Fixed Gear Bikes

snafu1322 · Post by **snafu1322** » 06 Jan 2008 13:56

hacksterbator wrote:i can't wait for the 3 feet of snow to melt so i can ride mine again!!! i have a filp flop hub, so i might toss a free wheel on the other side for longr hikes... oh and a fron brake for stopping... i hould probably put that on there first just so i don't forget...

You could Ted Shred it. hahaha.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH5W1Z23wPg[/url]

snafu1322 · Post by **snafu1322** » 07 Jan 2008 20:54

I'll post up some pictures of my bike when my bars come in and i decide on a wheelset.

mosher · Post by **mosher** » 07 Jan 2008 21:37

That's sad about the story of the guy getting killed in SF.

I think it's mostly just an odds game. When you ride down a road, hill or not, as you round a corner you don't always know what is coming and it just works out that occasionally someone gets schmucked. Though admittedly occasionally/often people ride in a fashion that really pushes the limits of the odds into more dangerous territory.

mosher · Post by **mosher** » 19 Jan 2008 15:04

http://youtube.com/watch?v=-LJgKRXBcoU

Me doing tricks in a skatepark on my track bike.

mosher · Post by **mosher** » 20 Jan 2008 20:32

quadgun · Post by **quadgun** » 23 Apr 2008 09:32

hacksterbator wrote: looks like a good bike to do it with. Just so long as you have horizontal drop outs in the back. You can make it as cheap or expensive as you want it to be.

Is what a horizontal drop out looks like?

Im going to start taking the old parts off of the bike on saturday, and slowly start buying new parts for it.
I think I'm gonna go with single gear and not fixed gear though, I don't think my knees can handle riding a fixie.

snafu1322 · Post by **snafu1322** » 23 Apr 2008 16:54

Ya that is a horizontal drop out so it will work well for a conversion.

You can also run fixed with a front brake to save or knees or get a flip flop hub and run both.

quadgun · Post by **quadgun** » 24 Apr 2008 09:17

are there any guides to this stuff online?
I mean, I understand how a bike works and stuff, and could probably figure things out if i get lost somewhere along the way. But it would be nice to have something that if i do mess up really bad, i could look to.

hacksterbator · Post by **hacksterbator** » 24 Apr 2008 10:02

quadgun wrote:are there any guides to this stuff online?
I mean, I understand how a bike works and stuff, and could probably figure things out if i get lost somewhere along the way. But it would be nice to have something that if i do mess up really bad, i could look to.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed-conversion.html

Sheldon Brown, mayherestinpeace, is the ultimate source for all things fixed gear.

yes that is a horizontal drop out, but my fear for that particular one is that you have very limited play! usually you want it to be at least an inch or deeper. that one looks to be at the very minimum requirement.

quadgun · Post by **quadgun** » 24 Apr 2008 12:22

That's not mine, its just a picture i found of one that looks like mine.

I'll take pictures of the one on my bike on saturday when I take stuff off of it.

brian relly · Post by **brian relly** » 01 May 2008 20:17

i put a new wheel with a flip flop hub on my 1985 centurion frame. I had been riding freewheel (48/18) for the past few weeks and i just put a cog & lock ring on the other side (now 48/16 and i like it a lot more) this Tuesday, been getting the hang of it ever since. i'm getting a lot better at slowing down now and starting to get the hang of track stands. i still can't figure skidding out but im not sure if i want to, knowing how hard it is on the cogs, hub, chain and mostly my knees.

my next big purchase will be a new front wheel. i saved a lot of weight getting an aluminum back wheel but the whole setup is super front-heavy now. after that i'm looking for a new seat (brooks saddle looks nice but pricey and difficult to maintain) and possibly some handlebars after that (i know nothing about any of this shit). i'm sure minor expenses and repairs will steadily prevent me from accomplishing any of this, though.

jon · Post by **jon** » 02 May 2008 06:59

The general advice for getting skids down is "Nuts to the stem". 48/16 with 27" tires gives 81 gear inches which is gonna make it hard to skid but still doable. The old road frame will also make it harder than with track geo. If you get enough of you weight forward you will unweight the back wheel and be able to skid. That gear ratio only gives you one skid patch though so if you do start skidding you will wear through that one spot on the tire fairly quickly.

Brooks are really pricey and used isn't a great option because they break in for each user. I have recently read really good things about san marco regal saddle, it has brooks styling, and is around $100 bucks for the ti rail version. (check out this thread http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.ph ... non+brooks for ideas)

For handle bars I would def recommend bullhorns. I got mine from nashbar and they were super cheap. So many hand positions and they are super comfy. For sizing go with your suit size / shoulder width. I think these http://www.chucksbikes.com/store/br001.htm look awesome and have a set back on the flats. Bullhorns have everything good about flat bars and nice drops. They are the best thing for climbing outside of riding the break hoods on drop bars. I think the only reason more people don't ride them is because most road people ride drops and don't know any better. I believe this is the case because forward facing drops are banned in the peloton and everyone wants to copy the pros they see on tv. When they pros do do the timetrial stages of the tour a lot of the guys ride bullhorns. It was one of the best upgrades I made to my bike for sure.

