Odds are you’ve spotted them looking better than you on an evening drive downtown: sleek, stylish and simple machines ridden by equally style-savvy individuals. I’m talking, of course, about fixed-gear bicycles and their riders.
Now that this bicycle trend has finally made its way to the Wasatch, a store has risen up among the hip clothing, record and art outlets on 300 South to cater to all your fixed-gear fashion needs: Disorderly House.
First, a small introduction to fixed-gear bicycles for those readers on the periphery of the circle of cool. A fixed-gear bicycle has only one gear ratio. If the cog is in motion, so are the pedals. This means if you’re moving on a fixed-gear bike you’re also pedaling. Coasting is made impossible by a cog “fixed” to the rear hub. Fixed gears were initially used mostly for track racing, where an even pitch on the whole racecourse eliminates the need for extraneous bicycle parts like gears and brakes.
“Fixies”-as those in the know call them-have since become popular with the urban bike crowd for a variety of reasons. It’s their simplicity, lighter weight, sheer aesthetic beauty and the closer connection fostered between the rider and the riding surface that draws people in. Some have labeled fixed-gear bicycles as impractical and difficult to use, but aficionados of the bikes retort with conviction that once you’ve ridden a fixed gear, you’ll never go back to a clunkier and noisier bike with gears.
Why do so many people ride fixed-gear bikes now?
“Because it’s really, really f****** fun!” said Will Lapthorne, co-owner of Disorderly House.
Simple answers are always better.
Fixed gears also appeal to those who come from a skateboarding or snowboarding background because of their potential for tricks. If you are like the other owner of the store, Tony Jacobsen, and can’t help yourself from tricking on even the bicycle pump, fixies are an efficient mode of transportation that you can still have fun on while commuting. Actually, Disorderly House hosts a trick competition in the back of their store on Saturdays for those wishing to utilize the unique trick opportunities presented by the fixed cog.
Disorderly House, the first (and only) fixed gear boutique in Salt Lake City, is jointly owned and operated by Jacobsen and Lapthorne. It opened at the beginning of this year as more of a clothing store specializing in high-end urban apparel. The store has since adapted to the high demand for fixed-gear bicycle parts and now stocks virtually everything you need to build or customize your own fixie. Need something to match those sexy white-wall tires you just won on e-bay? No problem, Disorderly House will special order you a white bike chain so fashionable you’ll have a hard time keeping it on the teeth of your crank set (because it’s off the chain). The same goes for nearly all bicycle parts-handlebars, wheel sets, frames, headsets and rims. Lapthorne was even putting up a display of flashy safety lights while the affable co-owner and I chatted in the posh store interior on 300 South.
Disorderly House is an example of the progress Salt Lake City is making in the national fashion arena. As mentioned earlier, besides bike parts, Jacobsen and Lapthorne stock a wide variety of classy street apparel, from shirts, to shoes to those cool biker hats (not to mention the essential Chrome messenger bag). When I stopped by they also had the perfect item to slake the thirst of your friend’s fanny-pack fetish: heavy-duty motley colored FabricHorse waist packs. The store also has a wide selection of up-and-coming local clothing brands-simple and stylish Zurich shoes, Lake of Salt T-shirts and hand-made Mode top tube cases. In case you haven’t noticed, street wear like this is the current trend for the young person demographic. Its designers and boutiques mostly concentrate on hip urban cities like Las Angeles and New York, but Salt Lake City is becoming more and more on the radar as time goes on. Stores like Disorderly House and 10 are representative of a growing Salt Lake population that is in the know when it comes to changing trends in urban apparel.
Interestingly, Jacobsen and Lapthorne made mention of the fact that when they were still mostly a clothing store they had a hard time getting certain brands in stock. Apparently, Disorderly House was the victim of geographic discrimination at the hands of its suppliers. Certain brands would make it difficult for the store to order from once they learned the store was based out of Salt Lake City.
“They would rather have their stuff seen in New York or L.A.,” said Lapthorne.
Fortunately, with the number of boutiques and independent operations like the Disorderly House flourishing in Salt Lake City, the city is steadily finding its own voice in the world of urban fashion.
Thien Sok
Thien Sok