Fixed Gears, Depression & Wildly Moderate YouTube Success | AMA 

You ever think about doing a video where you open your current/past bikes up to critiques from your fans? Reverse fixie points!

Man, your Energy is so positiv in this one, seems that your are in a good place right now!! glad too see you succeeding

You are freakin awesome. Congratulations on the milestone. Looking forward to 100000!!!

I appreciate you sharing your experience with beginners like me. I am a 45 year old army vet with pretty severe PTSD from combat. Riding fixed has been great therapy and an outlet for some of the associated stress.

I started riding fixie two days ago. And you are one of the reason why. Keep up boi!

First 5 secs, I got a laugh, you get a like.

I almost don't love riding fixed these days, but no matter what I'll keep watching these videos.

Hey Zach! Thank you for putting my comment in your video! You answered it amazingly !

Loved the feel/vibe of this video. One of my favorites.

I like bikes. Im okay with zack. Thus this channel.

Zach you are livin ' the dream ! So cool that you live in Taiwan, right now. I hope to see lots more of that place, ...the people...the culture...,from you, the RU-vidr.

Bro, u DO get that you got a lot of us to go fixed, right? At least that's my case. I considered it in and off, but when I stumbled on one of your videos - that was it. I dunno, just your enthusiasm about fixed bikes, the way u talked about them i guess. I could see the love and passion for fixed gear bikes. It was around time you just started the channel. I wanted to know what's the big deal and here I am now, fixed on fixed. U thank us for following you, for supporting you, making your dream possible. But I should be thanking YOU. You changed my life. And everything I know about FG today, I learned from you. It was an amazing journey. Keep up, stay strong and love life buddy! Peace.

Great video, Zach! I was riveted all the way through. BTW, I ride fixed every day, and I am 64 years old. We can do it. The key, if there is one, is looking ahead, down the road. With my decades of experience motorists generally can't surprise me, although individual drivers will. I know I can't kill them all, but recall one might kill me. Workable stance thus far. Enjoy Taipei!

Really liked this video Zach, keep doing what you do. As someone who deals with depression myself, I try my hardest to do what I love doing when times get dark, like riding my bike through the American River bike trail in Sacramento, creating post and blogging as well as dancing or listening to music.

Don't think I'll ever ride fixie, but I love my single speed 725 steel. It's not a rain bike at the mo, and my trips are semi traffic (pollution) ordained. Thanks for the influence!

I learned a bunch of things there, here's to the next 50k 👍🏻

I appreciate you Zach. I love this RU-vid Channel.

Hell yea! Dance Gavin Dance! Man it’s so refreshing to see people are still enjoying “the oldies”. I’m not an album purist but I’m curious what your favorite album is from them.

There is this fixie girl that lives 5 blocks down, I see her all the time on her cinelli. How can I win her heart ❤

Congrats on 50k

DANCE GAVIN DANCE FTW!!!

Dance Gavin dance that's sick glad someone still appricates them as much as I do! Much love from Compton, Ca✌🏼

Big up 50k! Been a fan of the channel for years juiced to see you get so far, think Ive been subbed since about 7k

great to see you following your passion and succeeding

Congrats and looking forward for the 100K! Cheers

Congrats on 50k thanks for getting me on a bike

Spot on advice for depressives!

Love you zach ❤️

I'll comment that I think your videos are really well exposed. (from a photographic standpoint) the lighting is great on subjects (self too) and overall lighting is well done too.

Good work !!🤙🏼🤙🏼

Congratulations on reaching 50k subscribers!

Used to live in the Philippines for 3 years, it’s where I started cycling. If you want to ride a bike seriously there I advise getting outside of Metro Manila, it’s super dangerous, plus the other island are beautiful. I advise anywhere in the Visayas.

I've been wanting a WABI ever since Bikeblogger got one years ago but I keep finding cheap project framesets to build and sell and never get around to purchasing my WABI. I'm sure I will get one soon. Good luck over there.

when i started watching your videos i was riding an old used road bike last week i got my first fixed gear bike, and i love it so much. love your videos still

Love you! Been a fan since 2015. Don't comment much cuz not my thing but I have to say.. thank you, and pls keep it up. Hope to meet, and possibly ride with you someday in the future!

Your vids are always so fun to watch (:

One of your viewer questions I think I can answer. As you age your knees are not going to be a problem at all with continuing to ride fixed gear bikes. You will not have to switch to a freewheel at all. The most important thing is a good bike fit and gear ratios you're comfortable with. I can still ride fixed gear bikes with track geometry, and use them at the velodrome. I am 55 and my knees are still going strong lol

I love your videos. You are a huge reason I got a fixed gear and started commuting to work and to the gym. Also, I am fat and needed to start getting unfat. I do wish I would have listened to you and spent a few hundred more and got one of the beginner bikes you recommended. I got a Retrospec and while its fun to ride, I'm already spending money on new parts. Should have gotten the Kilo TT Pro. lol

Congrats Zach on the 50 thousand Subscribers,ride safe.🚴✌

more Power2 ya man. as an avid cyclist, i enjoy your channel througly. my nephew is2, so i shared some of your videos with him. he enjoyed them as much as I, he rides fixed & I enjoy freewheel. I don't often wear bicycle clothing either, just started doing so cause me Oxford needed to be washed

I didn't realise you were fulltime. I love your channel and I'm glad you get to work on it as your job. I also really appreciate the depression content. You smoke weed?

the moment you said post-hardcore I knew it was be Dance Gavin Dance 😭 Zach you gotta drop a playlist now the people demand it.

