Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Need adivce on whether to fix my bike...

I have a Schwinn Continental from the 70's or 80's which is built like a tank. It has a really heavy metal frame. I was thinking about making it a fixie, but some guys at the bike church don't think it's worth it, and think I should just get a proper frame / bike to fix if I wanted to make a fixie. Sure, its not really light like some of their frames, but I don't really mind carrying around an extra 5 lbs, and I like my bike. It's my baby. Is trying to fix my heavy steel frame really that bad--what are the downfalls? Or is the guy just ignorant, and I should go ahead and do what I want?

Here's a pic attached for reference. Thanks...

screw what the bike shop guy said. fix it. if you decide you like riding fixed, you can always throw the decent bits on a better frame later on.

Those bullhorns with that heavy 10 lb frameset looks goofy to me. sorry.

screw what the bike shop guy said. fix it. if you decide you like riding fixed, you can always throw the decent bits on a better frame later on.

I'm afraid there really are no "decent" bits probably. They're all old. But anyway, can someone tell me exactly what's wrong with my frame? So its not nimble and light, but I don't mind riding a cadillac of bikes.

the only thing 'wrong' with it is that it's a gas-pipe frame w/ a non-standard bb shell (you can get an adaptor though).

if you like it, fix it, ride the hell out of it, and have fun!

Bike Church in Santa Cruz or Philly? I'd say do it.

Here's a pic attached for reference. Thanks...


Is that a beer stain on the wall behind the bike? I thought i was my screen @ first then moved the pic and the stain moved too.

Yeah, it is a fillet brazed schwinn but I don't know if that is one of the "good" fillet brazed schwinns or just some regular ol run of the mill FBS but you could look it up online if you google "fillet brazed schwinn" you *might* find something.

FWIW I don't like those bars either, had a pair on my fixie but took them off, replaced with track drops and then just gave up trying. I think road drops look better the older less sporty frames. Or risers

pretty sure it's electro-forged (put the tubes near each other, and run a truly MASSIVE current through them iirc), and not filet-brazed.

Dolface,

You're right. It's electroforged, about 38 pounds probably with the double walled steel rims being the worst contributors. I've gotten mine down in weight significantly by replacing back wheel, dropping the back brake, and generally removing everything possible. I'm really loving it, and it doesn't feel "heavy" hen I'm riding it.

Dolface,

You're right. It's electroforged, about 38 pounds probably with the double walled steel rims being the worst contributors. I've gotten mine down in weight significantly by replacing back wheel, dropping the back brake, and generally removing everything possible. I'm really loving it, and it doesn't feel "heavy" hen I'm riding it.

And you ride it fixed?

Come on people, less straying off topic!

So I found a german american pin in a good will the other day, totaly a good pocket purchase.

Fix it. If you enjoy riding it, who cares about what others think.

Str8flexed,

Yep. I was in the same exact situation you're in now a little while ago. I finally went and got a $70 wheel with souze hub from my lbs, put a surly 15t cog and lockring on there, and have been riding the crap out of it ever since. I kept the 39t inner ring, so I'm running about 68 inches, if I remember correctly.

It was fairly amazing that the chainline ended up exactly on, perfectly straight on the first try with no additional spacing issues. It's amazingly fun to ride. Mine's a '76 Chestnut Brown.

If you haven't found it yet, there's a Schwinn Lightweight Data book online that will allow you to determine the year from the serial numbers on the head tube and head badge.

I'd recommend replacing the wheels. I've only replaced the rear, but I'd guess that the new rear wheel weighs less than 50% of the old rear.

Str8flexed,

Yep. I was in the same exact situation you're in now a little while ago. I finally went and got a $70 wheel with souze hub from my lbs, put a surly 15t cog and lockring on there, and have been riding the crap out of it ever since. I kept the 39t inner ring, so I'm running about 68 inches, if I remember correctly.

It was fairly amazing that the chainline ended up exactly on, perfectly straight on the first try with no additional spacing issues. It's amazingly fun to ride. Mine's a '76 Chestnut Brown.

If you haven't found it yet, there's a Schwinn Lightweight Data book online that will allow you to determine the year from the serial numbers on the head tube and head badge.

