Crackdown on Fixies

[il padrone]

Will this cruel the "fixie craze"??

Feds put skids on fixies
3 August 2010. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is cracking down on the fixie craze, warning of serious safety issues and threatening bike shops with fines of more than $1M.

In its latest bulletin the ACCC, which enforces national consumer safety standards for bikes, says retailers could be selling selling fixed gear bikes that do not comply with mandated safety standards, and that could put riders at risk of death or serious injury.

Fixies were being sold without front and rear brakes, according to the ACCC.....

More at BV website

[Strawburger]

shock horror! Bicycle stores are selling Track bikes!

In all seriousness though, shops should be selling these bikes as bikes for the velodrome and not commuters. The ones i visit do but there are probably some out there that don't. But how is a shop to know what the consumer does once it leaves the shop?

[trailgumby]

Drop bars or lowered bullhorns perhaps fair enough, but flatbars? Who races on the velodrome with flatbars?

I would think any of the many flatbar fixies I see around the CBD would have exposed their retailer to an ACCC action.

[Strawburger]

Drop bars or lowered bullhorns perhaps fair enough, but flatbars? Who races on the velodrome with flatbars?

I would think any of the many flatbar fixies I see around the CBD would have exposed their retailer to an ACCC action.

I don't think i've seen any flatbar fixies without brakes being sold in a shop. I must get out to see more shops!

[il padrone]

Yes, you're probably right. Most of the people riding fixies about are probably all doing it themselves, gettiig a bike and modifying it. Seems to be really a part of the culture with them anyway (anti-corporate)

[Parker]

And this

To stamp out the illegal sales the ACCC has asked the public to report any supply of bikes without safety fixtures, such as brakes, reflectors and bells.

Bells.... LMAO

[Lark2004]

I have bells on all my bikes... it's not a big issue really, is it

[il padrone]

I think the joke is how many bikes are sold without a bell . And does it really matter ?

[Vivifyer]

pfft bells.. no one listens anyway, I find my voice far more effective.

Agree though, riding fixed with no brakes in the city is a bit silly, mostly because of cars, and peds that dont look.

[TheSkyMovesSideways]

Brake friction pads are securely attached to the backing plate or holder and, when applied, touch only the wheel rim.

Well, that makes almost all mountain bikes illegal.

Protective guards
• For children’s bicycles (with a wheel base of 640–765 mm)—a guard encloses the chain wheel and the upper run of the chain.
• For all other bicycles—the upper junction of the chain and chain wheel has a guard that can only be removed using a tool.

What the hell is a guard of the upper junction of the chain and chain wheel?

[mikesbytes]

The Australian / New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 1927:1988 Pedal bicycles — requires:
• At least two brakes are fitted, one on the front wheel and the other on the back.
Is a fixed wheel considered to be a brake?

• Hand brakes are accessible to a rider in the normal riding position.
What is a normal riding position

• The right lever connects to the front brake and the left lever to the rear brake.
What about lefties

• Brake friction pads are securely attached to the backing plate or holder and, when applied, touch only the wheel rim.
So bikes with disk brakes are illegal

• For bicycles with cantilever brakes—a safety device is fitted to prevent the stirrup cable from touching the tyre.
????

• For children’s bicycles (with a wheel base of 640–765 mm)—a back-pedal brake is fitted.
Some of the really small childrens bikes are actually fixies. LOL

[Parker]

I have bells on all my bikes... it's not a big issue really, is it

If its not a big issue, why am I required by law to have one?

I'm a minimalist at heart and a bell on my bike would just look, not so minimalist

[familyguy]

I have bells on all my bikes... it's not a big issue really, is it

If its not a big issue, why am I required by law to have one?

I'm a minimalist at heart and a bell on my bike would just look, not so minimalist

No light bracket? Computer mount? Pump? Cage? Valve caps?

Arent bikes meant to be supplied with wheel reflectors as well? And a rear red reflector? There's another angle they can exploit. But if its just sales of bikes with said items, they're all very easily removed. Maybe you can put a picture of a brake on a spoke card...

Better not let Harold get wind of this ACCC action...he'll have a field day.

Jim

[Parker]

I have bells on all my bikes... it's not a big issue really, is it

If its not a big issue, why am I required by law to have one?

