Roadie Vs Fixie | GCN's Bicycle Courier Challenge
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 มิ.ย. 2021
- Bicycle couriers typically use reliable, sturdy bikes to get around cities as quickly as possible. A lot of them choose to use fixies thanks to their simplicity and robustness. But why wouldn't they use a road bike? Surely it's faster? In this video, Hank challenges fixed gear legend Alec Briggs to a race across Bristol to find out whether roadies or fixies are the best choice for bike couriers.
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Which do you think will be faster? Alec on his fixie, or Hank on his Superbike?
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Music - licensed by Epidemic Sound:
ES_A Wasteland Fairytale - Matt Large
ES_Add It Up (Blah Blah) - Bonkers Beat Club
ES_As Real As It Gets - Matt Large
ES_Blue Nights and Yellow Days - Matt Large
ES_Clean Cut - Bonkers Beat Club
ES_Dollar Needles - Splasher!
ES_My beat, my rules - Ava Low
ES_Next Move - Silver Flaw
ES_Seagull Squawks 2 - SFX Producer
ES_Swoosh - Bonkers Beat Club
ES_Vaporize - Squiid
ES_Violent Wavebusting - Crystal Shards
ES_Wasted Education - Blue Topaz
ES_With the Waves - Moon Craters
ES_Would if I Could - The New Fools
Photos: © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Bettiniphoto / www.bettiniphoto.net/
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Which do you think will be faster? Alec on his fixie, or Hank on his Superbike?
That's a rider question. It really should be which "bike" is faster. Put the same rider who's competent in both disciplines on both bikes and that will tell you whether a road bike or a fixie is faster.
@@solitaryrefinement6787well.. is it? Road bike is faster.. have a look at the pro-peloton - zero fixies. This was for fun.
When I worked as a delivery rider I technically would have been quicker on my 'good' bike, but there was no way I'd be using it for work. Normally I'd use an old single speed that it didn't matter if it got trashed (amazing how hard delivery riding is on components.)
part 2: Alec on superbike and Hank on fixie?
I think you can SELF " time trial test out". this stuff like so :
judging by digitally collected info based on my daily route....the highest speed i have ever done it... (at age 40) was done on that route ...compares to all my 8 diff all "built for speed" bikes is :
1 . My Fuji Obey Fixie ultralight steel frame , highly modified to weight weenie the bike.. (lightweight wheel set , carbon bulhorn handle bars, eggbeater pedals, etc....
11.5 minute sprint !
2 .my second fastest speed same route
My pinarello FP4 modied to weigh 9 pounds. Single speed;
Flies up hills. Vision bars , great fit to my body dimensions. THAT means a lot bcz = Incredible torque and traction... 16 teeth on rear cog. 12.5 minute sprint. Not as soul-crushing btw
3. My Lightspeed Titanium semi- lightweight 10 speed.
In addition. Route has three small steep hills. 10 speed helps on them....and also admittedly I am NOT the most skillful gear user
14 minutes..
Allec's fixie looks like a piece of art
I swear i read it as "a piece of shit". Then it changed wtf.
@@manuelsiaotong56 watching youtube at 3am does weird things to your brain 😅
@@manuelsiaotong56 you're not the only one. I was thinking the same too!
Factsss🔥
But its not FIXIE enough, that's a roadies frameset
mom: we have Terry B. hotline videos at home.
the hotline videos at home:
LMAO, mfw your "neighborhood singlespeed" is faster than a fixie bwahaha
LOL
Loll
For real when he said let's not give cyclists a bad name I just thought back to any Terry b video haha
Nail on the head
Let’s just agree he added the brake cause he was told to...
Alec was like: “catch frisbees, not feelings”
I find the appeal of the fixie is the simplicity. Less moving parts, less things to mess with, the more enjoyable the ride. Also, I find the "road feel" to be something amazing. Riding the same route with my fixed versus a free wheel, it is a totally different experience. Kind of like running with minimalist/barefoot shoes. A different experience. I like my fixie... and I don't think I will ever go back to gears unless I decide to do some epic long trips... even then....
