Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Progressive SS to road bike build?

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nepg
08-07-08, 09:58 PM
So I really want a road bike, but some things have come up (need a laptop for school, AC broke, etc), so that's not going to happen anytime in the very-near future. So I was wondering if building a SS with the idea of adding a cassette, derailleurs, and shifters later on is viable...

Couple questions about it...

1. Anyone have experience with the Sette Ximo frame? I've read around here that Sette makes quality stuff, but couldn't find anything on this item in particular...
http://www.pricepoint.com/detail.htm?stylepkey=17739

2a. Will I kill myself using a standard road crankset, or should I find smaller rings?
2b. If it's viable, what's a good gear ratio (rear cog) for a SS using, e.g. a 105 crankset?

(worst case I can go to the collective down the road for SS parts, key thing is the frame - I want to have at least an entry-level road bike when all's said and done)

sneaky viking
08-08-08, 06:31 AM
That frame doesn't have horizontal dropouts = hard to singlespeed. I'd look at the collective first for an 80s japanese steel frame. And ask their advice.
Business810
08-08-08, 06:39 AM
Sure, you can. Buy everything but the shifters, derailleurs, and cassette, and set it up with a chain tensioner and a single sprocket with spacers on the rear hub. Of course, you will need to buy a different set of brake levers (assuming you're going with integrated brake-shift levers for the road bike), but as long as you are going SS, a tensioner will get you around the dropout issue.

I'm not too familiar with that frame, so I can't comment. What gear ratio you use depends a lot on the terrain and your level of fitness. The late Sheldon Brown's gear calculator (www.sheldonbrown.com (http://www.sheldonbrown.com)) can help you find a good starting point. 70-75 gear inches would be good with hills IMO, and that is pretty easy to get with a 53 (or 50, if you choose a compact crankset) and a fairly large cog.

Sheldon's site also has a few pages on setting up a single speed, too, if you have any more questions about using a tensioner or spacers.