fixed gear bike conversion

[bikegeek666]

well, i guess i could rattle can my shit gold. bling, yo.

 

[matt]

I know this is an old thread but here are a few things to contribute.

If the drop outs are really short, you won't have room, and you will either just get lucky or have to invest in a singulator.

You cannot use any sort of single speed tensioner with a fixed gear. You will tear it apart on your back pedal.

cheapest way i would make a conversion is to bring your rear wheel into a bike shop and have them remove the freewheel. then, buy a track cog and put some blue loctite on your hub threads and use a chainwhip to tighten in on as much as possible. if you dont have a chainwhip, tighten the cog on as tight as possible with your hands and then ride your bike up a steep hill. this will tighten it further and then you can just let your bike rest so the loctite can cure up.

If you are going to do this, and I definitely do NOT recommend it, you will want to use RED loctite, NOT blue. Blue is super easy to remove with just your hands, red needs heat applied to it to take it off. Also, use the rotafix method to secure the cog. (They're still pretty wrong about the lockring though.) Then do as Double-A suggests and put a bottom bracket lockring on their. Again, I do not recommend this at all.

This whole fixed gear fad is annoying. A new hipster bike store opened up in Long Beach and the cheapest bike is $1500.00......give me a fucking break. Who's the jackass that decided a single speed road bike is cool and why does everyone think they need one?! I don't get it.

I worked in a shop where I regularly handled $15,000 bikes. Now I'm not saying that they didn't ride sweet as hell, but sometimes they were a little excessive.

and single speeds are ideal for cities
bikes with a billion gears fail frequently,
fixing them can be a hassle
which is why bike messengers tend to use single speeds or trackbikes
there reliable, light and fast
unless your traveling 2000 miles or in a super hilly area theres no need or point for multiple gears.

Bikes with a billion gears do not fail frequently if properly maintained and fixing them is no hassle at all if you know what you're doing. Both have their merits.

but the fad? yeah, fuck the fad. i don't want gold rims and just....all that hipster shit, just fuck it.

There's no gold like Araya Gold.

 

[Raging Bird]

I got a cheapass wheelset from BikeIsland.com - Bicycle Parts, Accessories and Clothing at Affordable Prices with Free Shipping, it was like $90 for two wheels, which is about 1/3 of the price I've seen elsewhere.

 

[bikegeek666]

I know this is an old thread but here are a few things to contribute.



You cannot use any sort of single speed tensioner with a fixed gear. You will tear it apart on your back pedal.



If you are going to do this, and I definitely do NOT recommend it, you will want to use RED loctite, NOT blue. Blue is super easy to remove with just your hands, red needs heat applied to it to take it off. Also, use the rotafix method to secure the cog. (They're still pretty wrong about the lockring though.) Then do as Double-A suggests and put a bottom bracket lockring on their. Again, I do not recommend this at all.



I worked in a shop where I regularly handled $15,000 bikes. Now I'm not saying that they didn't ride sweet as hell, but sometimes they were a little excessive.



Bikes with a billion gears do not fail frequently if properly maintained and fixing them is no hassle at all if you know what you're doing. Both have their merits.



There's no gold like Araya Gold.

ha ha...araya gold...yeah, first thing i think of is gold anno'd nitto risers and shit.

as far as rotafix, it works. and use red loctite. and a lockring. rotafix doesn't use a lockring because it's for the track and there's no skidding on the track.

 

[bikegeek666]

oh, but on old freewheel threads a lockring won't help nearly as much as it will on a proper fixed gear hub.

 

[matt]

as far as rotafix, it works. and use red loctite. and a lockring. rotafix doesn't use a lockring because it's for the track and there's no skidding on the track.

While you may not skid on the track, you still apply back pressure. If you drop you're cog not only are you going to hit the wood hard, you are also going to be laughed out of the velodrome. It's a great way to put on and take off cogs but its so simple just to put that lockring on.