As a barefoot runner I agree 100%
Running barefoot fast barely touching the ground
super impressive camera work and editing!! Right there with the level of the old Top Gear.
Thanks very much!
gambon corner...
GCN = Old Top Gear but with Bikes. That is why Iove it!
The editing was so impressive it had Alec going round in circles, in Queens Square before going back round the centre, or maybe that's why he was late?!
@@metallusmelandril7380 Amen. Absolute pleasure to watch it even for ppl who dont ride the bike. Exactly like TG...
When you ride a fixed gear you don't optimize for those marginal gains , instead you optimize for the fun and enjoyment of your bike.
Yup. And that comes in terms of efficiency or reliability at times, not just bling.
Leg training and stamina too. A huge help since i ride fixed for a year now
Completely
And you never call it fixie😬
@@philippsaga4180 nope, because when I hear that I picture out those cheap walmart fixies that weigh a ton.
I like colour scheme on the Allez. Doubt a courier in London would want such a nickable bike though!
Here in London, it would be nicked even before you bought it.
@@TenFalconsMusic They need to ban hand-sized angle grinders.
@@Icorosify A mayor who's tougher on crime would be a good start
I have more locks & alarms than a prison, but the ritual of securing my bike is beginning to detract from the cycling experience.
@@TenFalconsMusic Hate to break it to you champ but the tories have been in power for 11 years straight and cut over 21,000 police officers in that time, but yeah you blame Khan
@@conradk5711 Please, I've only accomplished 17 amature wins thus far, but hoping for a title fight in the near future (touch wood). Let's save the "Champ" accolades for when I've earned them.
You rode past me filming this - I love that a lot of GCN is filmed in my home city! Keep up the good work guys, thoroughly enjoy the content!
Why don’t couriers not use a super bike?
Two words ➡️ Minimum wage 🤨
Definitely this. Couriers in my city either use an entry level geared bike, Japanese bikes, or something that's readily available for them such as hand-me-downs. Rarely do you see mid to upper mid-range bikes for courier services here.
Rooting for the Fixie!
@@danielinducil3824 Too likely to get stolen when left unlocked (no time for that nonsense) to make delivery and too expensive to maintain given the abuse some of these riders put them through. However, it's in the culture, strongly in the culture!
Depends where you are, in Manhattan I generally make double minimum wage and I did recently buy a superbike but you will absolutely never see me use it for a delivery. My delivery bikes always look cheap and beat up and I've still had two of them stolen
Couriers in my city use 2 grand e-bikes
8:50 I mean every thief would also steal that damn good looking Track.
Next Challenge: THE RECUMBENTS..
Manon on her RECUMBENT "TRIKE"
VS...
Hank on his RECUMBENT "BIKE"
😮 we'll add it to the list!
In a downhill race?
@@apm9507 Uphill!
VS...Hank's Dad on his ebike
What about a fixie recumbent? 🤔
Hands down the best editing and camera angles from all the GNC vids I’ve seen. Keep you the awesome job.
Alec made fixies seem so goddamn cool! The frisbee bit was mint
I'm loving the fixed gear contents! Keep 'em coming!
Will we ever have an FCN channel?
Uhhhh 😍 great idea 🤤
yes plz
Best idea.
I will personally run that channel
Try Hotline from Terry B
I commute with a fixie, and my weekend ride is a carbon.
The fixie is a fun ride with a very different style.
Keep up the good work GCN
On the track, trail or street the Fixie just feel like a bionic extension of you body.
Love this challenge! Really fun to see you riding around in all these familiar places!
"Simon Richardson-I don't think he's got the minerals" Love it-stealing it!!
THE VIDEO EDITING IS SICK! Hands down!!! I thought I am watching a commercial haha
I've secretly been waiting on this video for ages. Great job guys, I loved it!!!
Thanks very much!
