Talk:Tarck bike
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I guess the thing to ask now is whether the term "Tarck" is actually used or not. The history seems to be that the predominant fixed gear cycling forum which is hosted by bikeforums.net had a schism as a result of moderator action, and so some members of that community sought to create a subculture within a subculture by subverting their own terminology to create something that is more exclusive, hence recognising with humour the deviant nature of the use of their track bikes as fashion symbols and in doing so convert "Track" bike to "Tarck" bike.
The problem is now two-fold: Is this sub-culture likely to grow to the point in which it is notable and deserves mentioning, and is the schism that the bikeforums.net community felt going to result in petty politics and the constant editing of this page to point the external links to one place or the other. I personally think the answer is likely to be 'No' and 'Yes'.
I've reverted the change to the external links that had pointed the tarckforums link to bikeforums. Someone who is better at this than I might want to consider deleting this whole topic as right now tarck isn't a term in wide use, or notable, and it's inclusion is not much beyond a marketing ploy (they probably fail to understand that nofollow is in action and they're not getting pagerank for it).
- In response, I completely disagree as to the above poster's definition of what Tarck bikes is. As the original author of this entry, I see the genesis of a completely new subgenera of cycling arising. As a mode of comparison, flatland BMX incorporates different equipment, techniques and criteria for evaluation compared to BMX racing, dirt jumping, or BMX freestyle. In the same way, a new subgenera is emerging that has completely shed it's velodrome-based history, as well as it's utilitarian connection to urban bike messengering and instead focuses on the application of freestyle tricks and evermore ridiculous (redonkulus) aesthetics.
- Without a good name for this subgenera, I penned the entry under "Tarck Bike" as that name was (roughly) coined within Bikeforums, and captures the garish-but-humorous aspects of the schism. Only time will tell the longevity of the term "Tarck" - but as a subgenera of cycling, it can be clearly and cohesively defined as different from either the simple misappropriation of track bicycles for use on the street, or the conversion of road bicycles into fixed-gear use. - Summerinside
