2010-04-22

The urge to simplify

Here's another trend in the U.S., towards fixed gear bicycles. This isn't a new trend, as far as I can tell, but I hadn't seen it discussed before. This is another sign of declining social mood, the desire for simplicity.
Are There Really No Hipsters in China?
Irony-resisting Chinese bicyclists have skipped the fixed-gear trend that has swept the rest of the world.

With regards to why it hasn't caught on in China, it's a bit like asking why driving a car is more popular than riding a bike for 17 year-old high school students. Hipster doofuses think they're hip to ride a fixed gear bike because riding a fixed gear bike doesn't have negative associations. Their friends think they're cool, and the rest of the world is unimpressed at best.

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