I'd recommend replacing the wheels. I've only replaced the rear, but I'd guess that the new rear wheel weighs less than 50% of the old rear.

Hey. How's the 39t/15t ratio working out? Do you ever feel like your legs are spinnin too fast? I'm thinking of doing 39t/14t, but what I really wanna do is spend $10 more bucks on a front chainring, so then I can run 44t on the front and 16t on the back, b/c I'd rather go larger in the back (less chance of slippage, less wear, etc.). Plus the front 39t looks rather wimpy ;)

That guy wasn't making much sense tonight, man. He was contradicting himself.

"If you want a track bike, then do it right..." then his next comment was like, "Don't get a track bike if your gonna ride it around the city"

Ughh. It made my head hurt. I don't think his comments carry much weight...

If you dig the bike, who cares. Right now I'm in the midst of helping a coworker fixie his Dad's old Super Tour (I think?), probably about the same vintage and gotta be close to the same weight. My fixie is about 25lbs, and it really doesn't bother me.

39/15 is working well, so far at least. I've gotten it up to a pretty good speed running downhill, at least as fast as cars going 30ish, but I'm too chicken to really let it go, and so I'll squeeze the front brake if necessary. That being said, I haven't gotten to the point where my legs couldn't keep up.

The 39 does look a little wimpy, but you can't really tell, because I put the circular chainguard back on. After the first time a pair of jeans got sucked up and ripped to the knee, I unashamedly threw it back on. I'll take it off in the spring when I'm wearing shorts again. I'll look uncool to save my clothing anyday. :)

I have a Schwinn Continental from the 70's or 80's which is built like a tank. It has a really heavy metal frame. I was thinking about making it a fixie, but some guys at the bike church don't think it's worth it, and think I should just get a proper frame / bike to fix if I wanted to make a fixie. Sure, its not really light like some of their frames, but I don't really mind carrying around an extra 5 lbs, and I like my bike. It's my baby. Is trying to fix my heavy steel frame really that bad--what are the downfalls? Or is the guy just ignorant, and I should go ahead and do what I want?

Here's a pic attached for reference. Thanks...

The best thing about your frame is the slack angles. Its probably mad comfy.

Have you ever ridden a proper track bike? The difference is huge, and is mainly about the geometry.

I've had a lot of POS bikes that I have LOVED. Then I got a better bike, and I find myself loving them less. Maybe I'm a faithless bastard, maybe I'm a cold-hearted materialist, but I find myself letting my old steeds rot away.

My advice is to ride it untile you get a better bike, and don't put too much money into it.

If you get a new wheel to fix your bike, get a nice wheel that will be worthy of the nice frame that you will buy someday.

The 39 does look a little wimpy,

Dude, 39x13 is P.I.M.P. If I could ever find a suntour 12T cog, I'd rock a 36x12 :D

Generic,

I like it a lot, was just agreeing with Str8flexed that it could appear a tad small. It's cold during the winter, after all.

Its a grower not a show-er.

That's exactly what I'm saying, man.

Hey. How's the 39t/15t ratio working out? Do you ever feel like your legs are spinnin too fast? I'm thinking of doing 39t/14t, but what I really wanna do is spend $10 more bucks on a front chainring, so then I can run 44t on the front and 16t on the back, b/c I'd rather go larger in the back (less chance of slippage, less wear, etc.). Plus the front 39t looks rather wimpy ;)

i don't think that bike is worth the trouble, you can get a better cheaper bike at a thrift store. you would end up spending a lot of money on it. here's what's wrong with it

1.frame is heavy

2.rims are steel, steel rims are heavier, the braking surface isn't that great, steel rims also build weakers wheels

3.the seatpost is steel, which isn't a big deal, but it's heavier and it'll be hard to find a size as small as the one on your bike

4.i can't tell what kind of brakes you have on, but i can only assume they are crap. probably don't brake too well and are hard to adjust.

