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The United Klngdom is biessed with fixed-geor clubs thcrt forge communities, exhilcrrcrte the smollest of roces... ond identify the finest przzerio- al20 pqces, Urban spent trme with one such teom - London's CIcr onym -cr qzy NLTCBMBC
ometime over the last 1O 1'ears, a nrassive change took place in the bike industry. Wl.rere
in the urban landscape? Put sirnply, NLTCBN{BC do more than just riclc around town taking prettl'photos. And rvhile thel'have a nicc handful ofspolrsors, these have conrc in the s.akc of paf ing their o\\'n way the tcarr u'as set up for friends to ride a nd racc together ratlrer than so that they could 'get free stuff.'
once changes wcre slorv, big brands called thc shots ar.rd ageing traditionaiists ruled the local c1'cle clubs, suddenll' clcling u'as cool, citl' kids influenced the big s.igs and bike bloggers cor-Lld make or break a nerv brand. \Vith these changes came a nes' media-sar.vy breed of rider and the emergence ol highll' regarded urban fixed-
RAPID EVOLUTION The crerv of riders grerv from an initial London Fixed Gear and Single Speed forut.n meeting in a pub back in
from San Francisco and LA. Over here in the UK, \\'e \\'erel.r't immune to this
gear creu's sr-rch as lvlash ar-rd Macaframa
idea of shaping our passions and friendships ir.rto appcalinq and communicable packages, and
6xed-qear
ivcling colllrtivc.
\pranq up in thc nrajor 'urrre ul cities across Britain.
Originallv conceived as
a
tongue-in cheek responsc to the
emergence
of crews
the-v
considered'posers. tl.re Nortl-r
..NLTCBMBC DO
MORE
THAN JUST RIDE AROUND TOWN TAKING PRETTY
PHOTOS''
London Thunder Cat Black Metal Bicyclc Clrrb nonetheless rell' hcavilv or.r a carclulll cortsiderccl cool aesthetic u'hilst enjoying affiliations with pizza and boutique coff-ee roasters. So vhat apart from that rr-rakes NLTCBIT"lBC
different fror.n sonre of the otl.rer to make a name for themselves
fixed-gear groups trf ing
72
/
URBAN CYCLIST
2012, evolving ovcr the vears as ridcrs joined and left and intercsts built and u,anccl. Like
othcr lirccl-gear groups,
thev
firrnrcrly tbcr-rscd primarily orr social ridcs. but s'hen founder menrbcr Rob Green developed a passion for racing, the group realised its first changes.
"Thougl-r the group had been around since late 2012. there rvasn't reallv rruch happening and no real sense of direction." he says
rratter of lacth'. "No one was it. so I sort of
actively Ieading
/ I
took it upon r.n1'self to clo something about it rvhen I cntered the local track lcague at the olvmpic velodrome in 201,1. T had checked out a feu.local clr,rbs and none ofthem fu111, suited m1, needs. That's not to sa1' Jocal c1'cling lD
I
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r