I'm a minimalist at heart and a bell on my bike would just look, not so minimalist

No light bracket? Computer mount? Pump? Cage? Valve caps?

I never ride when its dark, computer is mounted on stem and matches, no pump I carry CO2 in my jersey, and 1 cage...

Say What do you need valve caps for?

[brauluver]

Say What do you need valve caps for?

To cap the valves of course!

[Parker]

Say What do you need valve caps for?

To cap the valves of course!

Oh sure because they're so important to keeping the air in

[sblack]

Reading the ACCC Bulletin linked to in the article I see one way around the standards. Under bicycles not required to comply with the mandatory standard is:

One-of-a-kind bicycles—that is, bicycles that are
uniquely constructed to the order of an individual
consumer.

So as long as such bikes are only made available as custom order bikes there is no longer any issue. So how much has to change for a bike to be uniquely constructed to the order of an individual? If I have to specify what pedals I want is that enough?

[Mulger bill]

Reading the ACCC Bulletin linked to in the article I see one way around the standards. Under bicycles not required to comply with the mandatory standard is:

One-of-a-kind bicycles—that is, bicycles that are
uniquely constructed to the order of an individual
consumer.

So as long as such bikes are only made available as custom order bikes there is no longer any issue. So how much has to change for a bike to be uniquely constructed to the order of an individual? If I have to specify what pedals I want is that enough?

I'd say that'd do it according to the letter of the law if not the spirit.

For bicycles with cantilever brakes—a safety device is fitted to prevent the stirrup cable from touching the tyre.

Yeah, that'd be the reflector bracket.

[Mulger bill]

Hang on just one frickin' moment!

Just went right thru the ACCC bulletin...
Anybody see the real scary bit? Forget brakeless fixies...

Bicycles not required to comply with the mandatory standard
• Bicycles with a wheel base of less than 640 mm.
• Bicycles that are designed, promoted and supplied
primarily for use in competition such as track racing.
• One-of-a-kind bicycles—that is, bicycles that are
uniquely constructed to the order of an individual
consumer.
• Bicycles that are designed to be hinged or folded, or
to be taken apart beyond removal of the front wheel,
for ease of storage or portability.
Tandem bicycles.
• Power-assisted bicycles.
• Bicycles showing signs of appreciable wear or
second-hand bicycles.
• Recumbent bicycles.

[brauluver]

Hang on just one frickin' moment!

Just went right thru the ACCC bulletin...
Anybody see the real scary bit? Forget brakeless fixies...


• Recumbent bicycles.

Bloody bearded bent riders flouting the laws again.
It's not brakeless hipsters that are the problem, but middle aged ex hippy types on bents!

[Mulger bill]

Where do I fit in?

Bearded but not bent?

[mikesbytes]

Where do I fit in?

Bearded but not bent?

Penny

[familyguy]

Nothin but quality so far...

Hang on just one frickin' moment!

• Bicycles showing signs of appreciable wear or
second-hand bicycles.

Assemble. Ride around block. Second hand at $1 off. A shop would only need one set of safety devices to swap from bike to bike.

Jim

[h3ndry]

Whoa hang on,

no wait....maybe

oh yeah.....hmm I think I....



Nope sorry. Still don't care.

[Nobody]

The Australian / New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 1927:1988 Pedal bicycles — requires:
• At least two brakes are fitted, one on the front wheel and the other on the back.
Is a fixed wheel considered to be a brake?

No.

• Hand brakes are accessible to a rider in the normal riding position.
What is a normal riding position

Whatever the nice Mr Policeman thinks.

• The right lever connects to the front brake and the left lever to the rear brake.
What about lefties

Move to the US.

• Brake friction pads are securely attached to the backing plate or holder and, when applied, touch only the wheel rim.
So bikes with disk brakes are illegal

I think the law is just lagging the new 'cross/commuter/hybrid designs.

• For bicycles with cantilever brakes—a safety device is fitted to prevent the stirrup cable from touching the tyre.
????

Don't know either. Must be an old law though.

• For children’s bicycles (with a wheel base of 640–765 mm)—a back-pedal brake is fitted.
Some of the really small childrens bikes are actually fixies. LOL

All my early kids bikes were fixed...cranks on front wheel.

I've been told by a bike shop that back-pedal brakes are preferred on small bikes because children don't have the hand strength to use rim brakes.