Winds of Plague Share Fixed-Gear Biking Horror Stories

Winds of Plague keyboardist Kristen Randall, vocalist Johnny Plague and bassist Andrew Glover are all fixed-gear biking fanatics, which is a type of cycling that doesn't require the shifting of gears like on a 12-speed. "They are more fun than regular bikes," Randall told Noisecreep. "We took them on tour, but my bike got destroyed, so I will never do it again." When Randall first met Johnny and Glover, she admits they all "nerded out," talking about their shared interest.

Johnny explained the dynamics of fixed-gear, which requires coordination and nimbleness, saying, "It's when the tire spins but your feet are moving. You cannot pedal backwards or stop pedaling. To enhance the experience, you take the brakes off." So how do you stop? By leaning forward and locking your legs, so the back tire skids and slows you down.

Whoa. Biking without brakes? That sounds like an accident waiting to happen. While Johnny rides brake-free, Randall keeps her brake on because she prefers "to have that safety." Turns out, though, Randall was involved in a rather serious accident while biking.

"Before I was in Winds of Plague, I was living in Cleveland and biking home, and some old guy hit me head on," she recalled. "I fractured my teeth, and I was screwed up for a month. My $1,000 bike got run over by the ambulance."

The accident was a hit and run and the motorist left the scene, despite the fact that "I cracked his windshield with my face and he didn't think that was reason enough to stop," Randall says, her voice filling with sarcasm. Randall was toothless for eight months after the accident, too! "For my first few tours with Winds, I didn't want to smile ever. It was awful. People would make fun of me, talking s--- on me on the Internet, like, 'She as no teeth.'"

The accident is a vivid reminder that cyclists and drivers need to share the road! Johnny said, "I haven't gotten hit, but I have been close to complete obliteration by cars not paying attention. I was cruising through a crosswalk, like you are supposed to, when some lady in an Expedition, with kids, plowed through the stop sign and yelled at me." Randall concurs, "No one pays attention to bicyclists. People don't give a s--- in major cities. Even if there is a bike lane, people still drive like a--holes. I will be in a bike lane and people get mad, yell and beep. Like what is their problem? I am not doing anything wrong."