Big Shot on the cheap

As a kid in Jamaica I remember going to the boys championship games at the Jamaica National Stadium and in between events witnessing some of the most exciting track bike races on the built in velo track. The cat and mouse game the racers played which would some times come to a complete stop for minutes at a time, making the spectators hearts pause as well in anticipation of an exhilarating sprint for one or two more laps around the 400+ meter track.

Rumors of a young NYC bike messenger named Nelson Vails, who was rising as one of the best American track cyclist of his time, gave my dreams ample subject matter to reference. Strict parents who believed more in academics than athletics quickly reduced those dreams to mere wishes and later memories of what could have been.

Fast forward a few years and it's late summer 2010 and at the intersection of Ponce De Leon and Highland Avenue I'm stuck at a green light where 40+ guys and gals are going through the intersection on rainbow colored single speed, free and fixed wheel bikes. WOW! It was an incredible sight. Nostalgia quickly crept into my head and later I made a mental note that by next Spring I needed to have one of those.

So here we are. With a bit of research recently I found a couple of beautiful examples of these bikes in an assortment of color combos that could only be available today.

Big Shot is a maker of Fixed gear single speed bikes that have become the ultimate chique in today's urban jungle. Customers can choose from an array of colorful parts like tires, rims, saddles, frames, cranksets, bars and even chains, to customize your ride to fit your mood. And at just $395 you could have one for every mood.