A middle school student dies after riding a brakeless ‘fixie’ bike. What's a fixie?
- Doyoung Lim
- 2 days ago
- 1 min read
Aug 19, 2025
Doyoung Lim
A tragic accident occurred on the afternoon of August 12, when a middle school student was riding a brakeless fixie bicycle down a back street. It was unable to stop, crashing into an outdoor air conditioner unit and dying.
A pixie bicycle is a single-gear bicycle without a gear or brakes and was originally designed as a race bike that was not classified as a regular bicycle. But it has recently become popular among teenagers. Due to its difficulty in controlling the speed and stopping, it raised a lot of concerns.
However, riding a brakeless fixie bicycle required advanced skill, and sudden stops or steep slopes can be extremely dangerous. Experts warn that these bikes have a high risk of accidents, particularly for young or inexperienced riders.
According to the Korea National Police Agency, the Road Traffic Act will be implemented for fixie bicycles and announced to strengthen the crackdowns. Furthermore, in the absence of parents' or guardians' supervision, it may be considered an act of neglect punishable under the Child Welfare Act.
