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Fixie for lefties

Old 04-11-20, 12:06 PM
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Fixie for lefties

A couple of things I've always wanted to experiment with but didn't have the time........a left hand drive and an elliptical chainring on fixed gear. The Super Le Tour was abandoned at a local college. No wheels or cables and the wear from winter weather. I was able to utilize the headset, stem, bars, brakes and seatpost. The rest was found in my basement.
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Old 04-11-20, 12:28 PM
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The pedals are a concern for left hand drive fixies. Pedals will want to self-extract, unless you use some sort of thread locking compound. Polarized pedals, with a definite front and back, such as some clipless models, can't be used. Even on quill pedals, the toe clip mounting holes and flip tab will be on the wrong side.
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Old 04-11-20, 12:44 PM
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Realizing that it's not an ideal scenario.........I did snug the pedal threads, set the chain tension with the rotation of the elliptical in mind. I did orient the chainring the same as it would be on the normal drive side. Conditions on the fixed cog and lock ring are probably not ideal either. It does have a little slop in the drive train. Cartridge BB should not be an issue. I can assure you, it will not be ridden very aggressively by me. We have a quarter mile paved loop at our Quarantine Compound for test rides and such experimentation.
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Old 04-11-20, 01:02 PM
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curious: why other than to see if it can be done?
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Old 04-11-20, 01:08 PM
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Originally Posted by squirtdad
curious: why other than to see if it can be done?
Just for fun. The LHD and fixed elliptical are a couple of things I remember reading about some years ago on Sheldon Browns page and just wanted to try for the fun of it.
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Old 04-11-20, 01:24 PM
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I knew a guy that did that years ago. I think he used the crank set up for a tandem's stroker.
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Old 04-11-20, 01:27 PM
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I believe the track bikes for some USA Olympic teams (at least in ‘16) were lefty. Had to do with aerodynamics in the track.
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Old 04-11-20, 07:52 PM
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Mel Pino had a track bike at the Nationals, mid 70s, with left drive crank. Had to do with COG and centripetal force, and angular momentum. Not that I understand that stuff. Was supposed to be faster. In the end, you need a rider who is up to the task.
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Old 04-11-20, 08:12 PM
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Now you need some mirror-image decals.
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Old 04-11-20, 10:10 PM
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The benefit of LH drive with RH threading is that your cog won't unscrew during hard deceleration, leaving you with braking, although you fortunately do have a separate front wheel braking system. Some people use questionable judgment and ride brakeless track bikes on the street, in traffic, or around college campuses.
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Old 04-11-20, 10:35 PM
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Originally Posted by Jmpierce
I knew a guy that did that years ago. I think he used the crank set up for a tandem's stroker.
Not sure what a stroker is, but a tandem stoker crank would have a timing chainring on the left side, and one or more drive chainrings on the right side. That would look silly. You'd want a tandem pilot crankset, and just use a larger chainring than a typical timing ring.
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Old 04-11-20, 11:14 PM
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Going to add a Lefty “fork”?
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Old 04-12-20, 11:24 AM
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Q

Originally Posted by T-Mar
The pedals are a concern for left hand drive fixies. Pedals will want to self-extract, unless you use some sort of thread locking compound. Polarized pedals, with a definite front and back, such as some clipless models, can't be used. Even on quill pedals, the toe clip mounting holes and flip tab will be on the wrong side.
Tandem cranks. Pino was walking around the track infield at the 1974 national championships with his ti brazed wonderbike, drivetrain on the left. His reasoning was to reduce chance of scraping a pedal on a steep track, such as the Montreal velodrome.( newly built temp track prior to the indoor Olympic venue ). I did laugh to myself as the Northbrook track was a near pancake.
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Old 04-12-20, 11:26 AM
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As an old Commie, I fully endorse left hand drive.
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Old 04-12-20, 11:27 AM
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Originally Posted by madpogue
Not sure what a stroker is, but a tandem stoker crank would have a timing chainring on the left side, and one or more drive chainrings on the right side. That would look silly. You'd want a tandem pilot crankset, and just use a larger chainring than a typical timing ring.
On many tandems the front crankset only has the chainring on the left.
plenty of ways to set up a tandem.
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Old 04-12-20, 12:28 PM
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Originally Posted by repechage
On many tandems the front crankset only has the chainring on the left.
plenty of ways to set up a tandem.
That's what I said (well, wrote). The pilot crank has the timing chainring only, and usually on the left. That's what would work for the OP, NOT a stoker crankset.
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Old 04-14-20, 10:00 AM
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Is it really necessary for the threads to resist precession? Can't you compensate with extra tightening? That's what we do with right-threaded fixed cups.
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Old 04-14-20, 10:27 AM
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Originally Posted by madpogue
Not sure what a stroker is,
could be a winner boy, you move quite well...

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Old 04-14-20, 10:43 AM
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Originally Posted by r0ckh0und
A couple of things I've always wanted to experiment with but didn't have the time........a left hand drive and an elliptical chainring on fixed gear.
I seriously had to check the initial post date when I read the elliptical chainring part. I really thought you were pulling my leg, especially with your comment about Sheldon Brown and having read some of the silly things he has posted around the first of April in the past

But lo and behold, it's there, and not satirical!
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Old 04-14-20, 11:24 AM
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Originally Posted by noglider
Is it really necessary for the threads to resist precession?
So they come loose every 26,200 years?
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Old 04-15-20, 01:04 AM
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I had a lefty, once. I liked to think of it as the Worlds Ugliest Fixie (and that's saying something!) Mid-70s Univega Viva Sport with faded and peeling-off woodgrain vinyl shelf paper wrapped around the tubes, handlebars and seatpost, saddle slathered with about an inch thickness of black duct tape, dried out knobby tires, and enough thread lock to keep the pedals in place. I think I remember the guy I bought it from ($50) telling me to keep an eye on the pedals if I was actually going to ride it.



After I put together a proper fixie in my size, I built the old one up as a decent commuter bike for my sister, replacing her badly bent Motobecane.
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Old 04-15-20, 01:15 AM
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This build deserves a right-handed front brake.

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Old 04-15-20, 02:24 AM
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This is such a stupid thing I want one so badly.
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Old 04-15-20, 07:03 AM
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I have an advisor at college who is severely dyslexic. On his office wall is a backwards clock, so I asked him about it. He said he actually doesn't notice it. Left and right mean virtually nothing to him. Amazing to me.
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Old 04-15-20, 08:01 AM
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Originally Posted by noglider
Now you need some mirror-image decals.
Here you go. But now it's right hand drive.

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