In flat, compact Düsseldorf, changing gears is more of a superfluous gadget than a necessity for most city trips, at least if you cycle regularly. We at the cap are big friends of bikes ourselves, where the speed is only determined by the rotation of the legs. As the saying goes: “My legs are my gears”. So it was about time to finally set up a tour for all friends and fans of cycling minimalism - a single-speed tour through the Düsseldorf area.

Anyone who deals with smart clothing, popular culture, music and street art in our city has known the Carhartt store on Mittelstrasse in Düsseldorf for many years. The institution of the street and workwear fashion scene was deeply connected to the local electronic music culture from the very beginning. An authentic interest in subculture is noticeable from its own music label and skate magazines to the sponsoring of important events. The fact that Carhartt, triggered by a small film project as an interface between skaters and frame builders, has now entered into a cooperation with the Finnish bike manufacturer Pelago is wonderful. Because we like working with Pelago ourselves and we like their bikes. The first Carhartt/Pelago bike, of course a single speeder, was therefore a welcome opportunity for us to organize an evening all about bikes with one gear.

The evening began with an easy-going, relaxed ride of 50 kilometers, for some a small lap, for others a challenge. Just like the racing cyclists, the scene is diverse, from the oxyhydrogen pilot, who likes to let it rip, to the pleasure cyclist, everything was there. It's nice to see that it works and that everyone is having fun while chatting.

The relaxed atmosphere of the trip went perfectly with the rest of the evening, easy beats, the film "Push to Pedal", a lavish pasta salad and a few kegs of Uerige made for a summer night feeling of the finest kind in the inner courtyard of the cap. There was a small shower in the middle of the film with a shrug of the shoulders, that's not annoying when chilling out.

We had fun and so did our guests. We are all the more pleased that we will be bringing the famous New York Bicycle Film Festival to Düsseldorf in February 2017 in cooperation with the Open Source Festival. Films about cycling, supplemented by music, parties and trips. Gladly again for the one course….

We recommend the event "This is not Pottcrit" as part of "Rund um die Kö/Race am Rhein" to anyone who would like to deal more extensively with the sporty side of single-speed and fixed-gear culture. On September 18th, an international starting field with track bikes will rush over the Kö-Karree and show great sport. Rock 'n' roll on wheels, full throttle ahead. More on that soon...

And now the pictures from the evening...