I would've sold my fixie if he didn't catch that Frisbee
Love the video guys, Alec is always good value for great content. I love a fixie but I can’t imagine riding one in my small hilly northern town 🥵
Cheers man 👌
This was a lot of fun! And the tunes 👌Bonus points for Alec and his chill corduroy + t-shirt look. Plus, that fixie is a looker 😍
When Hank just left the bike outside of the destination shop, it got really scary.
Leaving a 12 k$ bike without lock on a busy city street... Without a cameraman, just give it 10 seconds before it's gone!
Not a wise thing to be promoting on a large cycling channel
Do you guys think that they would let that happen? Seriously though, they know what the factors are and all of us are only seeing what's happening at the front of the camera.
@@joshsuarez3880 That's why I said "without the cameraman" ;)
Shoot, you know, now i feel stupid for reading your first comment wrong hahaha! My bad, good sir.
Lol imagine being on a fixie and stopping for a red light.
"red looking superhero dude".
Best description ever for Hank. Often thought Hank has Captain America sized muscles compared to the rest of the GCN team. Then I saw him next to Blake Samson and realised it's all relative. 🦬
Lot of respect for Alec. He's a champ.
But I'd like to see this done in a metropolitan city against a REAL bike messenger.
No smoke and mirrors
I’ve said that for years Buddy. Let’s see the Road Pro hit his 50-60km in downtown traffic with a bag on their back, in rush hour, in the rain or……
That wouldn't be a comparison of the bikes then, but a comparison of the riders' experience in a specific setting.
As a messenger in Toronto for almost 20 years (retired about 10 years ago), who still rides brakeless fixed, I LOVED THIS. I will say, however, the racing on empty streets is completely different than downtown during rush hour and gridlock. I think the advantage of a carbon road bike diminishes greatly as motor traffic increases, especially if the fixed rider knows what they're doing.
Should of been a full 8 hours shift with bike locking and a bag hehe
You know for sure gcn made him put that break on there
Sooo cool but equally scary! I bought used pos fixed gear about two years ago. Went through the drive train and upgraded the seat. Yes it’s the vibe. Just love the simplicity, the grind up the hills and jumping on with the daily garb (shorts, flip flops and a visor)
Thanks for the video. 👍
Excellent choice of music for the theme too. Great work guys
Alec would be if no red light was involved 😂
Love the frisbee stunt!
Stunt? That was totally authentic and not planned at all.....👀
Either you get fixed or you don't. Thing is if you jump on and enjoy fixed, then you're hooked for life. After the first time I tried it changed cycling for me and I haven't gone back. Great content BTW, I would love to see another return to the Rad race.
Thanks for the fun video. Looking at all these fixie skiddings is such a pleasure. With all the respect to the delicate complexity of the gears... they're not so cool :)
I'm glad you guys are finally doing this stuff
Such an enjoyable watch!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Did my first 50k this morning, feeling great!!
Good work.
That fixie looks astonishing and Alec is mastering!
Why do these videos keep getting better every day...
More of challenges (Top Gear style). This is so much fun ...
Great fun LOVED Alex' bike so pretty! But honestly give me GEARS. Smart move by Hank to avoid embarrassment by challenging the Siborg. Hank has a lion's heart, but All will be assimilated. Resistance is Futile.
When it first started at the park bench I thought Hank had Prince Harry along for the ride.
Thought the same thing. It was like a 1:1 dead ringer carbon copy!
I think hank might be getting a speeding ticket 😉
Really great video really enjoyed this one challenge videos are always the best you do keep them coming. I got a fixie for the commute to work never as fast as a road bike, feels like it could kill me any chance it gets but I love it
First
You dont leave us mortals a chance to be faster xD
@@timjodeleit176 It's rigged
"The butler knew the chauffeur."
i love how plain and simple fixie bikes are esp his bike is beyond beauty... its a stallion! 🥰🥰❤️❤️
Great stuff! More vids with Alec!
This channels versus category videos all are fantastic 😍.
Everyone doing great
Loved it, great vibe!
Thanks Marcin!
this is my favorite episode of this channel i think.
