Each week the Mercury cruises Portland's streets, leering at bicyclists to find an acceptably sexy PDX bike and bring you a mini-interview with its hot-to-trot rider.

This Week: The Friendly Fixie

Rider: Andrea Phillips
Bike: Sky blue C.ITOH frame with cutoff drop handlebars, pricey aluminum rims and pink toe straps.
Spotted at: Outside The Know, heading as a bike gang toward Skidmore Bluffs

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What band is playing at The Know tonight? I don't know, I just saw that they have a stand up bass and a harp. It seems pretty neat. I'm always impressed by a harp.

I'm always impressed by color coordinated bicycles. Can you tell me about yours? What do you like about it? I like that my sister bought me the wheels for my birthday.

You mean the tires with the stripes on them? No, I bought the tires. The wheels themselves she bought. That's the most expensive part of the whole bicycle.

I like this pink bobble. Yeah, there were a whole bunch but they hurt my thumbs to put them on.

Where are your favorite rides? I ride it to work, of course, and to Monday Funday Kickball.

How long have you had this bike Um, two and a half months? Yeah, I used to have a ten-speed and it was really heavy... I thought that [the fixed gear] would make me lazier or less fit but really I just go faster with less effort.

Do people treat your fixie differently than your ten-speed? I kinda get some shit and actually strangers on the street are like, "You know what I hate about Portland? I hate fixed gears. That's what I hate about Portland." And I felt really bad actually for a second when somebody said that and then I realized how ridiculous it is that they should feel so upset over something that I enjoy that doesn't harm them in any way.

What's so upsetting about the fixed gear? Oh crap, I have no idea. That's not even something I like to think about, having to do with it. I just have fun with it. I think it's fun to ride, it's kind of fast and exciting sometimes.

So this bike isn't meant to stir up controversy? No, no! Why would bikes be controversial? Why would anybody mean for bikes to be controversial? They're for fun and so I don't have to pay for gas.

So a fixed gear is about having fun and flying down the road? Well, my bike in general is about that and having a fixed gear is about trying something different and finding what I enjoy about it.