Convert bike to fixed gear

[hbaker1]

I have an extra bike that I'd like to convert to a fixed gear (no freewheel). I'm planning to ride
it on the road for training.

Does anyone have any suggestions about what kinds of wheels & cranks to buy?

I assume that I just remove the existing brakes & shifters.

 

[James Messick]

<[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> I have an extra bike that I'd like to convert to a fixed gear (no freewheel). I'm planning to ride
> it on the road for training.

What? Like accident training? Factory work training? Sorry, just kidding. I just like my gears and
freewheel, I guess.

 

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] wrote:

> I have an extra bike that I'd like to convert to a fixed gear (no freewheel). I'm planning to ride
> it on the road for training.
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions about what kinds of wheels & cranks to buy?

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed-conversion.html
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/deakins/how-to-fixed-conversion.html

> I assume that I just remove the existing brakes & shifters.

If you are planning to ride it on the road, do NOT remove the front brake. I know, I know, all the
cool bike messengers use no front brake, but bike messengers also work long hours at a high-risk,
low-paying job. I hope you are smarter than that.

The front brake, fixie or not, has most of your braking power.

The two articles at Sheldon's site will explain both cheap and full-zoot methods of converting your
bicycle. But assuming it's an older bike with a horizontal or semi-horizontal dropout, there should
be no problem setting it up as a fixed-gear bike.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

 

[David L. Johnso]

On Wed, 02 Jul 2003 00:10:58 +0000, hbaker wrote:

> I have an extra bike that I'd like to convert to a fixed gear (no freewheel). I'm planning to ride
> it on the road for training.
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions about what kinds of wheels & cranks to buy?

You can usually use the cranks you have. Typically the inner ring position will line up best with a
fixed cog. You only need a new rear hub; there are lots of 120mm fixed hubs available now (though
the classical track standard was 110mm).

You can convert a freewheel hub to a fixed hub by simply spinning on a cog, then a lockring off an
old English bottom bracket. However, the real left-hand thread lockrings on a track hub work better.
As much as people tell you it won't happen, I have managed to loosen a cog on a wheel meant for a
freewheel.
>
> I assume that I just remove the existing brakes & shifters.

You assume incorrectly. Leave at least the front brake. I use both front and rear, since this area
is pretty hilly and I like to hang onto the hoods for climbing (and use both brakes to tame
descending).

--

David L. Johnson

__o | What is objectionable, and what is dangerous about extremists is _`\(,_ | not that they are
extreme, but that they are intolerant. (_)/ (_) | --Robert F. Kennedy

 

[Qui Si Parla Ca]

hbaker-<< I have an extra bike that I'd like to convert to a fixed gear (no freewheel). I'm planning
to ride it on the road for training.

Does anyone have any suggestions about what kinds of wheels & cranks to buy? >><BR><BR>

Horizontal dropouts, i hope.

You can use any freewheel type rear wheel or a track wheel, spaced to the rear dropout spacing of
the frame. Get any crank, use the inside position for the ring, using track chainring bolts. One
brake on the front, , a cog and chain, you are done.

There are inexpensive track hubs that can make an inexpensive wheelset(Suzue) and a crank/BB can be
had for $75 or so.

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[Ron Abramson]

On Wed, 02 Jul 2003 00:10:58 +0000, hbaker wrote:

> I have an extra bike that I'd like to convert to a fixed gear (no freewheel). I'm planning to ride
> it on the road for training.
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions about what kinds of wheels & cranks to buy?
>
> I assume that I just remove the existing brakes & shifters.

Assuming you have horizontal dropouts and a freewheel-type rear wheel, the hard part is getting the
chainline right, which is necessary to keep the chain from falling off, in that there is no rear
derailer to keep things tensioned. The principal variables in this are:

-Bottom bracket length and lateral adjustment (if possible)

-Crank geometry (which chainwheel you use, and whether you use spacers on the chainring mounts),
bearing in mind that the crank may hit the frame if you shorten the bottom bracket too much.

-Rear axle spacers (changing these will require you to make a corresponding change to the dishing of
the rear wheel, accomplished by adjusting right-left relative spoke tension).

If you have an old freewheel type rear wheel, you can screw on a track cog and use an old bottom
bracket lock ring as a locker, though this setup is still prone to loosen and come off on you (which
could be pretty bad if you are going fast and the chain catches the spokes...) Rebuilding the rear
wheel with a track hub with a left-handed lock ring is the way to go.

And yes, run at least a front brake, because if anything happens to your chain you are
otherwise screwed.

 

[Jim Edgar]

[email protected] at [email protected] wrote on 7/1/03 5:10 PM:

> I have an extra bike that I'd like to convert to a fixed gear (no freewheel). I'm planning to ride
> it on the road for training.

as advised: visitsheldonvisitsheldonvisitsheldonvisitsheldonvisitsheldonvisitsheldon

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixeda.html

>
> Does anyone have any suggestions about what kinds of wheels & cranks to buy?

rear wheel - sheldon's MA-3/Suzue is an excellent budget wheel to get you going. I repacked the
bearings and touched up the tension just a bit, but it was a great value.

front wheel - run wha'chu gots

cranks - short, short, short, short, short. Everytime I begin to dip a little into a turn, I thank
recyclery for the nice little set of 165's I found.

>
> I assume that I just remove the existing brakes & shifters.

shifters - bu-bye.

brakes - 'pends. I'd leave at least the front brake on until you have come up to an intersection at
a good clip, have had a car suddenly approach, and needed to panic stop. Your reaction will be to
reach for the brakes, rather than back pedal. I've got front/rear on mine, as CA is hilly.

Though it pales in comparison to Sheldon's fixed references, I've got a page on mine:

http://home.earthlink.net/~cyclofiend/bikes/Project_fixedpana.html

Hope that helps,

-- Jim

 

[Peter Cole]

"James Messick" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> > I have an extra bike that I'd like to convert to a fixed gear (no freewheel). I'm planning to
> > ride it on the road for training.
>
> What? Like accident training? Factory work training? Sorry, just kidding. I just like my gears and
> freewheel, I guess.

You ridden a fixed gear much? Ever?

I never understood fixed gear fever either until I started riding one. I'm lucky enough to have
Sheldon Brown as my LBS, so he built me my first. I've done about half my road riding on fixed ever
since. I have friends who ride only fixed, even for mountainous ultra-cycling events.