Your fixie project

Trojan

I've been thinking about building one of these for a while now, waiting for a Garda auction to come up again so I can get me a frame and even wheelset if I'm lucky. I'll probably use some left over parts and look on ebay for cheap deals. My intention is to eventually have a fixie I can use for commuting, and hopefully keep my MTB for just that (yes, that means I need to buy a tourer too )

I noticed some others in this forum have mentioned it in the past (and recently e.g. Gil_Dub). And the thread I posted about the bike stolen in NYC - that picture looks sweet).

So who out there is really serious about building a fixie? What kind of budget are you looking at? (0, 100, 200, 300, more?) What style? Any ideas for it?

Al.

BeardyGit

Hey Al,

Yeah, I've been thinking about this for quite some time really. I saw a courier riding one close to 2 years ago and thought he was f'n mental to be honest. But it got me thinking and researching. I had planned on using a fantastic old Carlton touring bike that my Dad had bought new back in the 70's and had looked after pretty well over the decades - Unfortunately my brother had other plans and managed to get knocked off it, bending the downtube in the process :rolleyes:

So, I've been keeping an eye out for something to put in the garage until the time arrives when I'm fully convinced I won't kill myself on a fixie. I'm interested in it for the pleasure of working out the mechanical complexities in the conversion, just as much as riding it to be honest. I've actually put aside my nearly mint Kona Fire mountain, one of the last with a steel frame, just in case I can't come up with a suitable road bike frameset. It would work, but I'd need to fit a set of campag road dropouts to make it work - Possibly more hassle than it's worth, and possibly ruining a lovely frame in the process

Budget is flexible enough to be honest - I'd like to get a bit of change out of e400 including a wheelset - But that may not be achievable. I'll just have to wait and see really.

Trojan

Aye, look at this. Beautiful simplicity.

Cabaal

Trojan wrote:

Aye, look at this. Beautiful simplicity.

But it has no gears and it appears to have no brakes?

BeardyGit

For anyone else having difficulty understanding why someone would ride an 'unconventional' machine like the one pictured above:

http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html

Of course, it will also suffice as a solution to those wishing to state the obvious and ignore the wonderful research tool that the internet was designed to be.....

Trojan

Yes, it has no gears and it appears to have no brakes

Itsfixed

Well just because it has no brakes doesn't mean it can't be a fixie, even if that is what couriers are riding. I'm attracted by the purity of a bike that has no brakes and one gear, but i draw the line at not having at least a front brake on my own machine. I have a rear brake too.

I've built one fixie, but sold it and bought an on-one il pompino (check out www.on-one.co.uk). Its great, very versatile, and a couple of couriers have ridden alongside me complimenting it, even with two brakes, which made me feel very cool.

I'm now thinking about building another fixie using an old steel-framed racing bike I'm about to pick up. Have some old wheels lying around and other stuff. its possible to make one for €150 or so, i reckon, as long as you have a complete donor bike in reasonable working order. Its great fun and a great way to recycle bikes otherwise destined for the skip.

Trojan, if you're looking for inspiration, check out this site: www.fixedgeargallery.com

Morgan

Here's mine:


I got the frame, seatpost, brakes, saddle and crankset off eBay. The rest was lying around and I bought new wheels. I've only had a few rides on it so far but it's a lot of fun, really light and it reminds you pretty quickly if you forget to pedal.

Trojan

Morgan wrote:

I got the frame, seatpost, brakes, saddle and crankset off eBay. The rest was lying around and I bought new wheels.

What's left?! Partial drivechain?

Morgan

Pedals, stem and bars.

Trojan

Haha, I knew it wasn't much

I'm surprised you went to the expense of buying a frame, did you spot a superb deal, or was it something specific you wanted?

I guess I've been thinking that the vast majority of people build fixies out of 2nd hand components.

Morgan

Well, I had to get the frame from somewhere - I just kept an eye on eBay for something in my size and liked the look of this one. It's an old Raleigh.

1380 mini

im planning on building one aswell, no sure if id use it everday going into town though, ive heard E300 is the cheapest you can build one up for, anyone done one for less or planning to?

Morgan

Fixed gear on the cheap

1380 mini

link wont work for me

Morgan

This is it:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/deakins/how-to-fixed-conversion.html

The tax man

Used to have a fixed wheel bike back in my racing days. Great craic to ride as long as you REMEMBER you're on a fixed wheel bike.
Rode the fixed wheel to school and trained and raced on a normal setup but I've lost count of the amount of times I forgot I was on the fixed. You soon remember when you nearly get pitched over the front wheel as you try to free wheel. Not good on the aul knees either.
And I'd highly recommend fitting a front brake too.It may take away from the simple look of that red bike above but it's essential.

