WTB: Small Single Speed OR Road Frame With Horizontal Dropouts

[vinyl]

I know this is a long shot, but I'm looking for a small single speed/fixed gear, or a small road frame with horizontal dropouts that I can turn into a single speed. I have short legs and need a bike with a standover height of a bit less than 28". I currently ride a 44 cm WSD Specialized road bike (700c wheels) and a 47 cm touring bike (with 26" wheels). I live just outside of Denver, but am willing to pay to have the right bike or frame shipped.

If you're looking to get rid of anything that might work, please let me know!

Thanks,

vinyl

[xeney]

I know I'm always beating the mixte drum, but if you can't find anything in your size, you might go that route. Old road bikes under 50cm (or even 52cm) are out there but few and far between. I have an old mixte I've built into a single speed, and I'm looking for a second one (my first is built up as a low-geared townie with racks and baskets and albatross bars, and I want a second one for faster riding, with moustache bars and higher gearing and no baskets). And I'm having a hard time finding one big enough for me! My current one is probably equivalent to a 49cm road bike, but with a shorter reach because of the step-through frame, and most of the mixte frames I'm finding are mostly closer to 43cm. (I'm doing rough conversions; the geometry is so different that it's hard to compare.)

I really love mine ... I originally bought it because I sometimes want to ride to work in a skirt, but it's so springy and fun to ride that I am now a mixte fan all around. Every one I've seen has horizontal dropouts, and overall they are perfect for single-speed conversion. I was inspired by these ones on Fixed Gear Gallery:

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2007/feb/MalenaMurphy_4.htm

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/katybeanlarson.htm

[uforgot]

I've wanted a single speed, and believe it or not, I have two of these Motobecane Mixte's in my garage. I got them for $10 each, not knowing what to do with them, but I knew I liked the looks. I'm going to turn one of them into a single speed. Any good books or web resouces for this project? What did you use Xeney?

[xeney]

Well, my husband, mostly. I married him for his bike tools. ;) And he had done a couple of conversions before we did mine.

But as with everything else, Sheldon Brown has the best information (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html). I started by using his suggestion for threading a BMX single speed freewheel onto the existing hub, and we used the original crankset (just the smaller chainring). I recently replaced my wheels and moved to a track wheelset with a flip-flop hub, but that was because I wanted new wheels -- the BMX freewheel actually worked great and I had no complaints.

Well, one complaint: practically every freewheel we've owned has required a different tool to remove it, and that includes the same size freewheels sold under the same brand name. Stick with Shimano because your bike shop is most likely to have the right tools for those ones. Sheldon has a gear calculator that can help you figure out what size freewheel you want, but if you are guessing, lots of people ride 16/42 on singlespeeds and consider that a good around-town gear.

Most of the other work is just a matter of stripping off the stuff you don't need and replacing/overhauling anything that needs it: you might want new handlebars, and you won't need shifters, and you can take the opportunity to swap out the brakes if you don't like what you have. We had mine in rideable condition in just a few hours, although I later made some changes to the gearing, etc.

[Kathi]

Vinyl,

I have a 1995 Cannondale R800, 47 cm road bike,650c wheels. Not sure if it fits your needs but I don't ride it and am only keeping it for sentimental reasons.

And, I'm in Lakewood, not far from you.

Let me know if you're interested.

[vinyl]

Sounds great! You have a PM!