Gimmie A Brake

This isn't the first time I've written about fixed/track bikes, and it's not the first time I've said I know nothing about them, but when I see ANY bike shop I haven't been to before in LA, I have to pull over and stop in, especially when it's genre specific. I don't ride or own a fixed gear, but I appreciate the aesthetic and purity often associated with the lifestyle. As cool as they are, I do find myself looking at them saying, "they're cool and all, but wouldn't they be better if they had smaller tires, smaller frames and a brake?" But then they'd be BMX bicycles, now wouldn't they? I rest my case. LA BRAKELESS, in the heart of West LA, is still rad and does it up well. Nice looking bikes, nice people and even a couple shop rats hanging out watching videos - all the ingredients you need for a perfect bike shop.

I am sort of in the market for a new "bigger" bike to use as general transportation. My fixed gear friends tell me to "stay pure" and go brakeless, yet my road bike friends tell me to get smart and get some gears. I asked the guys at LAB, but it's a recession and they're biased.