Fixed Gear for a petite

[zigzag17]

I'm interested in buiding up a fixed gear bike from an old frame, but am having a heck of a time finding a frame smaller than 47cm with horizontal dropouts. I'm trying to avoid buying a stock track bike or going cu$tom. I've been scouting eBay for a while with no luck. Has anyone seen or have a small frame with horizontal dropouts?

[pedalfaster]

I know what you mean. You always hear of your "tall" friends finding these great 70's bikes in the trash or at garage sales and turning them into super-cheap winter fixed-gear beaters! I've worked in several bike shops over the years and so far I've never seen a vintage Schwinn or Peugot or what-have-you come into the shop in less than a 56cm(and usually they are more like 60cm). Did short people just not ride bikes "back in the day"? If these small bikes *were* made, where did they all go???

Anyone?

[Kathi]

Good luck! When I bought my first road bike in 1981 the only bike I could find to fit was a Fuji Royale Mixte Frame. It was 18" and way too big for me. In 94 I found a 48cm Cannondale but it was still too big for me. I'm 5"2'.
1995 was the year Cannondale came out with their compact frames (now called feminique). There was an R500 and an R800. They came in 45 and 47cm. They have 650c wheels and were the same color, tubing and graphics as the standard bike. It's hard to tell the difference. A year or two later, Quintana Roo, Trek and Aegis came out with small frames.
As far as I know a small rider either had to go custom or ride a mixte (women's) frame.
My 1995 Cannondale compact is now my trainer bike.
Magazines of this time reviewed bicycles and I don't remember any other companies being mentioned. Hope this helps your search.

[Surlygirl]

Check out the surly web-site. I have a 42 cm surly crosscheck that fits great. I'm only 5 feet tall. You can buy the frames at aebike.com (about $485.00) and build one up yourself and they specialize in single speed. They have mountain bike, cyclocross and road bikes.

[Trek420]

Where'd I put the thread about the Motobecane Mixte frame I found in the trash?

Oh well, this'll do. I'm talking to my LBS about turning a 70's early 80's Motobecane Mixte into a fixed gear.

gotta question for you gals. I guess there's a choice of turning into a fixed gear, a single speed freewheel or now with a new 2-sided Surly hub where you just flip the rear wheel over....both!

Since the odds are that I would rarely do that (flip the wheel over) what's the difference training and or ride-wise between a freewheel and a fixed gear?

[Eden]

On a fixie you can't coast * no matter what * so you must pedal even down hills - with a freewheel you would still be able to coast.
Also I think to be street legal a fixie only needs a front brake as back pressure will act as a rear brake- (Note I've never ridden a fixed gear so this is second hand info) I'm thinking that this is a move one might want to practice. With a freewheel you would still need and want both brakes, otherwise you could endo - ouch!

[Trek420]

Eden and all,

maybe I did not phrase the question correctly that is, I understand the difference between the two but is one "better" than the other? And *yes* it'll have brakes for sure!