles with handmade frames, top-end parts and colorful wheels and tires cost just a few thousand dollars. “The fact is, you just don’t need all those gears,” explained _____, an advertising copywriter, woodworker, filmmaker, and fixed-gear enthusiast. “Eddy Merckx won the Tour de France in the 80s like six times on a fixed-gear. All that other stuff is just marketing.”And it’s not just 20-somethings who are joining the revolution either. Older, experienced cyclists are also re-discovering the joyous simplicity of cycling thanks to fixed-gears. “I love it,” said _____, a lawyer, father of four, Porsche club of America member, and recent fixed-gear convert. “It reminds me of why I got into cycling in the first place. I recently converted my titanium Serotta to a fixed-gear. My knees hurt, my thighs ache, and I’m experiencing more penile numbness than usual, but according to my SRM I’m putting out more watts at lactate threshold, which makes it worth it. Plus, it’s a zen thing. You feel totally connected to the bike. All that other stuff is just marketing.”It’s safe to say at this point that an entire culture has grown around the fixed-gear bicycle. At _____, a downtown bicycle shop that specializes in fixed-gears, owner _____ sells not only the latest in bicycles and parts but also a complete line of fixed-gear specific clothing that allows riders both male and female to easily adopt the young Audrey Hepburn look that is currently in vogue. And while _____ can’t sell you a brake, he can sell you a $50 t-shirt with the shop’s logo on it. _____ also promotes fixed-gear-specific contests which feature events like skidding, track-standing, and other competitions focused entirely on slowing or simply not riding the bicycle. _____ explains that shops like his embody the future of bicycle retail, and says that his customers are looking for something different. In fact, he says fixed-gears may just be the future of cycling.“All that carbon fiber and gear stuff is just marketing,” _____ told me. “Fausto Coppi won the Giro d’Italia like six times in the ‘70s on a fixed-gear bike, and I think people want to get back to that simplicity. It’s like a zen thing. You feel totally connected to the bike.”
Saturday, January 31, 2009
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Monday, January 5, 2009
Friday, January 2, 2009
OUR NEW STORE LOCATED AT 1865 E MAIN ST SUITE C1 DUNCAN SC 29334OUR PHONE NUMERS
864 4869877
864 6410444
STOP BY FOR A VISIT. We service all makes and brands of bicycles. We also sell Road, Mountain and BMX bikes. Our store serves Spartanburg, Duncan, Moore, Greer, Greenville and all of South Carolina Upstate areas. We would love your business, please stop by and say hello! If you mention this blog site when you visit we will give you a free water bottle and a Nike hat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9ZfV1yAaqU&feature=channel_page
Here there is more details about our frames, please call us if you have any question or email us at jespina@spartonframeusa.compjmercado@spartonframeusa.comour Web site www.spartonframeusacomThis has to be the best track frame in the US for the price $279.99 free shipping with in the US and extra $55.00 for internation shipping clik on spartonframeusa to other videosMy email jespina@spartonframeusa.comour web site www.spartonframeusa.comThis is rather cool. Jorge Espina - main distributor for Sparton USA - goes over some of the details of the Sparton frame. He also addresses a few questions/comments that have been floating around about the frames. I like that he briefly talks about the weight issue as I had mentioned below. They are a decent mid-weight bike, but they aren't obese. To put it into perspective, the Schwinn Madison fully built minus pedals weighs in at a portly 21.8 lbs. The Sparton fully built is less than that.Recent news about the unfortunate mis-sizing of the bike frame I was going to get meant I have been thrust back into the market for a new ride. I've been looking at quite a few bikes from Japanese Keirin to Italian to off the shelf complete bikes to classic track and rare finds. There are plenty of options out there but for my tastes I wanted something a little more exclusive, something different. Unfortunately, this meant my search was getting fairly complicated.Lately, Chris and I have been talking about a little plan we have. It involves us taking our passion for bikes to the next level. With that in mind, I've simplified my search: clean, simple and - the big one - affordable. This brought me back to a bike that has been on my mind for more than a year: Sparton.Sparton frames are hand-built in Chile under the supervision of "El Maestro". These bikes have only recently been made available here in the states. The frames come in a range of basic color choices. If you are looking for a custom spray, it will cost you $95 more and set the delivery date back to about 4-6 weeks.The frameset itself isn't extremely light nor is it ridiculously heavy at just under 7 lbs including the fork. The geometry, unlike some track bikes, is extremely relaxed. Head tube angle is 71.5 degrees, seat tube angle is 72.22 degrees and the fork is 3.2. This means the bike is somewhat stiff but has enough flex to be comfortable for long rides (as in 50+ miles a day) or as a nice daily commuter; think track bike with a road bike feel. This aspect alone has always intrigued me about Sparton frames.Track bikes in general are awesome. Super stiff, tight geometry, exceptionally agile and quick. The problem is that the combination of these elements does not make for the most forgiving extended ride. Some would argue that that is the reason you have more than one bike. And, well, I agree with that, but for most people one bike is enough and that one has to do many things. If "the one" is decided to be a fixed-gear bike, I often encourage people to look at bikes with less "track" and more "function".Another huge plus: all the decals are completely removable - they are placed over the clearcoat. If one so chose, you could remove the stickers and let the subtle "Sparton" stamp on the seatstays provide ultra minimal advertising.Anyway, I'm preaching, what I'm trying to get across is that my next frame will be a Sparton. A lugged steel track frame for just under $279? Sounds like a deal to me...sold!
