What kind of vehicle is a Fixed Gear Bike? Originating from track racing, the fixed-gear bike has become popular among street riders as well. However, it is still not widely known that it can also be used for performing tricks. Of course, many fixed-gear enthusiasts may have already been familiar with basic tricks performed on track bikes such as “Skidding” or “Back Circles”, but there are also riders who perform acrobatic tricks on fixed-gear bikes like BMX. This trick-oriented style of fixed-gear bike is known as FGFS (Fixed Gear Freestyle). As the name suggests, it is not confined to a single genre–each rider pursues their own style of tricks using a fixed-gear bike. Inspired by movements from BMX, dirt jump, trials, and other disciplines, FGFS continues to evolve currently.
FGFS bikes generally come in either the standard 700c or 26 inch, similar to regular track bikes. Although FGFS is gradually becoming a recognized street culture, it still hasn’t fully spread among fixed-gear users. Currently, there aren’t many FGFS models available from manufacturers. That’s why this time, I’d like to introduce the “DUCUSONE STYLIN',” an FGFS bike sold as a complete bike. This legendary model, once beloved by top Japanese trick riders, has been revived with a geometry that also makes it suitable for everyday riding. While it already boasts high performance as a complete bike–suitable for everything from commuting to casual cycling–this blog will focus on customizing it specifically for tricks, which is the main theme this time.
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DUCUS ONE STYLIN' $708.00 USD (Complete Bike)
Since the complete bike already comes with wheels, tires, and cranks that are sufficient for tricks, I customized everything else. By the way, when you order it as a complete bike, it comes with V-brake mounts, which is a great option for those who want to ride more aggressive using brakes, as it expands the range of riding styles.
Let’s start with the cockpit area. The handlebar is the DMRBIKE WINGBAR MK4. A riser bar makes it easier to put up the front. Some people prefer to use 2-piece handlebars, but personally speaking, I prefer this shape. The stem is a THOMSON MTB STEM X4, 50mm. A short stem combined with a riser bar is pretty much essential when building an FGFS bike. For riders who want to do barspin, longer stems or low-rise flat bars can be inconvenient and also make it harder to lift the front wheel. On a side note, STYLIN has changed some geometry compared to the previous version, which, in my opinion, has made barspin a bit more difficult. If you want to do barspin freely without worrying about foot clearance, I recommend using a 26-inch front wheel.
Let’s move on to the saddle area. I went with a THOMSON Elite seatpost and a WTB VOLT Medium saddle. Some riders who mainly focus on tricks might prefer a pivotal seatpost and saddle. I actually considered going with that setup too, but this time I wanted to emphasize more of a "track bike" feel, so I chose these two instead. For riders who want more height on their bunny hops, lowering the saddle a bit more might help.
To be honest, I’m not particularly good at FGFS-style tricks (the more BMX-like stuff). I mainly do tricks similar to artistic cycling—it is called “Trick Track.” That’s why I’ve left the saddle a bit higher.
Here’s the setup for the drivetrain. The stock crank uses a 130 BCD and comes with a 42T chainring. I customized our original cog "By BROTURES TRACK COG" 17T. For riders who don’t own a BMX crank, I think this is actually a solid gear choice. If you do want to swap in a BMX crank, you’ve got to use a Euro BB. Be careful—not like the old FGFS bikes that used to come with a Mid BB. As for pedals, I went with Safari. Honestly, any pedal with a wide platform that’s used for BMX should work just fine. Pedals are basically consumables, especially since they get worn down from the pedal-grind. Don't care about a waste of pedals lol. If you plan on using pedal straps, make sure the pedals have holes to thread them through.
For straps, it has to be HOLDFAST. Nothing else comes close. These straps have been loved by legendary riders and were heavily featured in trick videos back in the day. I saw the logo all the time in edits featuring my favorites like Tom La Marche and Michael Chacon. Slap these on and who knows—you might just start riding like them too, haha.
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This blog post is all about showcasing the FGFS custom build. The STYLIN is a versatile bike that can handle not just commuting, but also Tracklocross and more. If you were to customize it for Tracklo, it might look something like this:
FGFS bikes can run wide tires, which makes this feature useful for off-road riding as well. The V-brake mounts I mentioned earlier also provide an advantage when riding off-road.
However, the main theme this blog is FGFS, and for a bike that can be interpreted in different ways, my personal answer is “tricks.” I’m one of those who were inspired by the trick riders of the past movies, which is exactly why I wanted to share this custom build that could be seen as a kind of revival. If you have even a little interest in this kind of setup, feel free to reach out!
Tatsu
