I’ve been riding fixed gear for almost a year to the day and I’ve never known a sport move so fast. And yes, it is now a sport. Just look at the amount of sponsors that got behind last weekends Mid-West Mayhem where Tom LaMarche was announced as the winner and Wonka’s wall ride was summat else. It reminds me of the beginnings of professional surfing as documented in Bustin Down The Door. Maybe in 30 years someone will make a DVD about the history of fixed like Joe Kid.

The parts available now are moving at such a fast pace to cope with the demands of fixed freestyle. Profile have a fixed range and Ted is working hard with 14 Bike Co. producing frames and hubs. My bike is only a year old and despite substantial upgrades as I bust the stock parts, it’s pretty out of date. The Charge Scissor is set to release for under £200, which makes getting a great fixed freestyle bike a real possibility for younger riders, which means more fearless kids pushing the boundaries. Basically it’s exciting times. My only hope is that the term 700cmx doesn’t stick. It doesn’t accurately describe the sport. Just because C is phonetically similar to the B of BMX doesn’t make it right. Did anyone bother to check what BMX stood for…? Can’t wait to see what unfolds this year. /A