AFTER thick-rimmed glasses, a ''fixie'' bike is the hipster's ultimate accessory. With sleek lines, retro colours, no gears and often no brakes, they are the vehicle of choice for inner Melbourne's funky ''Fitzroyal'' set.

But now the feds are trying to cramp their style. Australia's consumer watchdog is threatening bike shops with fines of more than $1 million for selling brakeless fixed-wheel bikes.

Sasha Strickland: "Healthier than other youth trends." Picture: Ken Irwin

Bikes must be sold with front and rear brakes, but the pedals on a fixed-wheel bike move when the wheels do, so skilled riders tend to ditch formal brakes and stop by resisting against the pedals, or turning into a skid.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has already taken action against a wholesaler for distributing the ''Surly Steamroller'' without back brakes and is urging people to dob in others who do the same.