Issue #2 of Fixed Magazine

If you're into this sort of thing, the second issue of the baby (age-wise, not audience-wise) track culture publication Fixed Magazine hit virtual newsstands...er, work stands on Friday. Somewhere between those pages, you'll find a nice interview with our pal Dustin Klein over at Cadence, newly a Philadelphia-based company. The interview goes further to show that Cadence isn't just the pretty-faced fashion cornerstone of track culture, it's headed by one deliberate and thoughtful boy, who really honors the sub-culture of bicycles with his carefully detailed projects. In the interview, he says:

Since 1999 I have made the conscious decision to live car-free and relish the political and individual effects of this. Once the motor vehicle is out of the equation, you start tobase your life around the bicycle. To me this is beautiful and I love how it affects everything from where you choose to live, to the types of food you eat. To me, bicycles are a physical representation of freedom, and I live my life by it.

The other thing that impressed me was their profile of Freeman Transport, a new operation out of Missoula, MT. Full Disclosure: I want to retire in Missoula someday; Retirement-wise, I think Western Montana is where it's at. But Freeman is doing something really nice, which is make bicycles that are meant for traveling. Around this time of year, and really any traveling time, the thought of visiting a city without a bicycle sounds downright painful. But with airlines now charging even for the regular sized checked baggage, bringing along a regular bike can be just too damn expensive. So anyway, Freeman's whole deal caught my attention because not only is it a really good idea--making folding bikes and fancy bags to carry them in--but their whole image and website is very high end, very quality goods crafted with that age-old romantic, the Traveler in mind. Doesn't it make you just sigh with pleasure? Ah.



Other features in the new Fixed include photo coverage of the 2008 CMWC's in Toronto, a bunch of little kids in London who are winning trick competitions and a huge spread about the making of the recently released Macaframa movie. The magazine is only printed twice a year right now, out of the UK and from the looks of things, on its way. The magazine manages to pack in tons of quality content and mostly, you already patronize and respect the companies doing the advertising, which makes every page enjoyable to read.

I'd say the only misstep is that fixedgearlondon.com ad on page 34-35 that has ONLY ONE LADY pictured next to 19 boys. Not only a Don't, but also statistically sort of busted. On the other hand, bonus points for profiling a girl who rides in Brooklyn.