Fixed gear conversions?

[Beaverdam]

Anybody here riding old ten speeds or others converted to fixed gear? Putting my Crescent back together after painting, I'm thinking about it. Heck, the old Campy deraileurs, cables, guide, and shifters weigh 448g, almost a pound. I want to try using the middle cog (17t) on the freewheel with the 42t or 48t chainrings to see if I can handle a single speed around here (Roanoke area). If I can pull the hills and not have to coast too much, I'll invest in a track hub.

Does this sound like a good plan or no?

 

[Major Taylor Archive]

I had an old Crescent that I converted to a fixed gear and it was great. You can see it on the fixedgeargallery.com site. I love the crazy checker board graphics. Any older road bike with 120mm rear spacing and long horizontal drop-outs is a good candidate. 42x16(or 17) is a good set up for gearing. You can do the hills with some effort but won't be spinning out on the flats.

 

[Beaverdam]

Yeah, the checkerboards on the top tube were gone when I got the frame & shifters back in '78. With all the touched up spots and rust on the top tube (from riding on rollers) I didn't feel bad about repainting.

I need to experiment with ratios to see what I can handle on what hill. Also, I might experiment with an old coaster brake hub, tossing the brake shoes and locking the clutch to make a cheapie fixed hub.

 

[crank]

Have you ridden a fixed gear or just contemplating it? A freehub or coaster hub gives a very different experience from a fixed gear. I'd suggest getting a trackwheel built instead of bodging around with hubs designed for freehubs. It's safer. My 2 cents...

 

[Beaverdam]

Sorry I haven't been around, my phone line has been down for a week and a half.

I was loaned a fixed gear bike for a 'quick spin' so I only went around a couple blocks, but it was pretty cool. I got the Crescent together as a single speed (coaster) with a 67" gear but I haven't had a chance to ride it. I put both brakes on so it shouldn't be dangerous. I do plan to get a track hub when I go fixed - right now I'm using an old Hi-E sealed bearing hub so respacing isn't an option and the chainline would be pretty bad with a single sprocket.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[thom]

I doubt anyone can tell the difference in a pound or three on a bike when riding.If the area you ride in is as flat and level as a pool table one gear could be enough.Where I ride , I like having three or four that I actually use. I like having decent brakes too. No conversions for me , thanks.

 

[Beaverdam]

A few weeks ago I felt the same (even my cruiser is a two-speed), but then I read what Sheldon Brown had to say about it and now I understand it better. I still have my mountain bikes, 21 and 24 speed, and a 12 speed Nishiki. I test rode a beautiful LeMond 24 speed road bike this weekend, it would have been a smokin' deal but it was too big. Just a bit too friendly there... :eek:

I'm just getting started in fixed-gear riding but it's getting more popular in Roanoke (partly due to Keirin Culture), and it ain't flat around here. I put the cheapie fixed hub into an old 3-speed and flipped the handlebars over. I kept the front brake but the rear was coaster so there's no rear brake now. The bike sat outside for 10 years so it's good and rusty, and I put the rattiest seat and tires I could find on it. It's kinda heavy, but not baloon tire heavy, and fun to ride.

I can see a fixed hub in the Crescent's future... losing a pound is just icing.

 

[cinelliphyle]

more to consider

There is more to the difference between a fixed gear, a multi speed and an single speed bike than simply the amount of gears to select from or the ability to free wheel.
Keep in mind that when you are riding a fixed gear bike (not to be confused with a single speed) you are always spinning no matter what if the bike is moving. This means that when you round a corner you had better hope you are not going too fast or your likely to hit your pedal on the ground and bite the dust. True track bikes not only have shorter crank arms but also higher bottom bracket heights just for this reason. The general frames geometry including seat and head tube angles are also quite different making them handle with a certain deliberate snappiness that has its value on a track, but on the road may or may not act in the riders best interest. These are just a ew of the considerations that must be addressed if you choose to convert a bike.