Bicycle Habitat is not only a strong supporter of the alternative transportation movement in New York and a visible Bike Week sponsor -- it's also a place where they know all about fixes and put together some slammin' track bikes just because they love 'em! At least five Bike Habitat employees ride fixes on the street. Martin, the Sales Manager, rides a DeBernardi. Erin Nicole, in sales, rides a sweet Mercian. Ben, a mechanic, rides a DeBernardi. And two more mechanics, John and Eric, ride Japanese keirin bikes.

Years ago, I bought my first-ever street fix at Bicycle Habitat. It was 1989, before the current fixed-gear boom, and Habitat was the only shop in the city that would talk to me about "track bikes."

I was in Manhattan on a weekend trip from Rochester, New York. Looking for a track bike. I'd tried about 6 other bike shops during my two-day stay, but for some reason, nobody wanted to answer my questions. I was told that track bikes are illegal, I'd get arrested and the bike would be impounded, and that only crazies ride track bikes on the street. I didn't really know how to talk about all this at the time. So I'm sure that my naive and tentative questions didn't help. All those messengers and track racers were getting their bikes SOMEPLACE, but I couldn't seem to crack it.

So at 4:00pm that Sunday afternoon, I was about to head back upstate. What the heck, one last stop. When I arrived at Bike Habitat and breathlessly asked for a track bike, they said "Sure, what did you have in mind?" I was shocked! Overjoyed! I picked out a low-budget Duracycle Moth. One of the mechanics, whose name I believe was Matt, even took the bike out to Lafayette Street in front of the shop to give me some helpful tips on bike handling, slowing and stopping. There was the newbie front brake, but I'd told him I wanted to gradually wean myself off of it. So he helped, and I've never forgotten his kindness or the cordiality of the store in dealing with a naive "FNG" like me.

Then in 2002, after I'd been in Manhattan and riding fixed/no-brakes for over a decade, I visited the shop again. I saw that they now import DeBernardis and Mercians. These are classic old-skool-style steel frames, a step up in price and quality from the entry-level KHS's, Bianchi's and Fuji's. In addition to these cool frames, I was pleased to discover that Habitat's mechanics were doing something with track bikes that almost no one else in the city is doing. They were painstakingly building up Japanese keirin bikes for riding on the street.

Keirin racing is the Japanese form of track racing. There is pacing by motorcycles. Some bodily contact between racers is allowed. And oddly enough, what holds the sport together is the gambling, as with horseracing. Good racers earn lucrative salaries. There are even some of the punters who are able to make their living just by betting. I went to the races outside Tokyo in 2002, and was surprised to see that virtually everyone in attendance was there to bet. And most bettors didn't need to actually see the race. They didn't care a whit about the cycling, the bikes, the strategies, the drama. Their eyes were glued to the scoreboards, complicated digital arrays showing the odds, results, and payoffs.

Not just any bike can enter a Keirin. It must be approved by the Nihon Jitensha Shinkokai (NJS), Japan's keirin-racing association. The frame (which has to be steel) and components must be NJS-certified. I'm not sure what technical specs or tests are required by NJS. I do know that NJS-certified parts are STRONG. Steel drop bars are favored, though stems can be aluminum. NJS-certified parts will display the stamp of NJS within in a circle, looking sort of like the internet "at-sign" ("@").

So at Bicycle Habitat, John, Eric and Ben have been putting together keirin bikes and riding them on the NYC streets. Is this happening anywhere else? Certainly not in Tokyo. During my visit there, I saw absolutely no keirin bikes in shops (I wanted to rent one!). I saw lots of riders and messengers in the streets, but most were riding road or mountain bikes. I didn't see one fixed- gear bike in my entire 3-week visit.

John, Eric and Ben started by obtaining Japanese keirin frames, virtually unknown among most U.S. cyclists. Then over a period of time, they've been ordering light, strong, expensive, steel NJS-approved components through Euro Asia Imports and other connections. John rides his Gan Well Pro, all NJS except for the the Phil Wood hubs. Eric built a Nagasawa and is now building a Bridgestone. Ben is building a 3Rensho (pronounced "San-ren-SHO"). When finished, these aren't the lightest bikes, but they feel silky smooth on the road, and responsive as though they can read your mind.

Here's what Eric said about the Nagasawa:

"As far as how it rides, it as solid as a tank, yet very light and nimble. My daily ride is a C'dale, and it can't come close. I've owned a Mercian, a Surly and an old Cinelli and even those track frames believe it or not can't compare to the Nagasawa. I like to think of the Nagasawa as the Ferrari of track bikes. The craftsmanship, attention to detail and execution are the best I've seen."

So here's to Charlie, the shop's owner. And to Martin, Erin, John, Eric, Ben, and the rest of the staff at Bicycle Habitat. Thanks for keepin it alive!

Photos // Bike Habitat People and Bikes

Photos by George Pinkston and Erin Nicole Brown

Most of the Bicycle Habitat crew in front of their store on Lafayette Street, downtown Manhattan.

Charlie, owner of Bicycle Habitat, and editor of their helpful newsletter.




Martin, Sales Manager, De Bernardi rider!




Martin's DeBernardi.




Hal in the front window overlooking LaFayette Street. Hal is a popular ride leader, and for many years had a weekly ride from the shop to Coney Island. Now the Coney Island ride is once a year, during NYC's Bike Week in the spring.




View into the workshop, with John, Eric, and a white cable. John's working on the 3Rensho track bike.




John on his Gan Well Pro, which consists of all NJS-approved components. Surprisingly light for all steel.




John's Gan Well Pro.




Front view of the Gan Well Pro, sans brake hole.




Eric and his mostly NJS-approved Nagasawa. About a month after this picture was taken, Eric sold the bike and is now building up an NJS-approved Bridgestone.




Full shot of Eric's Nagasawa.




The Nagasawa's track fork, no brake hole.




Erin Nicole with her Mercian track bike. She studied photography at School of the Visual Arts, and this photo was taken by one of her colleagues. You can see more of Erin's photography at http://www.geocities.com/erinnicoleb/start.html




Erin's Mercian parked by the Hudson River during a Manhattan ride. Photo by Erin.




Ben with his DeBernardi. Photo by Erin.




John's 3Rensho (pronounced san-ren-SHO) awaiting completion. That is a WOODEN keirin saddle!