muz379

SO i got a new road bike recently , was really really reluctant to go for the upgrade because it would mean loosing the old bike which was my first venture into road bikes and still was a really nice ride but here we have it ive upgraded now .

My origonal plan was to sell the old road bike to make cash for upgrades to the new one such as carbon fork etc but due to some financial fortune on my part ive since done that anyway and so now am in a position where selling the old road bike would not be a great benefit financially .

Im thinking if i can do it for a reasonable price of making the old road bike fixed speed , know pretty much the mechanical know how of how to etc and the guys at the lbs would be more than happy to help out .

So comes my only problem never having actually ridden fixed gear
I know all the theory about it being good at developing fitness strength good cadence practices etc but i was wondering if anybody could share any actual experience
My ideal plan would be to use the fixed speed in the week for commuting and shorter training rides of 10 miles ish and then using the road bike for the rest of the longer training rides with hills

What are peoples thoughts on this ?

Ultraslide

I converted my older road bike (72 Raleigh Supercourse) to a fixed gear after buying a more modern road bike. I ride my fixed bike around town and pull a kids trailer for my 3 yr old daughter. What I like is that the drive train is completely silent! Very nice. What I don't like is that I almost never get up to a good cadence of 80+rpms. So I may change my rear cog so i can spin more at slower speeds, but since my town is quite flat that's okay really. One thing I have noticed as an improvement in my technique is pedaling through corners. Since riding the fixed bike regularly I always pedal through turns on all my bikes because I have come to realize how far I can lean into the turn and not strike a pedal on the road/trail.

CliftonGK1

The cheapest option is to buy a fixed hub and some spokes to build a new wheel using your existing rim, unless you want to upgrade the entire wheel and then you just buy a fixed wheel. You can snap them up for pretty cheap these days.

I ride about 20% of my miles fixed or single, including lots of hills. It's good for cadence smoothing, strength building, etc. All the stuff that people claim it's good for; plus it's just nice and brainless. Hop on the bike and go, without worrying about cross-chaining, shifting patterns, etc. Just turn the cranks.

muz379

My main motivation behind this is not wanting to see the old bike go lol i snapped it up for a decent price from an old friend who hadnt done that many miles on it so its still in a very good condition for a bike of its age


Well currently it has a threaded rear hub on it so my plan if i do this is to thread a fixed gear cog onto the rear wheel for now and leave both brakes in place in case of failure as per sheldon browns converstion advice on his website
and if it all goes well I would eventually get my lbs to build a set of clyde safe wheels around a fixed gear hub and maybe be brave and remove the rear brake altogether

zoste

What kind of bike is it? Does it have horizontal drop outs? If not, it's not a particularly good candidate for the conversion because there will be no practical way to adjust the chain tension.

I keep reading about how much fun everyone seems to be having on fixies, and I get the urge to build/buy one. Then I think about how much my knees would complain and I come back to my senses.

muz379

Its an early to mid 80's raleigh road bike , reynolds 501 frame
the dropouts are the only thing im weary off mechanically , i dont exactly remember , never really paid much attention to the dropouts lol
The bike is at my parents house at the moment because im moving places next month so when im there at the weekend im going to have a check of that one

CliftonGK1

My fixed wheel is a 32h high flange fix/fix IRO hub, 3 crossed with DT Champion 2.0 spokes to a 1991 Wolber T-410 Alpine rim. Never had a problem with it, even when I weighed 260 pounds.

If you're riding on the road, leave both brakes. There's no reason (outside of velodrome racing) to take them off except for a fashion statement or the MonsterTrack Alleycat. Saves you wear and tear on your tire (no skidding/skipping) and on your drivetrain (less need to backpressure).

muz379

What chainset are you using upfront on your fixed wheel , thats the only thing im having a problem with at the moment , i really want to try fixed wheel withought it costing too much with a view that if i really do like it then i will outlay the cost and get decent componenets

Tom Stormcrowe

Here is my Fixed Gear conversion



I love riding fixed. I just fall into a rhythm, and go into a zen state. It's absolutely silent, except for the wind, and utterly simple.

CliftonGK1

1991 Shimano 105sc road double, standard 130bcd. I stripped the old rings off it, popped a Sugino 44t 3/32" chainring on there with a set of short-stack bolts.
Much of the equipment on my bike was cannibalized from a 1991 Paramount PDG Series-5, so I'm rockin' a 105sc front brake, crankset, brake levers and front hub. The Wolber rims were great condition so I just built the rear up around a new hub. I transferred the parts to a dumpster salvaged 1988 Trek 400 frame/fork/headset, and kept the rear brake (non-recessed, the 105sc rear wouldn't fit.)
The only new bits I purchased were the rear hub and spokes, cables, and brakepads. Everything else was from my spare parts bin.

sstorkel

White Industries makes eccentric rear hubs that can be used to tension the chain. Lots of people make chain tensioners that will attach to a rear derailleur mount. Forward Components was making an eccentric bottom bracket conversion that is supposed to fit standard BB shells. Haven't heard much from them recently, so I don't know if they're still around or not...

I, personally, would opt for a single-speed over a fixed-gear bike. SS seems much safer to me! Though I guess if your feet aren't clipped to the pedals it's more difficult to end up going over the bars...

daven1986

I just recently got a fixed gear and I really enjoy riding it, it feels different to a normal bike and feels good. I'd convert it

CliftonGK1

The White hub can be used for either a fixed or a singlespeed conversion, but a chain tensioner can only be used to take up slack on a singlespeed drivetrain, not a fixed gear.

Tom Stormcrowe

Actually, I ride using clipless pedals on my FG. Specifically,Egg Beaters. It's a learning curve getting latched in on the fly, but hey., it's still better than clip/strap setup. Main thing, always remember to pedal a FG, or at the minimum, you get bumped into the air, and at the worst, you get catapulted. You cannot coast.

bautieri

Do it or the kitten gets it!

Tom Stormcrowe

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