Fixed gear conversion

[betagirl]

Hey has anyone done a fixed gear setup? I have an old school mid 80's 10 speed that I plan on stripping down. I'm debating making it a single speed so I can coast. The bike will be my winter commuter here in Chicago to save the parts on my Trek. Salt... so bad.

I need to get everything except brakes and handlebars. Any tips on good parts, etc. would be appreciated! I don't want to spend a ton of money either, so it doesn't have to be anything fancy.

Thanks!

[roadfix]

Here's one of the best sources of info on conversions:

http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed-conversion.html

[betagirl]

Thanks RF. I read over that article. Gotta love Sheldon :D There's a shop in chicago that specializes in fixed gear bikes (Yo Jimbo's garage). I may stop by there this week also, but I'm getting the impression he carries higher end stuff. Do you have any parts you'd recommend?

[xeney]

I ride a converted single speed, not a fixed gear, but we did almost everything with vintage parts except for the freewheel. If you go with a freewheel instead of a fixed gear, just avoid Dicta, that's my advice. I've had a crappy Dicta BMX freewheel for the last year, mostly because we could not get the stupid thing off once it was on. None of the local bike shops had the right tools, pounding on it with a chisel and hammer (the recommended method!) didn't work, and googling around I found out that this was a common complaint of BMXers trying to upgrade from Dicta freewheels! We finally got it off yesterday with a couple of drill bits, a bench vice, and brute strength, because I married MacGyver, but it was a huge pain in the neck.

In other words: stick with Shimano BMX freewheels. They are inexpensive, they are super smooth and quiet, and your LBS will have the tools to remove them should you ever change your mind. (Every freewheel or cassette in this house requires a different tool to remove it, I think.) Harris Cyclery sells them but my LBS also has them in stock.

I had to replace my crankset because my old 80s bike had one where the rings and the cranks were all one piece, and I didn't want to use the big ring but didn't really want to keep carrying it around with me, either. I bought an old Sugino double on eBay; they run as much as $60 in good condition but you can get lucky. If your crankset is higher end to begin with you can probably just remove the chain ring you don't want.

Figuring out gearing with Sheldon's gear calculator (http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/) is not as hard as it looks. I can't remember how I did it initially, but I did something like figure out the gain ratio on the gear I was mostly likely to ride around town, and then figuring out what combination of front/rear would give that to me. Mostly that is dependent on the chain ring you have available if you are reusing what is already on the bike or what you could pick up used -- the Shimano freewheels come in multiple sizes, so you just choose the size that will match up with your front chain ring to give you the ratio you think you want.

[roadfix]

Do you have any parts you'd recommend?

Practically, if you can do this yourself, most components on your bike can be converted for fixed or singlespeed use, including your crankset and rear wheel with some modification. But sometimes, you can find a decent fixed wheelset for the cost of having someone else convert your bike from scratch.
As far as gearing, if you have a 42 chainring up front, a 16 or 17 cog, whether fixed or free, would be good for general around town use for starters.

[betagirl]

Thanks. I stripped the old bike down today, and there isn't much in terms of salvagable parts. I kept the handlebars and fork. I painted the frame a lovely blue :D The bike had some old shimano components that weighed half a ton. The crank was a double. After I took everything off and just held the frame up, it was rather light. The wheels are old and rusty and weigh about as much as the frame does. I was going to check around on ebay to see what I could find. I think shimano will be the way to go. I even scrapped the brakes. I was pleasantly surprised that the frame is wide enough to support cyclocross tires. I sort of wish I took a "before" picture.

[DebW]

Thanks. I stripped the old bike down today, and there isn't much in terms of salvagable parts. I kept the handlebars and fork. I painted the frame a lovely blue :D The bike had some old shimano components that weighed half a ton. The crank was a double. After I took everything off and just held the frame up, it was rather light. The wheels are old and rusty and weigh about as much as the frame does.

Steel rims - they did weigh a ton. Probably steel hubs too. Shimano Lark or Eagle derailleurs? They were cr@p. Steel cottered crank, or the even worse steel one-piece crank?

[betagirl]

Deb I think you just outlined my parts :D

Steel 1 piece crank. I'd guess those rims are steel. Hubs, definitely steel. You can see why I need to replace a lot of stuff. I have a lead on a set of wheels through the local club. We'll see how that pans out.

[DebW]

Steel one-piece cranks used a different bottom bracket shell than three-piece cranks. The shell was a larger diameter and they had press-in cups facing outward. Sheldon claims the crank was very strong, but I can tell you they were not fun to adjust - they were so crude you really couldn't adjust the bearings, you just screwed it together and took out the play.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_n-o.html#opc (page down to One-piece Crank)
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/opc.html
http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/opc.html#opc

There is an adapter to let you put a normal threaded bottom bracket in these old frames. That would be the way to go.

Did you save the seat post and clamp from this bike? 21.15 mm (13/16") is probably the size, so you can't use a modern post. If you need a longer post (you're probably taller than you were at 10), make sure you can find one before you invest in other things.

[betagirl]

Deb, you are correct with the seat post. And the larger shell. After chatting with the LBS, I decided that the frame was a bigger PITA than it's worth. Going to look at a Bianchi Pista today. I'm going to keep the old handlebars though. I'll put those on if anything. That way I'll have *some*nostalgia. But it looks like the frame is a bust. Thanks for your help!

[velogirl]

Hey, I've got a track bike for sale! Much easier, no?

[betagirl]

LOL velo, certainly is. Though I got that Pista from the guy in my club. :D But thanks!

[roadfix]

LOL velo, certainly is. Though I got that Pista from the guy in my club. :D But thanks!

Install a front brake on it if it doesn't have one.....and preferrably front and rear brakes if running it as a single speed.

[betagirl]

Got the brakes on order. It has the brake handles already, so that's a plus. I installed some SPD pedals, which is a shift for me from the usual Look pedals. Going to pick up some cheap mtn bike shoes to use. Swapped out the saddle for a Terry. Other than that, I need to get the chain installed. The gearing is 48/18, so it's a pretty big gear. The guy at the LBS suggested I tool around town and get used to it before I go too far with it. He seems convinced I'll want to swap the front to something smaller. I tend to ride a bigger gear on my road bike, so we'll see. He had a lot of opinions.... :)

[Nanci]

I listen to this podcast all the time, Zen and the Art of Triathlon. The guy made his (or his brother's) old teenage bike into a fixie, and says his hill climbing ability has skyrocketed. He even rode it for some big ride in TX- MS 150 or something?

I have a bike that would be cool to convert, if I ever had any spare money.

[xeney]

Even a single speed is good for hill climbing ability. I am a baby about hills, and my husband has always immediately dropped me when we hit a hill, but since I've been riding my single speed, I can almost always keep up with him, and sometimes I even pass him. Or sometimes he has to stand up on the hill and I just ride through it.

I do find that riding the single speed has really reduced my shifting on my road bike. Most of the time I just don't bother. (Don't talk to me about my mountain bike. I still push that up hills.)

[roadfix]

Good luck with the fixie!........like they say, guys dig chicks on fixies...:p