Fixie the Hipsters

Actual clip from the Douche Bag Rag.

Bike Snob NYC recently revealed that Hipsters are beginning to abandon the Fixie bike for those with brakes and gears and stuff.  Further proof was published in the official Hipster news source at left.  Since reading this, it has dawned on me that there have been a lot more craigslist ads for Fixies, as well as a number of Fixie parts kits up for sale.  Great.  This means that they are going to invade and pervert some other angle of cycling culture.  Soon bearded socialist types will be buzzing about on BMX's or maybe they will adopt fat tire beach cruisers.  Either way they will meet resistance from the cultures that are already in place.   Sure, a few will sneak their way into the landscape of any of the cultures, like tumbleweeds in a western movie, but once shots are fired they will blow off screen just as fast as they entered.

BMX Culture.  

Hipsters jump BMX's under Lennon in Hanoi

Hipsters have the most in common with this crowd.  Despite the average age being nearly half that of the hipsters, they share some roots.  Both share the same fashion with the exception of fit and size of the clothing.  BMXer's baggy, Hipsters tight or slightly loose.  They share the same interest in Jamaican culture and burn the same incense.  The Fixie was similarly styled to that of the BMX color palette.  Colorful rims, pedals, and bar padding abound.  Hipsters already burn the energy drink concept like BMXers just in bean form.  

  Easy transition.

Cruiser culture.  

Hipsters will have no trouble rolling in this group at first.  Cruiser culture is very diverse and accepting with the condition set for just casual peaceful rides.  Slow pace rules the cruiser set.  Hipsters will eventually wear out their welcome with this group and find the accepting diversity turn on them.  Old men, super buff beach body builders, and soccer moms will be around every corner to stop the hipster migration short.

Medium to Hard transition.

Rat Rod Culture.  

This could go two ways.  Either the artsy side of the hipsters finds a foothold or the general douchery does.  Their artsy side may buy them time in this group of modders and creative junkyard divers.  The Rat Rodders though are a sturdy crowd.  This means that the differences will be obvious the first time a hipster brings his double mochachino-latte-foamer-spresso with soy, to a beer and whiskey crowd.   The only major side effect of them even trying is a possible resurgence of the dreaded mullet when hipsters attempt and fail to blend in and keep their identity at the same time.

Difficult transition

Mountain Bikers.  

 Hipsters are the sum total of self defined creative types that steal bits from every other culture to define themselves.  Mountain Bikers are play hard, work hard thrill seekers that do not care much for self definition as much as the adrenaline rush.  Sure there are a few hipsters in this crowd already, but they are incognito.  You can spot them if you look, but they do not flaunt it here out of fear.  Mountain bikers may have some culture similar to hipsters, but it is only because, like so many things, Hipsters stole it from them.  Mountain bikers will accept them with arms wide open... then run them off a cliff face at the first opportunity, slam a red bull, then bomb down the same cliff to see if they can beat the hipster's body to the bottom.

Easy transition, Bad ending.

Old Timers, and Vintage Culture.  

Hipster?  or more likely a vintage single speed style
hearkening to the era before derailleurs.

Hipsters may find a few friends here.  With some camoflauge, a few may blend in and succeed in hiding out.  The hipster culture as a whole though could not fit.  At first the old timers will find the handlebar mustaches as amusing... at first. With little patience for irrelevant stupidity or failed idealism, the old timers would surprise many with a fierce resistance to hipster culture.  So far the Vintage crowd has interacted with hipsters in small doses, usually while shaking their head with a chuckle afterwards.

Difficult transition

There are many other cycling cultures, yet most fit into the above in some form or similarity that it would create some redundant information.  These just illustrate the point that hipster's should stay put, and stick to what they know and are already hated for.  Sure, put brakes on your bike, and throw on a few more gears, but leave the rest of the bike world alone.  It's bad enough the damage you have done to the non-cyclist's view of people on bikes.  Now that people are starting to notice that it is just a group of wierdos and not everyone, the hipsters want their anonymity back and lack of social responsibility.

To quote Chuck Testa....NOPE!
~Ant