Show us a bike party zach!!!

Man when you go to PH, please please please announce it! We would like to meet you even for 10 secs :)

I just started following you, new to riding fixed, loving it. Just here to say that Dance Gavin Dance is amazing and you get 100+ fixie points for taste in music 😉👏

Thank you

Bonus points for Dance Gavin Dance. what's your favorite album?

love the videos zach , keep them coming

good work man!

loved it thanks Zach - I dont currently ride a fixie but love the enthusiasm and the channel in general - the mental health thingy is so important too awesome 'episode'....

Great stuff as usual Zach!!!!!!!

Really appreciate you pulling back the curtain a bit!

Excellent video.....thanks, learned so much about life, you and bikes!...….congrats on 50K! well done bro

Hi Zach I've been watching your videos for quite some time now and i have learned a lot from you (newbie fixed gear rider) I ride my bike almost everyday just to be reasonably dangerous. Thank you for the inspiration. Im Kate from the Philippines, hope you could visit soon 🇵🇭✊⚙

Great vid! congrats on 50k my guy!

You're the best fixie guy on you tube Zach.

Zach, you say you dont smoke weed, but your face at 0:00 says otherwise

+20 fixie points, and thats on DGD.

I don’t ride fixed only single speed or mountain bike 27 speed ,,but would love to learn ride fixed one day,,love watching you’re videos learned things thanks zack and congratulations

Should go to mall of asia in the philippines when you get here

Hell yeah Zach loves DGD I never would expect that

August Burns Red - Redemption 👌

Ill never own a fixed gear bike, not even a singlespeed, but I really like your channel

hell yeah dance gavin dance got a shoutout!

I love these videos, keep em coming! I have a question for a possible future video. You've uploaded a few videos about bike maintenence and setup in the rain, but how do you dress for maximum comfort on a rainy ride?

Yall two thumbs down are whack. Zach you rule We talk about ya in Boston lolol Sometimes I say "For the most fun ive had on a fixed gear..."

Can you do a short Wabi summary of all of their products and compare them in a video? Nothing deep just some light information of each of them?

Another awesome vid! Glad you can talk about your dark days during depression and tell ppl to seek help if suffering. Male suicide and poor mental health is a problem in all developed countries.

Absolutely love my 6ku track bike, I would recommend it!

Hope your channel lasts as long as you stay happy with it.

My cycle clothing is civilian clothing. Jeans or chinos, polo shirt or button down, and baseball cap. Its a good way to go. Many would say a helmet would be necessary. I say, yes, that is probably true.

Congrats to 50k! I am actually curious about how do you afford your living with just 50k subscribers. Do you solely reply on sponsorship?

Yeah Being a autodidactic polymorph is the absolute best for human beings. Glad to hear that you are familiar with the North Park (SD) velodrome, I used to ride there.

Super into hearing a little non-bike content - v good! Plus - at 54, my knees, etc are not balking at riding fixed most days ;)

I also where pants and nothing really sporty other than my cinelli sweater when it's cold. I use Dzr clipless shoes so looks even more casual.

What do you think of fixed-gear geometry e-bikes? Love your channel, and i am glad that you got so far, you deserve it.

congrats on the 50k and great QnA, except as a florida boy I'm not sure about some of them west coast acronyms you're talking about.

115k boiiiiiiii

I'm sorry but this content is both funny and informational. SUBLIME!

dance gavin dance is perfection

YOU LOVE DGD. FOOOOOOOO NOW I LOVE YOU EVEN MORE!!! HELL YEAH BRO! Who's your favorite vocalist from dgd history?

I loved the crit race you did recently. Hope you do some more. Yes, I heard you say you don’t like racing but that video was so good. Just saying.

checkout silk button-downs, being organic you can go days on road before they stink too bad. really good for temperature regulation also.

Dood, DGD is sooooo goood.

How much is your yellow fixie bike?!.thank you!!!

Congratulations on your 50k Zach! Are you learning Mandarin while in Taipei? This is your second time living there, yeah? :)

We'll wait till you get here Zach! Looking forward for a group ride 👋😁 Much love from PH 🇵🇭

Spicy Deluxe goes hard 😤

Zach manganese 3-7 mg daily. Also half a teaspoon of nutmeg daily. Natural remedies

Please check out Elephant Gym and Sunset Rollercoaster - they're great Taiwanese bands!

Belt for drive train? Where and what brand do you recommend? The split on or the no slit one?

I always watch ur videos somehow, they are fun

Awesome that you answered such personal questions and took this seriously. I would love to go riding with you somerime. My buddy roy and I ride around Ventura and Santa Barbara. Hit me up

Mabuhay!!!

The weather in Taiwan sounds a lot like Miami.

Prescribed antidepressants particularly SSRI's made me have extreme anxiety the first week. When it regulated, my emotional pain dulled til I was numb all around. At the time had a girl interested in me but was too emotionally absent/dead. Ymmv. Quit meds, found fixies, smoke weed. You smoke weed?

As a seventy-something year old that’s been riding for over 60 years, I would like to humbly make one small suggestion.... please, please, TALK A BIT MORE SLOWLY..!!!! (just sayin) PS.... Absolutely love your channel. Never rode a single speed.. unless you count the “Truck” bikes I rode as a kid.. but... Next (if there is a ‘next’) bike will definitely be a WABI. (you sold me)

Can i turn my road bike into a fixie??

Zach I'm straight but you are a damn good looking guy

What do you think of road bikes and have you ever ridden one?