5.(this i think is the biggest issue) you have one piece cranks which are heavy but strong, you will only be able to use bmx chainrings (not a big deal). those pedals don't look like they accept toe clips. you need toe clips for fixed gear riding. if you get new pedals they might not fit those cranks because one piece cranks have a different pedal thread. you would need a bmx kinda pedal that can use toe clips. you also can't use a modern bottom bracket with those cranks, so you won't get a smooth ride.
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if you really want to turn it into a decent fixed gear you should

1 replace the wheels

2replace the brakes (you would probably have to get NOS, cause your fork isn't drilled for a recessed bolt, so you can't use new brakes for this bike, only old)

3 for the cranks you could either replace them, which means buying an adapter so you can use a modern bottom bracket and then still buying the cranks and chain rings. you would then need pedals and toe clips

you really wouldn't be able to build a safe and reliable fixed gear out of this bike without spending a lot of money. try some thrift stores, look for a cheap bike with aluminum rims, handlebars, seatpost, and cranks. you usualy see steel handlebars, rims, seatpost, cranks, brakes, stems, and hubs on the crappiest bikes. avoid steel steel parts

wheels: est. 200
brakes:<30
cranks:30-80
bottombracket:15-30
bottombracketadapter:?
pedals:5-30
clips:10


also i don't see toe clips on that bike, i think a lot of people make the mistake of starting fixied riding without previous toe clip experience. where you planning on getting clips? you should already have learnt to use them before riding fixed, it's harder to clip into fixies.

My Schwinn works pretty well .... for some unknown reason it works better uphill than on flats. :D ... maybe it is an operator issue.

if you crash your frame into theirs, yours will win

1.frame is heavy

Not a big deal to me. What's 5 lbs on a frame when the rider (me) easily weighs 165? I don't really mind the weight when picking it up.


the braking surface isn't that great, steel rims also build weakers wheels

Why is the braking surface smaller? I understand I have a rounder contact area with the ground, not a slimmer oval.


3.the seatpost is steel, which isn't a big deal, but it's heavier and it'll be hard to find a size as small as the one on your bike

Like I care about 1 lb in my seatpost.


4.i can't tell what kind of brakes you have on, but i can only assume they are crap. probably don't brake too well and are hard to adjust.

Correctamundo. If I get my bike fixed, I can avoid using my brakes for the most part...


5.those pedals don't look like they accept toe clips. you need toe clips for fixed gear riding. you also can't use a modern bottom bracket with those cranks, so you won't get a smooth ride.

I just rebuilt my bottom bracket (when deciding whether I can fit a larger chainring on it), and it rotates smoothly as far as I know. And see the attached pic of my pedals. They have holes in them, why can't they accept toe clips and straps? Looks just like any other toe clip supporting pedal to me (let me know if I'm wrong). I can always use power straps too.

Rat trap pedals will cost you a small fortune .... like 25 dollars

Why is the braking surface smaller? I understand I have a rounder contact area with the ground, not a slimmer oval.

The coefficient of friction for steel/rubber is lower, therefore braking performance is reduced. But, if you are truly going to use your brakes less, then this is kind of a non-issue. Also, the relative braking on steel in the rain is even worse when compared to aluminum.

That guy wasn't making much sense tonight, man. He was contradicting himself.

"If you want a track bike, then do it right..." then his next comment was like, "Don't get a track bike if your gonna ride it around the city"

Ughh. It made my head hurt. I don't think his comments carry much weight...

Who was saying that?

Not a big deal to me. What's 5 lbs on a frame when the rider (me) easily weighs 165? I don't really mind the weight when picking it up.



Why is the braking surface smaller? I understand I have a rounder contact area with the ground, not a slimmer oval.



Like I care about 1 lb in my seatpost.



Correctamundo. If I get my bike fixed, I can avoid using my brakes for the most part...



I just rebuilt my bottom bracket (when deciding whether I can fit a larger chainring on it), and it rotates smoothly as far as I know. And see the attached pic of my pedals. They have holes in them, why can't they accept toe clips and straps? Looks just like any other toe clip supporting pedal to me (let me know if I'm wrong). I can always use power straps too.

1 you don't need to ride around a heavy frame, and a lighter/nicer frame only means a trip to a thrift store and 30 bucks, plus you'd get better parts with that new frame.

2 i didn't say the rim surface was smaller, steel rims are weaker and they don't brake fast enough, especialy when wet, i find them harder to true.

