[h3]Fixed-gear bikes illegal in Portland [/h3] An Oregon judge has ruled that fixed-gear bicycles -- which use the rider's leg-power to brake them -- are illegal, and must be outfitted with traditional lever/caliper brakes. The cyclist who was ticketed for the offense fought it in traffic court, and was represented by a pretty sharp attorney, judging from the partial transcript here.
It seems obvious that "fixies" should be lawful, since they can satisfy the statutory requirement that bikes be "equipped with a brake that enables the operator to make the braked wheels skid on dry, level, clean pavement. strong enough to skid tire." Nevertheless, the judge ruled against the cyclist:
[blockquote] Now it was time for Officer Barnum to ask questions. He asked Holland, "What would you do if your chain broke?" [/p] Holland: [/p] "I would use my feet." [/p] Officer Barnum: [/p] "What if your leg muscles had a spasm?" [/p] Holland: [/p] "I'm not sure...these are emergency situations." [/p] Ginsberg interjected with a question for Holland: [/p] "Did any of these situations happen on the day you were stopped?" [/p] Holland: [/p] "No." [/p][/blockquote] [a href="http://bikeportland.org/2006/07/28/judge-finds-fault-with-fixies/"]Link[/a]
