I have an old Raleigh that I would like to convert to a fixed gear. I believe the first step would be to find a rear wheel that allows me to do that and is compatible with my 54cm frame, although admittedly I don't know very much. I was wondering what size wheel I should be looking for, and what kind of price I should expect to pay for something that will be durable...I ride a lot. Thank you!
Looking to convert. (I need a fix)
- Thread starter hubs
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Is your "old Raleigh" steel or aluminum?
Does it currently have ANY wheels?
Post a picture of the bike in its current state ...
In the meantime, you want to figure out what gear ratio works for YOU ... ride with the/([COLOR= #808080]any[/COLOR]) bike in one gear along your anticipated routes ... adjust as needed on subsequent rides ...
42x16 is apparently popular for general riding ... that may be too high or too low for you.
If there is only ONE (or, just a few) "hill" which needs too low a gear for the rest of where you will be riding, then consider walking that hill ...
FYI. If your bike has a steel frame & the rear wheel has a FREEWHEEL, then you just need a handful of "regular" bike tools (e.g., cone wrenches, chain tool, etc) + a spoke wrench to make your existing wheel suitable ... AND then, you will just need to buy a BMX Freewheel (check www.danscomp.com) to replace the existing Freewheel ...
If your rear wheel has a Cassette, then there are conversion kits you can buy from places like PERFORMANCE, NASHBAR, etc ... this is not quite as good as a dedicated wheel, but expedient.
You can check eBay for a new, almost-ready-to-use 700c wheelset (front & rear) which can cost from $100, and up ... a set of Track wheels with carbon fiber rims can cost $1000+.
Does it currently have ANY wheels?
Post a picture of the bike in its current state ...
In the meantime, you want to figure out what gear ratio works for YOU ... ride with the/([COLOR= #808080]any[/COLOR]) bike in one gear along your anticipated routes ... adjust as needed on subsequent rides ...
42x16 is apparently popular for general riding ... that may be too high or too low for you.
- If it is too low, then ride with the chain on the larger chainring & try to figure out which cog on the rear works for you ...
- If it is too high, then ride with the chain on the smaller chainring & try to figure out which cog on the rear works for you.
If there is only ONE (or, just a few) "hill" which needs too low a gear for the rest of where you will be riding, then consider walking that hill ...
FYI. If your bike has a steel frame & the rear wheel has a FREEWHEEL, then you just need a handful of "regular" bike tools (e.g., cone wrenches, chain tool, etc) + a spoke wrench to make your existing wheel suitable ... AND then, you will just need to buy a BMX Freewheel (check www.danscomp.com) to replace the existing Freewheel ...
If your rear wheel has a Cassette, then there are conversion kits you can buy from places like PERFORMANCE, NASHBAR, etc ... this is not quite as good as a dedicated wheel, but expedient.
You can check eBay for a new, almost-ready-to-use 700c wheelset (front & rear) which can cost from $100, and up ... a set of Track wheels with carbon fiber rims can cost $1000+.
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