Hello there seems to be a huge Hype in fixed gears lately. there are too ways you can build up your fixed gear; Conversions or build ups. i am a firm believer in keeping the old on the road. however i can appreciate the advancements in technology. This post though is souly here for the purpose of Conversions.
Step 1: Chose your Frame:
when Choosing your frame one of the most important things to look at is size of the frame. most road frames range from 49cm to 63cm. the measurement that they take is from the middle of the bottom bracket to the top of the seat post. although there are sizing charts its easier to choose a bike based on whats comfortable.
Step 2:Components
Components are the functional pieces of your bike. Wheels,Bars,Chain,Drive train,ETC. A good Place To Start Are the Bars. There are Many types Of bars out there. i am a fan of mini Bullhorns and strait bars. every style of bar comes in a mini alternative.you can find all types of bars on any bike parts website.(www.nashbar.com) working down to the stem we got wheels, our next topic. wheels and technologies vary based on how much $$$ you wanna dump into your bike. Weinaman DP18s are a fairly in expensive Track wheelset. they come in a range of silly colours to. however by no means do you need to buy yourself a a track wheel set. if you wana be all fixie all the time and could care less about an old rim you got kickin around you could roll SUICIDE FIXXIE.
a quick break down on what a SUI FIXED GEAR is.I will pre worn you. though this is how i am set up it is prone to extreme failure. hence the Suicide. back to the point. take your wheel with a threaded hub and a track cog and A bottom Bracket lock ring. coat the threads on the hub and cog and lock ring with JB WELD and the thread it on. make sure you keep it away from were your chain will be. other wise it will just get in the way. let that dry for at least 8 hours. and boom SUI FIXED.
Drive train is a very important feature on fixxies. to start, we'll talk cranks. single speed cranks, although nice, are not necessary. you can simply put a a large chain ring on the inner mount and use the outer mount as a chain guard. or you can just use a single speed crank that only has mounts on the one side. Cranks come in many different lenghts. the ideal crank length is between 160 and 170. the crank length is stamped on the back of the crank and is easily identified. ( now remember vintage bikes will not have track legal bottom brackets. this means you turn to sharp youre pedals will hit the ground.) Chain ring and cog size are also important. the sizes will vary depending on the rider. inner city ridin 46:16 would work nice. to go fast 53:16 the sizes vary crazily so further research into sizing should be done. chains are fairly important too. the only thing you need to know is 3/8 chain is the way to go. the bearings that the cranks connect to are the bottom bracket. bottom brackets come in two forms sealed and open bearing. open bearings are cheaper still work nice but wont last as long, and dont like water. sealed bottom brackets are nice but a little spendy running you from $14-$45.Step 3: Tires and Brakes
tires are the next thing on the list. though it seems unnecessary to talk about, they are important. they come in many widthsranging from 26mm (narrow) and 34mm (wider). for going fast on smooth non bumpy surfaces, go with narrow tires. for city commuting go with mid range to wide. for trick fixies wide as possible.
I saved brakes for last because though recommended they are not necessary. if you want to keep it clean go brake-less. just know that brake-less fixies are illegal and dangerous. simply resisting the motion will slow you down and skidding will do it faster. a happy medium is to just put a front bake on. 70% of your stopping power is in the front. single pivot brakes are the easiest to come by and work much better than center pulls. if you are graced to the luxury of V brake mounts then i suggest you use them.
that is a quick tutorial on fixed gear conversions if you have any other Questions just leave a comment and i will do my best to answer it quickly.
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