If I was to build another one just to be different I'd put the drivetrain on the lefthand side of the bike to really wreck peoples heads.:D

Have fun building and riding.

HusseinSarhan

Fixed wheel bikes are for track cycling. I understand the attraction of a singlespeed but fixed wheel is just silly for commuting. For long distances it's bad on the knees. You can't break quite as quicly with the same stopping power. Your cranks are constantly turning so that if you want to hop something your legs might be in the wrong position etc. Just don't see the point off the track. It's actually more hassle than anything else.

skidpatches

reasons why i fix...
simplicity
efficiency
purity
traction
rhythm

to feel one with the bike

the discipline of checking my chain tension every time i ride

to learn to anticipate what's ahead

because brakes are for emergencies

because hivis harry, flappy shorts freddy, creaky cranks conor, squeeky chain suzie and slipstream sam don't!!

HusseinSarhan

'Tis no more efficient. Legs move unnecessarily on a fixed wheel. Not like you contantly hammer all the way on a commute. :eek:

ciaranr

Where's the best place to get track sprockets etc. in Ireland? Might give it a go if I find a cheap old bike somewhere. Anyone do any trails or hill riding on a fixie?

Itsfixed

ciaranr wrote:

Where's the best place to get track sprockets etc. in Ireland? Might give it a go if I find a cheap old bike somewhere. Anyone do any trails or hill riding on a fixie?

You can get track sprockets and other stuff from Cycleways in parnell but its awful expensive sometimes. cheaper to buy from somewhere in england and get them to post over, like on-one.co.uk or sjscycles.com. I recommend hubjub.co.uk, which is run by a very nice chap called Will Meister.

mind you, last time i checked was a good two years ago so the local bike shops may have more stuff and cheaper prices since then. But i doubt it.

BTW, CiaranR, if you're converting an old bike, you'll need to get a lockring as well as a track sprocket. And make sure its a 3/32 type sprocket so you can use the existing chainset and chain.

You may also need to get a rear track hub and build onto the existing wheel rim or a new rim.

The aforementioned sheldonbrown website info on how to convert an old bike to a fixed does point out that you can only convert an old freewheel rear hub to take a singlespeed freewheel sprocket, not a fixed sprocket. This is because the old freewheel hub cannot take a lockring, which stops the sprocket from unscrewing when applying 'back force' ie slowing the bike downing using your legs.

Tracksprockets have grooves that take lockrings.

patrido

HusseinSarhan wrote:

'Tis no more efficient. Legs move unnecessarily on a fixed wheel. Not like you contantly hammer all the way on a commute. :eek:

the drivetrain is certainly more efficient with no jockey wheels or internal hub mechanisms, a millimetre perfect chainline, as well as a major weight saving.

the efficiency of your riding depends on your style, but a decent fixed rider will rarely use their brakes. they are always anticipating what's ahead and adapting their speed to suit. their style is very smooth, no major accelerations or decelerations.

when the brakes are used, as is essential with a freewheel or if you don't anticipate, energy already expended getting up to or maintaining speed is being converted into heat on the rims. how efficient is that?

and it's only bad for the knees if often having to use excessive force against the pedals such as going down too big a hill on too small a gear, or failing to anticipate

HusseinSarhan

Whatever floats your boat they are jus not my idea of an *ideal* commute bike. It's hard to anticipate eejits on the road. I have seen a handful of people have near misses (messengers) becuase of being on fixed wheel bikes and have had people cut right accross me where only because of (I think) my rim brake had I the power to slow down enough... just. I'm talking about completely unexpected and crazy things that happen now and then. People not indicating blah blah blah. In a straight line (or anti-clockwise circles) nothing is more efficient or quicker than a track bike though. If your chain snaps you are literally screwed too. :eek:

skidpatches

HusseinSarhan wrote:

Whatever floats your boat they are jus not my idea of an *ideal* commute bike. It's hard to anticipate eejits on the road. I have seen a handful of people have near misses (messengers) becuase of being on fixed wheel bikes and have had people cut right accross me where only because of (I think) my rim brake had I the power to slow down enough... just.

damn right,

bicycling science has a good explanation of why a back brake (either rim, disk or skidding) is about half as effective as a front brake. i always have a front brake on a fixie, i just don't use it very often

it's surprisingly easy to anticipate what idiots are going to do. i seem to spend much more time in the safe zone on a fixie than otherwise.

If your chain snaps you are literally screwed too. :eek:

also if the chain comes off the chainring, or a shoe lace or trouser leg gets caught up in it. or even a finger
that why a perfect chainline and checking chain tension every ride is so important.

Morgan

skidpatches wrote:

or even a finger

Yay!