While the most minimal fixies — sometimes called track bikes — have no brakes, Raleigh included dual levers on the handlebar and brake pads as a means to stop. The company (www.raleighamerica.com) also includes a rear wheel with a flip-flop hub, allowing you to transform the Rush Hour to a freewheel single-speed via the turn of a wrench.
The Rush Hour retails for $770; it goes for $100 or more less than that online at some retailers, making the bike a relative bargain.
All compliments aside, this is not a comfortable bike. Its frame dimensions are built for speed and maneuverability, not the comfort of the lumbar region. The handlebar comes as bare metal — no tape or grips — on top, which I found cold on springtime rides and occasionally painful where the road got bumpy.
Add thin 700×23c tires, a lithe saddle, and the fixed-gear perpetuation of legs always in motion and the Rush Hour can make for a challenging ride. Pedal 10 miles through a city — dodging potholes, cranking in one speed up hills, pressuring the pedals to slow on turns — and a ride on this Raleigh can be a true workout.
For the past two years, I have been a committed fixie rider. It’s been an exhilarating ride, and the new form of biking has rejuvenated my interest in riding on the road. My main freewheel-less ride has been the Kona Paddy Wagon, which is a similar bike to the Rush Hour. My legs are stronger, and I am more in control and more confident than ever riding in traffic.
After test driving the Rush Hour for three months, I am a fan. Its standard 16-tooth rear cog and 46-tooth crank are about perfect for any moderately hilly city. Overall, the Rush Hour was made right. Whether it’s 1887 or 2009, the bikes with roots in Nottingham continue to roll solidly on the road.
—Stephen Regenold writes a blog on outdoors gear at www.gearjunkie.com.