 

[Mor]

my dog is fixed.

my bike sure isn't! haha




If I had room for more than ONE bike I would definately build a fixie.
They're really fun to ride.

 

[The Cheshire]

cheapest way i would make a conversion is to bring your rear wheel into a bike shop and have them remove the freewheel. then, buy a track cog and put some blue loctite on your hub threads and use a chainwhip to tighten in on as much as possible. if you dont have a chainwhip, tighten the cog on as tight as possible with your hands and then ride your bike up a steep hill. this will tighten it further and then you can just let your bike rest so the loctite can cure up. as for your bike, take off the derailleurs and shorten your chain to the appropriate height with a chain breaker. you need to make sure the chainline is running straight on your fixed gear so you should probably use the inside chainring on the front. you should also get some axle spacers and use those to line up your chain. theres more detailed how to's on the web, but this is the general outline. i've also seen people use regular bmx cogs and JB weld them to the hub. whatever works for you, just make sure you keep the brakes on.

NONONONO!!!!!

This is really horrible advice and if you follow it your going to get hurt and not want to ride a fixed gear. DO NOT cut your chain and re-attatch. With a fixed gear you use the chain to accelerate as well as deccelerate. Your chain is super important, go buy a new one. If your able, dig through the bin at your local shop and get a new chainring as well. 3/32 chains are no good for fixed gear, get a 1/8th set up. Cog, lockring, chain and chainring. Getting a new rear wheel is a good idea too, unless your going to build your own. Weinmann LP's are cheap and durable, and easy to service (bearings). Axle spacing might work, depending on weather your wheel is a freewheel or freehub, and if your conversion kit has the right spacers for your wheels. If the wheels are as old as the bike, you really ought to get a new rear... cant stress it enough. Anything else you do isnt as major, but you absolutely have to have a strong and effective drivetrain.

So, NO LOCKTITE. No Rotofix unless your on the velodrome, and NOT the street. Get a new chain, and some tight ass levis your gunna need em.

This whole fixed gear fad is annoying. A new hipster bike store opened up in Long Beach and the cheapest bike is $1500.00......give me a fucking break. Who's the jackass that decided a single speed road bike is cool and why does everyone think they need one?! I don't get it.

Is it LBFG? My buddy paul owns that shop, overpriced but hes a good mechanic.

 

[bikegeek666]

3/32" chain is just fine for fixed gear. i used it for many moons as a messenger until i won a 1/8" chain in an alleycat. i don't believe the plates on 1/8" chain are any thicker, just the gap between them, to accomodate wider cogs.

edit: also, rotafix is good for a quick way to get a cog on and off. never on the street without a lockring, and not without tightening it down by jamming up a hill really hard or something to twist it on tight. loctite...red loctite i've heard can be okay. no personal experience, but i've been told that it holds. that said, i still wouldn't do it without lockring and brake.

 

[coolguyeagle76']

im sure you figured it out somehow by now locktighting the cassette is the cheapest and easiest and most punk way to make a fixed gear.

 

[xbocax]

I have 2 bikes my Fixed Iro, and My touring/road panasonic. When i wanna hall something take it easy and feel the breeze i take the Panasonic. When i wanna get somewhere fast i take my IRO. Fixed are fun but can get annoying after a while and you needa break. Everything about how to make the conversion that i know of have already been stated. My only 2 cents on this is i payed a bike mechanic when i first started geting into bikes to convert this old sr i had into a fixed. He just ended up doing the locktite thing and i didnt know the better till another mechanic told me. So i guess what im trying to says is as long as your not mashing the locktite thing will work in the short run (1-2 months) until you can get yourself a proper fixed gear hub.

 

[bananathrash]

you can thrash harder on singlespeeds with a freewheel.

im pretty sure the loctite idea is only in addition to a bottom bracket lockring.

 

[nuckfumbertheory]

I <3 Coasting.