4 why would you go brakeless? you don't even have toe clips on your bike now. there is absolutly no reason to go brakeless on a bike like this. it's not going to look any better (not this bike) and it's not going to get any lighter (not this bike). it's bad enough you have steel wheels

5 you need holes in the front of the pedals and the sides

It's really a question of fit-- if this bike fits you like a glove and u dig it, fix it.

If it's too big or too small then get a different frame. As it stands u can always take the wheels from frame to frame so a wheelset isnt a mistake.

1 you don't need to ride around a heavy frame, and a lighter/nicer frame only means a trip to a thrift store and 30 bucks, plus you'd get better parts with that new frame.

2 i didn't say the rim surface was smaller, steel rims are weaker and they don't brake fast enough, especialy when wet, i find them harder to true.

4 why would you go brakeless? you don't even have toe clips on your bike now. there is absolutly no reason to go brakeless on a bike like this. it's not going to look any better (not this bike) and it's not going to get any lighter (not this bike). it's bad enough you have steel wheels

5 you need holes in the front of the pedals and the sides

So if I get a "lighter" frame, what am I going to do with this bike? Just let it sit around? I don't need to have 2 bikes, and I'd rather just work on the one I have.

I'm keeping the front brake on. I just wont use it as much if I normally slow w/ pedalling.

And the pedal has holes in the front and one of the sides (the reflectors screw off). For the other side....well, I can wrap the straps under the pedal or something.

Fix it. It sounds like you are perfectly happy with your bike.

If that is a 39t chainring, I would pair it with a 15t cog for a good ratio.

Who was saying that?

That sounds like something i would say. at least the first part. i'm all about track bikes on the street. i dunno. i kinda want to know who that was as well.

I have a Schwinn Continental from the 70's or 80's which is built like a tank. It has a really heavy metal frame. I was thinking about making it a fixie, but some guys at the bike church don't think it's worth it, and think I should just get a proper frame / bike to fix if I wanted to make a fixie. Sure, its not really light like some of their frames, but I don't really mind carrying around an extra 5 lbs, and I like my bike. It's my baby. Is trying to fix my heavy steel frame really that bad--what are the downfalls? Or is the guy just ignorant, and I should go ahead and do what I want?

Here's a pic attached for reference. Thanks...

Do it. The bike will thank you for a proper re-birth. I have a tank of a Western Flyer that's my next project. The thing weighs a ton and the kickstand is welded on. But it looks really cool with a spare white carbon Zipp tri-spoked track wheel on the rear with a vintage custom front. The bike had no braze-ons and will not cost much to finish up. It's a fun way to use spare parts. I'll just gear it real light and ride it around Duke campus to show it off.

Bikes are supposed to be fun!!!

Nothin at all wrong with those brakes... they look like centerpulls, probably the same Weinmanns that came on just about every bike from 1975-1985... they stop VERY well if they are set up right, kind of the precursor to the cantilever. I run one on the front of my fixie, and with new pads it was definately good enough for cross racing. Steel rims are scary when its wet though.

also i don't see toe clips on that bike, i think a lot of people make the mistake of starting fixied riding without previous toe clip experience. where you planning on getting clips? you should already have learnt to use them before riding fixed, it's harder to clip into fixies.

I actually found it easier to clip into a fixed gear than on a freewheel. maybe it's just me, but as soon as I went fixed, I was like, "yo, I've got this clipping sh*t on lockdown."

Who was saying that?

i think they're talking about the dude at the lbs discouraging the fixing of this bike.

i think they're talking about the dude at the lbs discouraging the fixing of this bike.

Yeah, They were talking about a guy at the bike church here in philly, I was wondering who it was.

Yeah, They were talking about a guy at the bike church here in philly, I was wondering who it was.

It's one of the facilitators that was here tonight. But he's a nice guy so lets not worry about it.

BTW, we went to the basement to look at bikes and Josh found me this Concord Raven frame in the junk pile. When we brought it up we noticed that that the back (where the rear wheel bolts in) was a little bent out, but maybe it would be fine if I just bent it back. I'm thinking of stripping all the paint off too and then maybe transferring all the junk on my bike (except for the 1-piece crank) to that one and make that fixed. Or maybe just build that one up as a fixie and keep my current one as a SS...