Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - el-cheapo fixed gear conversion?

Since I have 2 road bikes, I was figuring that I would convert one of them to a fixed gear. It has horizontal drop outs and a freewheel hub. Being a cheap bastard I was planning on:

1) Getting track hub and screwing that onto the freewheel hub - secure it with a lockring and loctite. After I get the spacing down right I may just secure it all with a couple of well placed weld beads...mmmmm, MIG welder.....
Question - I should probably get the rim re-dished as well, eh?

2) OR, should I do it right and get the proper hub and wheel built up?

Mind you I will only use this bike occasionally since I already have another road bike that I use for commuting and recreation, AND I am trying to do it on the cheap. HOWEVER, I do not want to be cheap and end up hurting myself if the contraption ends up breaking on me. I will spend the money, but not if I don't have to. Can the freewheel conversion be done so it works correctly and safely?

Oh yeah, I would probably get a track chainring too.

Thanks,

Victor

I was just reading up on this last night, check this article by Sheldon brown.

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

So you have a rear wheel with a freewheelhub (are you sure it is not a cassette hub???). You want to remove the freewheel, put a track cog or sprocket on and weld it to the hub.

I do not know much about welding but aren't most hubs aluminum and most cogs steel. Can you weld these two metals together succesfully?

If you don't mind trashing the hub I say give it a go and let us know what happens!!!!

You can't weld the steel and alluminum to gether. You don't need to anyway, if you put the cog on tight with a chain whip and use a BB lock ring it won't go anywhere. You will probably need to space the hub to get a good chain line and then dish the rim over a bit to get it recentered. I have a bunch of miles on a similar set up with no problems.

Yeah, I hadn't thought of the dissimilar metals. Looks like I am going the lockring route.

Do you have any brakes on the bike or do you rely solely on the fixed gear for braking? Just wondering how strong the setup is. I will likely run at least a front brake.

Thanks,

Oh yeah- positive it is a freewheel hub.

victor


Originally posted by Rev.Chuck
You can't weld the steel and alluminum to gether. You don't need to anyway, if you put the cog on tight with a chain whip and use a BB lock ring it won't go anywhere. You will probably need to space the hub to get a good chain line and then dish the rim over a bit to get it recentered. I have a bunch of miles on a similar set up with no problems.

I run just the front brake as I am moderatly cowardly. If it is flat and you are light you can get away without a brake, but if it is hilly or you weigh more than 150 you want a brake.

i wouldn't ride a fixed gear with no brakes unless it was a proper fixed-gear hub with the reverse threaded lockring.

Originally posted by Rev.Chuck
I run just the front brake as I am moderatly cowardly. If it is flat and you are light you can get away without a brake, but if it is hilly or you weigh more than 150 you want a brake.

Since it is pretty hilly and I weigh 200, I'll need two brakes?

Naw,front brake and legs for rear is plenty.Flat road from 20mph or so I can get down to zero with just legs in about 3-4 crank turns if I try real hard....without figuring it out exactly,Im guessing about 30-45ft with a little skidding in the process.

Originally posted by horndude
Naw,front brake and legs for rear is plenty.Flat road from 20mph or so I can get down to zero with just legs in about 3-4 crank turns if I try real hard....without figuring it out exactly,Im guessing about 30-45ft with a little skidding in the process.
Skidding on the front wheel or the rear by using pedal force?

Originally posted by William Karsten
Skidding on the front wheel or the rear by using pedal force? :roflmao:

Guess I'm an even bigger coward using both brakes! :o

Actually, I feel quite comfortable with no brakes on a fixie, but commuting every day in traffic I just figure that's a LITTLE too risky because ya NEVER know.

Originally posted by NZLcyclist
:roflmao:

Laugh all you want, but I'm not fond of skidding on the front wheel... Do you have an answer, or a jab to the ribs? :D

I don't think you can skid the front wheel. Basically you lean against the bars (putting most of your weight over the front wheel) and lock your legs to skid the BACK WHEEL. Its easy to practice going slowly in a parking lot, although occasionally your back wheel will start gripping and spin eating you up in the bars. I haven't been brave enough to try it going fast yet.

I'm new to the fixie and I'm 230lbs. I also squat nearly 500lbs and a front brake is enough for me on my fixie(I have a surly flip flop). But I'm also running a high gear 48t chainring and a 15t cog(17 on the other side but I don't really use it), I just deal with hills on the up and its good down hill with the front brake.

I have a suicide hub configuration on my Batavus ( hey, what's in an a name) I secured the cog by riding it, then slapped on the BB lockring. Respaced, redished ( actually, I built a new rear wheel with this hub since I tacoed the original one, it had way too much dish) so that there was virtually no dish to either side ( very strong wheel indeed). You would probably have to put the chainring on the inner position of the spider to achieve an almost dishless wheel.

I can skid with this set up no problem. The cog and lockring are damn tight. I did make sure to grease the hub threads so if necessary the lockring and cog come off without any problems. You don't even need a chain whip. I use the 'italian' method and it works just fine. I do run a front brake because: 1) I'm a ***** 2) I like my knees and the rest of my body in unsmashed condition :-)

Holy resurection batman. Comes complete with a still learning WK post. What a deal.