Here there is more details about our frames, please call us if you have any question or email us at jespina@spartonframeusa.compjmercado@spartonframeusa.comour Web site www.spartonframeusacomThis has to be the best track frame in the US for the price $279.99 free shipping with in the US and extra $55.00 for internation shipping clik on spartonframeusa to other videosMy email jespina@spartonframeusa.comour web site www.spartonframeusa.comThis is rather cool. Jorge Espina - main distributor for Sparton USA - goes over some of the details of the Sparton frame. He also addresses a few questions/comments that have been floating around about the frames. I like that he briefly talks about the weight issue as I had mentioned below. They are a decent mid-weight bike, but they aren't obese. To put it into perspective, the Schwinn Madison fully built minus pedals weighs in at a portly 21.8 lbs. The Sparton fully built is less than that.Recent news about the unfortunate mis-sizing of the bike frame I was going to get meant I have been thrust back into the market for a new ride. I've been looking at quite a few bikes from Japanese Keirin to Italian to off the shelf complete bikes to classic track and rare finds. There are plenty of options out there but for my tastes I wanted something a little more exclusive, something different. Unfortunately, this meant my search was getting fairly complicated.Lately, Chris and I have been talking about a little plan we have. It involves us taking our passion for bikes to the next level. With that in mind, I've simplified my search: clean, simple and - the big one - affordable. This brought me back to a bike that has been on my mind for more than a year: Sparton.Sparton frames are hand-built in Chile under the supervision of "El Maestro". These bikes have only recently been made available here in the states. The frames come in a range of basic color choices. If you are looking for a custom spray, it will cost you $95 more and set the delivery date back to about 4-6 weeks.The frameset itself isn't extremely light nor is it ridiculously heavy at just under 7 lbs including the fork. The geometry, unlike some track bikes, is extremely relaxed. Head tube angle is 71.5 degrees, seat tube angle is 72.22 degrees and the fork is 3.2. This means the bike is somewhat stiff but has enough flex to be comfortable for long rides (as in 50+ miles a day) or as a nice daily commuter; think track bike with a road bike feel. This aspect alone has always intrigued me about Sparton frames.Track bikes in general are awesome. Super stiff, tight geometry, exceptionally agile and quick. The problem is that the combination of these elements does not make for the most forgiving extended ride. Some would argue that that is the reason you have more than one bike. And, well, I agree with that, but for most people one bike is enough and that one has to do many things. If "the one" is decided to be a fixed-gear bike, I often encourage people to look at bikes with less "track" and more "function".Another huge plus: all the decals are completely removable - they are placed over the clearcoat. If one so chose, you could remove the stickers and let the subtle "Sparton" stamp on the seatstays provide ultra minimal advertising.Anyway, I'm preaching, what I'm trying to get across is that my next frame will be a Sparton. A lugged steel track frame for just under $279? Sounds like a deal to me...sold!
$734.00 + FREE SHIPPING*
Hand-crafted using Dedacciai chromoly tubing and an intricate Fleur di Lis series lugset. Available in any size and 33 colors. Includes frame and fork.
1" Threaded Fork
Not drilled for brakes
Traditional 120mm rear spacing
Standard sizes range from 48cm to 60cm in 2cm increments
Custom sizing available
33 vibrant paint colors to choose from
Weight: Frame 3.9lbs (5.5lbs with fork)
We carry a limited supply of Sparton framesets in our shop. Please call 864.641.0444 or 864 4869877 for availability.
Custom Order Program
Select your size and choose from one of our 33 colors. Standard sizes range from 48cm to 60cm in 2cm increments. Custom sizing available; call us at (864) 641-0444 and we'll work with you to get the right fit. Your secure payment of $734.00 reserves your spot in the frame builder's queue and within 8-10 weeks, your frame will be delivered to your address.
Hand-crafted using Dedacciai chromoly tubing and an intricate Fleur di Lis series lugset. Available in any size and 33 colors. Includes frame and fork.
1" Threaded Fork
Not drilled for brakes
Traditional 120mm rear spacing
Standard sizes range from 48cm to 60cm in 2cm increments
Custom sizing available
33 vibrant paint colors to choose from
Weight: Frame 3.9lbs (5.5lbs with fork)
We carry a limited supply of Sparton framesets in our shop. Please call 864.641.0444 or 864 4869877 for availability.
Custom Order Program
Select your size and choose from one of our 33 colors. Standard sizes range from 48cm to 60cm in 2cm increments. Custom sizing available; call us at (864) 641-0444 and we'll work with you to get the right fit. Your secure payment of $734.00 reserves your spot in the frame builder's queue and within 8-10 weeks, your frame will be delivered to your address.
We're proud to announce the opening of Sparton Bicycles in Duncan, SC. All Sparton Frames come through our shop for preparation before being sent to you. When in the area, be sure to stop by, We are a full-service bike shop servicing all makes and brands and we carry an extensive inventory for all your cycling needs. Take advantage of our free local pick-up and delivery service for repairs. Call us today at (864) 486-9877 or (864) 641-0444 for details
Sparton is one of the few artesian bicycle frame builders left in the world. Drawing from over forty years of frame-building experience and proven success in South America, Sparton is bringing affordable, handcrafted track bicycle frames to the USA.
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