If you have the money for a brooks I would instead recommend picking up one of these frames (http://bikeisland.com/cgi-bin/BKTK_STOR ... rodID=1084) $199 (w/shipping) for double butted steal frame and get the san marco regal. Those frames are so sweet and could easily be sold for 2 times the cost, they are probably the best frame deal on the net. It would probably work out to the same total cost or less and you would have real track geo and an awesome saddle.

jon · Post by **jon** » 02 May 2008 07:11

:p more info

I ride these bars and they are $19 bucks right now:
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?cate ... Handlebars

and they go great with these tt levers (also $19):
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?cate ... 20Products

and last but not least nashbar always has working coupon codes, check this thread before buying:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.ph ... 35&page=17

---

also check out this program:
http://software.bareknucklebrigade.com/ ... pplet.html
it can also be download here: http://software.bareknucklebrigade.com/rabbit.jnlp

it can calculate gear inches, ratio, skid patches, speed at rpm and lots of good stuff

brian relly · Post by **brian relly** » 02 May 2008 07:40

i'm definitely checking out those bars and levers. i think i'm ok with my frame for now, i like the old school hand-welding on the joints. if i were looking into a new frame i would probably check for something lighter than steel.

i don't know anything about putting on new bars, is it pretty self explanatory? i've never worked on brakes before so would that get complicated?

jon · Post by **jon** » 02 May 2008 07:52

Both replacing the bars and brakes is super easy. Lots of info on the net.

The thing to keep in mind with the bar is sizing so that it actually fits in your stem. I had to get a new stem to fit the bar when I got it. I went to a local bike shop went through their used parts bin and got an old cinelli stem that fit the bill. If the stem clamp size is a bit too big you can use a shim. You can even make your own shim out of a cut up pop can. Lots of info about this on the net.

With the brakes you will just have to keep in mind brake caliper reach. Ie. that the brake pads reach the rim. Also make sure you are using a road caliper with a road brake lever. You probably are or will be but mixing brake lever meant for mountain bikes can result in an incorrect amount of pull on the brake cable. Again this is probably a non issue for you.

For wrapping bars check the web as well. There is a proper way to wrap the bar tape around the bar.

It's all pretty easy and once you do it once yourself you will never forget and you will wonder why you ever found it confusing in the first place.

If you are still confused head down and talk to the guys/gals at your local bike shop. It is always a good idea to build a good relationship with them and throw them some business/cash every once in a while. You can take them parts, get them to explain how they install them, watch them install the, get to know the people that work there, and know the proper way for the next time when you do it yourself.

About frame material give this a quick read: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-materials.html
Personally I really like steal due to the fact that if you crash it can be repaired. Unless you are in a really rainy/snowy area I would choose steel over aluminum for commuting/road riding.

brian relly · Post by **brian relly** » 02 May 2008 08:46

i just ordered the bars and a lever (i think i'll get rid of my rear brake since i never used it anyway) and some cable assuming i'll need that too.

i found the regal for $60 but i'll probably wait on that until i get a new front wheel.

thanks for all the links and stuff dude. i will check that app too when i get a minute

jon · Post by **jon** » 02 May 2008 09:08

Can you provide a link to the saddle? Steel or ti rails?

edit: You will need some brake cable, the housing for the cable, and some end caps. All easily and cheaply available at the LBS

Here's a pic of my bar setup:

I assume the brake works :p I haven't used it.

And no problem about the info and stuff. Just spreading the fixed gear love. We will have to ride again someday after another coffee drinking contest.

mosher · Post by **mosher** » 03 May 2008 05:46

For weeks I have been filming myself doing fixed gear bike tricks. Now that footage is en route to Indiana where it will be chopped up and made into a part in www.bootlegsessions.net and then I will be famous!

I have basically already been offered a free frame specced out for tricking, what what!

Give me sponsors!

brian relly · Post by **brian relly** » 04 May 2008 17:23

jon wrote:Can you provide a link to the saddle? Steel or ti rails?

steel. http://www.totalcycling.com/index.php/p ... ncy&id=USD

Here's a pic of my bar setup:

looks awesome, cant wait for mine

got the new front wheel today, my bike is so much lighter it's ridiculous. riding 10 miles home with my old heavy wheel & tire strapped to my backpack was fuuuun

and props to tommy boy here. screw footbag man

jon · Post by **jon** » 05 May 2008 05:33

Thx for the link. I found that site before but the shipping is 15 pounds

Meaning $85 bucks to my door. I might have a hookup for the Ti version for $50 though so I am excited.

Btw me and my buddy fixed his old road bike this weekend