That's a damn good fixie, right ! I've seen a pro climb in the Alps with one and he was awesome. Whatever you ride, your legs do the job done or not
Alec just oozes cool 😎 Now I've just got the urge to buy a fixie because it looks like such a awesome scene 👌
Great fun, super video...thanks! Never been attracted to a fixie but I see there's a 'vibe', I guess.
For sure. It's something you can only understand after riding one. I got ridbof my cross and road bikes after buying my first fixed gear bike, there's just something that hits different. I still have gears on my mountain bikes, but definitely no going back to gears and freewheels on the road for me.
@@steezymtb5876 yep this right here. Most roadies and cyclist in general will never get it until they hop on a fixed bike
Its definitely one of those things that has to be experienced to understand fully.
I've been riding fixed for years now I'll never go back to gears/ss freewheel. even tried out the ole freewheel a few weeks back and nope I'd rather have the control over the back wheel at all times, coasting felt weird and unpredictable as wrong asthat probably sounds ha
Alec in t-shirt and troos and cool frisbie intercept, meanwhile Hank's gunning it, working on tan lines with sleeves rolled up. Look forward to the next Rad race: will be a good one
Cool edit guys!
C'mon, there's no way a fixie could've been beaten in his own element, on the streets! The race was rigged! XD
GCN isn't the place to look for actual races
Its gcn, you really think they’d show a roadie losing to a fixed gear rider?
@@EricReyes0142 Hank has lost plenty of challenges. Like the time he lost a hill climb to a mountain biker. Or when he lost to Hank’s Dad.
@@nousphabmixay986 but never a fixed gear
That’s cuz there were road rules to abide by 😂
Amazing video boys!
Couple of times there where Hank tried to sneak in a bit of street talk :)
Love the cords!
Roadie gives fixie every opportunity and still wipes the street with him! At least fixie gave the first honest answer: fixies are all about style over function and fitting in. I guess as a roadie I don't care as much what everyone thinks and prefer to be a) comfortable b) safe c) efficient and d) most importantly, capable. City-style blending in can take a back seat to all that.
Theres definitely alot of function/advantages to riding fixed. Having pressure on the pedals at all times give you huge control over the back wheel, allowing you the ability to maneuver alot better (and also ride backwards and trackstand for 9000 years straight) than one would on a road bike, especially in tight spaces ie: traffic. It's hard to imagine if you never rode one but it really does feel like "an extension of your legs" Obviously road bikes have many benefits and advantages over fixed gears as well though!
Riding a fixed-gear is more than just style, lmao. Its an entirely different type of riding and is very fun, something that takes priority for most non-tryhard wannabe TdF riders.
Do you understand that this is a sketch? Haha
Fixies are for noobs who don't know what they don't know. And they are very sensitive. lmao
and now fixie vs cylcecross vs gravel in a mixture of street and gravel!😃 i m a xc mtb guy, but i think this could be interesting. i love your content.
Riding fixed is great. I use one sometimes for my hilly Forest of Dean commute (not typical fixed wheel territory!) and it's just a massive hoot. As close as you can get to running on wheels!
i like that when asked why he just said “it’s a vibe” cause a lot of fixies try to justify it as something else
Thanks GCN. Now I need to add a fixie to the stable.
Great vibes!
The Music contrast is brilliant!!
So fun to watch
Late to the party here, but I loooove a fixie. Just built my first all carbon whip and am likely to submit it to the bike vault.... Always biggie-smalls!
Such a cracking well shot cool film
I've ridden fixed for over 35 years.
Mine's "an old piece of crap".
Handbuilt lugged triple butted designed tubing, Shimano 600 ( pre-Ultegra), Dura Ace levers, Roval radial front wheel.
With faded paint, cracked decals, and a Blackburn rack.
Clipless pedals, full team lycra.
A confusing nightmare, good for 40-60 mile rides, lock with a seat cable and luggage lock. 😁
it's just a vibe, man
I love delivering on my bike, customers reactions are always funny
been riding 46x17 fixie on the trainer - love it
Wow this is next level cinematography! Very crisp shots too! Editing is wild!
