bjeffwoff

Hi. So i'm looking into turning this bike into a fixie, but i don't know if its sturdy enough.

RETRO Racer 1988mod DBS Internazionale - FINN Torget

I'm pretty new to the general bike market so my knowledge is rather limited..

europa

Looks like a darned good starting point. The frame has horizontal dropouts so you can adjust the chain tension. The cranks and brakes will serve well on a fixed gear. You'll want a rear wheel with a track hub. That bike should make a very nice fixed gear. Go for it.

Sturdyness is not an issue. Fixed gear bikes require no stronger frames than any other sort of bike. It's only when you start jumping kerbs and doing tricks and riding down stairs that you need stronger bits.

bjeffwoff

Cheers. The guy told me it weighs in around 3-5kg. I'm going up there to check it out next week and i hope it will do the work. It's a bit expensive but considering the weight i hope it will be nice.
I have ridden a fixie (borrowing my friends) for about 2 weeks now and i will never look back. It is a truly amazing feeling. The only annoying thing about his bike is that it feels quite heavy.. It weighs in at 11.6kg i believe. I googled around a bit and people have rather mixed opinions on fixie weights..

europa

Weight is utterly irrelevant. By the time you combine your weight and the bike's, a kg or three makes no difference at all. I regularly ride with a heavy pannier stuffed with kit and I don't notice it. You're getting a good steel frame made with good quality steel (Tange is a quality Japanese brand), it'll be a fine bike.

TejanoTrackie 

That bike definitely does not weigh 3-5 kg. You should be able to get it under 10 kg as a fg conversion.

bjeffwoff

Yeah okay that makes sense.
So for arguments sake would it be a better option to turn this bike into a fixie then? Specialized Globe singlespeed - FINN Torget
I mean moneywise anyway.
It is already SS so i'd just need to change the hub or what?
Can supply better pictures on Monday.

SkylarG

It'd be a shame to butcher that bike into a conversion. Also note that dedicated fixed gear frames have higher bottom brackets to avoid pedal strike when cornering. Not to mention shorter chainstays and overall wheelbase for tighter handling. Converting an old frame you already have is ome thing, but if you're shelling out for a new frame anyways, get a fixed/track specific one.

bjeffwoff

I'll keep it as is then.
Now as a final note, how much should i pay for an old frame? The 1988 bike guy wants 400 USD for the whole bike.. I have the money for it but idk how much i should put into it yeah.

europa

What the hell are you talking about? There is no "butchering" required for a conversion, all you need is a different rear hub. Sure, some idiots used to grind off fittings in years gone by but that was because they were idiots, not because it was needed. A fixed gear bike is quite happy having both brake cable fittings and gear shift fittings still on the frame. Nor do you need different geometry for a fixed gear bike. Sure, a specialist fixed gear bike will have a higher bottom bracket but as thousands of cyclists have proven over the years, this is NOT needed for a street going fixed gear bike, it's only need if you're riding said bike around a steeply banked velodrome. So please, take your nonsense elsewhere, it is not needed here.

bjeffwoff

So what exactly do i need to do to turn it into a fixie? get a cog or do i need a whole new hub?

UltraManDan

Fixed Gear Conversions

bjeffwoff

So replace the hub basically? i'm kinda new to this and that is a lot of information to take in at once.

TejanoTrackie 

The simplest route is to buy a complete rear wheel with a flip flop fixed/ free hub so you can run either a fixed cog with a lockring or a singlespeed freewheel. If the rear dropout spacing is 120 mm, you are set, but if it is wider such as 126mm, then you will need to add spacers to the hub axle.

UltraManDan

It'll be a lot better in the long run to go ahead a familiarize yourself with as much as you can right now. Like Tejano said, the easiest way is to buy a complete rear wheel, then just making sure you have a proper chain line.

bjeffwoff

Yeah it's tempting and all to just buy a new set off wheels off of Ebay but i would prefer to keep my old ones.. Is that a tough procedure?

UltraManDan

It would mean either rebuilding the back wheel with the proper hub, or getting a fixed conversion that will fit.

bjeffwoff

By rebuilding you men re-threading? if i made that out right.
Anyway is the 1988 frame above worth the money?

UltraManDan

Yes. New hub and re-threading the spokes. Might be cheaper to just purchase a back wheel.

The frame is more than I would pay, but I'm sure there are others that would disagree with me

TejanoTrackie 

He will also need to buy new spokes, since the length will be different. It will definitely cost more than just buying a completely new rear wheel.

eastbay71

wow you are a Grumpy Old Bugga! You beat me to it. Never seen a fixie with a raised BB on the streets around here. And I live next door to the fixie mafia

GENESTARWIND

Go away

thedapperest

Get a new wheel, it'd be much less than if you were to re dish the old one

Leukybear 

I would just keep it geared; Shimano 105SC is one of the most dependable older groupsets out there with far superior dual pivot brakes (which you should most definiately keep in the conversion process, tektro sells modern clones of these essentially). This generation of 105 helped define and solidify the 105 family we know today, obscuring the gap between entry and high end while bringing the best japanese of cycling componentry innovations, at the time, to the masses.

An easily serviceable groupset with plenty of cheap replacement/ backward compatible parts and spares (even new rubber SLX brake hoods) on ebay, although I have a good hunch everything still works but just needs a good cleaning and minor adjustment.

Either way, if you choose to convert it, just remember to not toss out the parts as you can easily find a market for them.

europa

Bearing in mind Leuky's point, which is worth considering, I'd buy a new rear wheel, maybe a wheelset to keep things matched. It the easiest way and the wheels can always be used on future projects - my first fg wheel set are currently in their third frame. Once you start mucking about with bikes, you usually find you keep changing things and one or two frames because the princesses that get a whole new outfit every time you feel bored.

And remember, never do anything you can't reverse.

bjeffwoff

Lots of great advice, thanks guys . I'll buy a new wheelset then and screw the old frame. If you could recommend me a good wheelset that would be great. I' probably have to order off Amazon/Ebay as i live in Norway and the options here are limited..