Going to Single Gear

[extra-vert]

Hi, just wondering if I can get some advice. I just purchased an 80's (maybe early 90s) peugeot for my sister. It's kinda a women's hybrid to best describe it I guess. So I'd love to remove all of the "noise" meaning the extra - the derailleur, the extra gears, the shifters, "the noise" as I like to refer to it. Anyway, anyone know how I can do this easily and cheaply? She'll be riding in relatively flat situations and the one gear should work and make the bike lighter and more manageable.

[Kitsune06]

google will probably be your friend, there.

[aicabsolut]

Are you going to make it fixed or just single speed? If fixed, then you might want to be concerned about the direction of the rear dropouts. Frames made to have a fixed gear have horizontal dropouts so that it is more difficult for the wheel to unbolt itself from the frame under the types of stresses that go along with having a fixed gear.

[extra-vert]

Good question, thanks for asking. No, not fixed, just single speed. I have been watching a few youtube tutorials on the subject since. I have a new question: this bike is for my little sister who is not athletic necessarily but she will be riding, (probably non-hilly easy short rides) in Seattle; any idea what ratio I want for the gears or the cogs or whatever?

[KnottedYet]

have a new question: this bike is for my little sister who is not athletic necessarily but she will be riding, (probably non-hilly easy short rides) in Seattle; any idea what ratio I want for the gears or the cogs or whatever?

I hate to break it to you, but we do have hills here in Seattle. Pretty much everywhere. Big ones and little ones. Gradual ones and sharp ones.

If she's not athletic, she will probably really want gears here.

The gear height is best found by having her ride the bike a good bit, switching from one gear to another until she finds the one she likes best and is able to do all her riding for a couple weeks with the bike in that one gear. Everyone is different.

ETA: Most of the parts you'll need are available from Surly. www.surlybikes.com They are a great resource for info, too. (make sure you get her a Jethro Tool so she can tighten the axle bolts every day, AND it works great for opening beer!) I've got a Surly Cross Check, and my SS conversion Motobecane mixte has a combo of Surly and Salsa parts - I have no complaints about anything Surly makes.

[extra-vert]

Hey Knotted Yet, thanks a lot. I'll check out surly tout de suite! I'm curious what you mean by the daily tightening thing you mentioned. I have a ss bianchi pista and I have never tightened anything.

[VeganBikeChick]

I hate to break it to you, but we do have hills here in Seattle. Pretty much everywhere. Big ones and little ones. Gradual ones and sharp ones.

Ain't that the truth!!