For weeks, I've been excited about Premium Rush. It's story centers around a bike messenger (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who gets chased around New York City because of an unknown envelope that's in his possession.
I've watched the trailer many times already and I can't wait to see it on the big screen. Even though it comes off as a B-rated movie thriller, I'm willing to pay money to see those bikes (and bikers) in mad dash action. I love how the bikers in the movie (JGL included) madly rushes through through traffic head-on, sans brakes (after all, they ride fixies). Plus JGL's bike is gorgeous (hint: I want one!).
I think it's a stripped down Surly Crosscheck (photo via UrbanVelo)
This movie made me want to tryout fixies. Fixed-gear bicycles evoke a sense of simplicity in cycling because of the lack of gear-shifting and of brakes. Because the bikes don't have brakes, those who want to ride fixies need to learn how to stop through skidding. Thankfully, YouTube offers a lot of tutorials for this maneuver. But I think the road to my office requires too many uphill pedaling for a fixie to be a viable commuter bike. Plus skid breaking is dangerous, especially given the traffic conditions in Aurora Blvd (or anywhere in Metro Manila). So I guess I'll be skipping a fixed gear bike and just focus on either a Surly LHT or a Brompton of my own.
Fixie riders are often seen as hipsters
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I think watching the trailer too much has led me to biking like a daredevil lately. This morning, I was biking to work and all I could think of was "Premium rush. Premium rush.". I was weaving through jeepneys and buses along Aurora Blvd. at 25kph. I'd even put the hammer down while scaling the flyover before Pureza. It was quite an exhilarating Bike to Work Wednesday for me.
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