Love 4:33 as an example.
I love British slang. "TOP MAN"
Would love to see a behind-the-scenes of how GCN films these things! Especially all the riding shots. Where’s the cameraman? On a scooter? In a car? In stoker position on a tandem?
2:30 no running red lights? Couriers have left the chat.
I feel like it’s the first time I’ve seen Hank in a Jersey and shorts without goosebumps all over him
I race super bikes at an old airfield, here in Berlin GE and either keep pace or smoke em. However, a super bike rider can sustain high speeds for longer distances than a fixed gear rider, but for explosive and not so long distance, I think it’s Fixie for the win!
Fixie bikes are clean and beautiful
Maybe do Hank in a game of professional Bike Polo ? Would be fun seeing him try ride a bike holding a makeshift mallet 🔥👍🏻
Seconded and bring Ollie
They have already done GCN playing bike polo.
Front brakes & no red lights, snooze
My nephew wants a fixie instead of roadbike or mtb now I know why
Sounds like Ali G has started cycling.
😂😂😂😂😂
Will call my bikes ‘Me Julie’ from now on. 😎
"Is it because I is ginger? "
Was gonna say - sounds like a div ..
Be funny if the cameras switched off and it turned out he sounded like Dominic West.
They really didn't talk about cost, bike theft, crashes and all the other reasons why a cheap fixed is better than a pro bike.
That'd make a good video
Just to put in perspective, right now in Brazil the minimum income in a month is about 1000,00 Reais. You can buy a simple fixed bike for less than that, but the Pinarello F12 is selling for 100.000,00 Reais, most of bike couriers are boys from the favelas, it is impossible to have access to such a bike, even the rich would be wary, since it's a beacon for thieves. I should add that the couriers here in Brazil, most of them, don't even use a fixed gear, because the 26 inch mtb and even some 29ers are cheaper and more comfortable on the bad maintained streets. So when Hank asks why a fixed instead of an F12, I was really expecting the answer to be price.
you can buy a very fast used road bike for the same cost as a fixie. And it will still have all of the advantages over a fixie such as hill climbs/descents and cornering. I mean a good track bike should be quicker on a flat than a road bike due to the drive train optimacy. But everywhere else it is slower. And also kind of annoying not being able to freewheel around traffic.
@@MudShadow I agree, but then there is maintenance, reliability of the transmition system and other costs. I do own a road bike, I also own a fat bike, every bike has its values, the fixed is, just as other groups varied, with expensive and cheap, bomb proof and fancy, but when it comes to have a bike on the ready and not worry with other costs, the fixed/single got it.
Please more fixie content!
It’s so funny watching Hank trying to act cool and speak bad with Alec
I love all your videos! Y'all should check out the 4 rivers path in Korea
Having both a fixie and a multispeed road bike, both of which I tweak regularly to fine tune them for what I want, it is my opinion that the efficiency of both depends on the environment, weather and personal preference. I have a lot more control on the fixie, and there are less parts that I need to maintain. You can cruise around the city with both well enough, but I personally feel safer bouncing through traffic mid-day on my fixie.
“Man I got the, aerodynamic corduroys on”
I am lucky I've been on both world (fixed and road).
Especially riding my road bike with Alec's Tekkerz jersey!!!
That's awesome!
2:30 that’s like telling a fixed gear rider to not ride their bike🤣
Love fixed content
I have a steel fixie that I ride as a single speed. Found it at a pawn shop, $90. Replaces the front wheel, $20 on OfferUp. Bigger front cog, $20. New chain, $12. New saddle, $19.
Fun as hell bike to ride, $151. And it's pretty quick. That's why you go fixie (or single speed in my case).
24mm tires- bombproof 😭
The frisbee catch! 5:23
That fixie looks incredible.
More Alec content please!
He's great, isn't he?
Cheers pal
100% agree, can get a little stuffy in the cycling community as some of the other comments demonstrate. Alec is a breath of fresh air, can’t wait for mo’ 😉