NYT: Peel Sessions Under the B.Q.E.

For two years cyclists have gathered under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway for weekly “peel sessions,” pushing the limits of the evolving sport of fixed-gear freestyle.

There is no coasting on a fixed-gear bicycle. Because the single gear is mounted directly onto the back wheel, the pedals keep turning as long as the wheel does. And when the rider pedals backwards, the bike moves backwards. No brakes, either: riders use the force of their legs to stop the pedals and, thus, the bike.

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