Mountain Biking - Newb conversion question.

hi.

here's my question(s). i recently bought a new track bike, but now my old bike (cheapie magna mtb) sits neglected in the corner of my apartment. although every post i've read about converting cheap frames advises against it, i'd really like to convert this bike to a ss or fg for winter riding rather than toss it in the dumpster, or let it collect dust. would anyone be willing to help me assemble some type of component list or give me some ideas for a cheap conversion. i'm also gonna check out mr. brown's website for help but i'm not exactly savvy on bike lingo or parts yet so any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Magna eh? I got one of them. Can't wait to get rid of it. It is tremendously heavy - so much so that I got an older Trek 830 frame (in the process of getting all the parts now) to replace it on the infrequent occasions when I ride off-road. I can appreciate you not wanting to toss it, but finding someone who doesn't have a bike, and would make some use of it, or donating it would be preferable to spending money to end up with a 40 lb tank instead of a 45 lb tank.

I'm sure others will have other opinions, and you may have valid reasons for improving it, but I'd suggest giving it away, and finding a better used bike for your winter riding.

That bike isn't going to make a great SS. Try and sell it, then take the cash [what little you receive] and get something else that's not quite as chunky. If that's not going to work, you can do a SS conversion by stripping off the shifters, front and rear derailleurs, cassette and all but one chainring. After that, you need to find a decent rear cog, perhaps a Shimano BMX cog that will go on the cassette.
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Ok, I just checked the specs on this bike - http://www.members.tripod.com/fentonhardy/component.html
Throw that POS in the trash - NOW. Holy crap, I didn't think they still made bikes that bad.

Go and find a servicable used mtn bike at a garage sale somewhere. It doesn't matter if it shifts okay, 'cause you're pulling all that stuff off. Aluminum rims and hubs are a good idea, as is a crank that you can take chainrings off of, and decent brakes. My other comments about removing parts still hold true. Check out the Singlespeed/Fixed Gear forum on this site for all sorts of info. Most of it is geared toward track and road, but a road SS is essentially the same to build up as a mtn SS.

HAHA! That's a great link...! i think i will just get rid of that beast and look for something else. Any tips as to how I can spot a crankset with removable chainrings, or do you know of any "common/reasonably priced" bikes i should be on the lookout for?

HAHA! That's a great link...! i think i will just get rid of that beast and look for something else. Any tips as to how I can spot a crankset with removable chainrings, or do you know of any "common/reasonably priced" bikes i should be on the lookout for?

Removable chainrings will have a recessed allen-bolt (hexagonal) socket at each intersection between the ring and the crank spiders. Make sure that there's a slot or some other fitting on the opposite side of the bolt from the allen fitting. Some cheap sets have the allen fitting, but the ring is riveted on. For fixed, you might want this so you can change the number of teeth on the ring (by changing the ring) so you will have different gear ratios for different types of riding (flat vs hills vs mountains).

Kinds? There are plenty of others, but old Trek, Cannondale, Raleigh MTBs are pretty common.