Road Cycling - Fixed gear question

All right all you a-fix-ianados, how do you get on one of these things? I have ordered a wheel with a flip flop hub to use from time to time on my Bianchi, my only bike with horizontal dropouts. Also, Harris Cyclery's fixed gear info seems to suggest that shorter cranks, 165 mm, are a good idea. Any comments?
Thanks,
Raymond

With solid axle hubs, make sure you use over-sized track nuts with built in washers. Use a ring spanner to tighten.
Avoid thin chainwheels with gear-changing aids, pins, cutouts, use a wider chain than on 8 spd systems.
The crank thing is debateable, and is linked to the ratio you chose. If you shorten the cranks, you may want to increase the chainwheel cog count, or just spin faster at any speed.

Thanks for the suggestions Michael. I plan to start off on the conservative side gear-wise and work up. The 165s seem to be for increased ground clearance on turns also.

I forgot to ask something else. Will clipless pedals (Look) work OK or will they have a tendency to pull out as you resist the forward pedal motion when slowing down?
Thanks again,
Raymond

Clearance makes sense since most track and single speed bikes have higher BB, so for conversions of lower road machines, yes, 165 is good.
Clipless pedal work well.
Dont forget the brakes. The front is still a legal requirement, and the rear can help you slow downhill.

I built one put of an old LeTour. I couldn't find cheap 165 cranks so went with 170s, so far so good. I use front brake only. The rear wheel essentially unweights when you're braking anyways. MichaelW is probably right about hills and rear brakes but that's a non-factor where I live. My gear is too big and will size down.

I use older Campy SLs with clips but no straps however will switch to clipless. If I can find a deal or 2 soon my whole fleet will have Look or Look compatible pedals.

Good luck.

:beer:

Thanks, again, gang! Yeah, the brakes will definitely stay. This will be an occasional use sort of thing. I will strip the ders and slap on the fg wheel until I need the bike back in road configuration. It is my lower geared road machine for the rare hilly ride.

Originally posted by Walter
I built one put of an old LeTour. I couldn't find cheap 165 cranks so went with 170s, so far so good. I use front brake only. The rear wheel essentially unweights when you're braking anyways. MichaelW is probably right about hills and rear brakes but that's a non-factor where I live. My gear is too big and will size down.

I use older Campy SLs with clips but no straps however will switch to clipless. If I can find a deal or 2 soon my whole fleet will have Look or Look compatible pedals.

Good luck.

:beer:

Pardon my ignorace, but aside from a track, what would you use a bike like this for?

Single speed and fixed wheel bikes are a standard method of winter training and commuting in flattish areas. Simple, robust, reliable, lightweight, they force you to concentrate on cadence and pedalling, and give a feel of connection you dont get with 18 spd freewheel bikes.
Road versions are just road bikes with horizontal dropouts. Track bikes have quite different geometries and steering, and should not be used on the road.

Another advantage of a fixed gear is when you ride on ice. By backpedalling, you get instant and very adjustable braking.

Rainman,
I made a fixed gear set-up too, to work on my spin/technique, with some stuff I had laying around, all standard road stuff, 53X42 170cm cranks etc, it works fine. I'm just careful not to turn too sharp and I always try to get my second foot into the pedal on the first crank revolution. I bought several road chain width cogs in 1 tooth increments from 22? to 13 tooth to use for different workouts and "shape" levels. Be sure to get a Bottom Bracket lock ring to lock the cogs into place, it's a good idea to use some plumber's tape on the hub threads when you install the cogs and lock ring, it keeps 'em in place better. It's easier than you might think to strip the hub threads if you back pedal very much.

I imagine the "step ins" will work OK, a lot of the "Big Boys" use straps still , many of them "double" I guess some very strong guys do have trouble with "pulling out". A while back an "Aussie"
Kilo? rider lost a sure World or Olympic Gold because he "pulled out" at the start line and the officials wouldn't let him restart

Man, you are getting serious, before long too long hardly anyone will be able to "hang your wheel".

Ride Far
Pat

Thanks, Pat. The hub I am getting, fixed/free flip flop is the kind that uses, I believe, thread on track type cogs and has a left-hand threaded lock ring. Is that the kind you are thinking of?
Regards,
Raymond

I though flip-flop hubs had cogs on each side, so you can switch between 2 gears, or between fixed and freehweel.
A reverse threaded lock ring is a very good idea on a fixed wheel.
As you apply forward force, the cog tightens, and with braking force, the lockring tightens.

I guess for a training perspective, it makes sense.

I was thinking too much of just road biking.

This is good info for future note..

Hmm. as the guy on Saturday night live used to say, "Note to self".

So there is a specific hub for this, it's not simply a manner of putting on a singular gear and a shorter chain?

I take this hub isn't "free" either?

:cool:

Michael, flip flops come either way, fixed/fixed or fixed/free. My understanding is that fixed gear hubs USUALLY have right hand threads to thread on a threaded cog and left hand threads for a lock ring that, hopefully, won't unscrew when resisting forward motion to slow down. I'm sure there are other variations.

William, you can easily set up a single speed with freewheeling by using spacers and a single cog on a regular freehub. Heck, you can just commit to yourself not to shift and use your regular bike. You can also buy a fixed gear dealy that threads on a regular freewheel hub, but I don't think there is any way to lock it down so I guess there is a danger of it loosening as you slow down by resisting the forward motion of the pedals. I decided to go ahead and get a dedicated wheel because, frankly, a good quality basic wheel on a Mavic rim and flip flop hub handbuilt from Quality Bicycle Products (a distributor, you have to order through your LBS) was not much more than the adapter.

With a fixed gear when the wheels are turning the pedals are turning, forward or backward. There is no freewheeling, ie coasting. Your feet can NEVER stop. Fixed gear riding almost forces one to develop a smooth round pedal stroke. It can also build strength, but I'm sure you hve to be careful not to hurt your knees. If you ever think about it, read Sheldon Brown's articles on the subject. There are some serious caveats. One thing is you can NOT use your rear derailleur at all.
Regards,
Raymond

Fixed gear is also become more popular amongst off roaders who live in Flatland with wet muddy winters.
The only MTBs with horizontal dropouts are dedicated single speed frames.
You can have a narrower axle , and a wheel with reduced dish, since you dont have all those rear cogs.

I've used this story more than once......

But if you really want to impress your 5 year old daughter as you ride along side her is to pedal backwards, something only possible on a fixie.

Of course you can really impress her by falling over while doing the above.:)

:beer:

Rainman,
The system you're going to use is a more sophisticated than the one I'm using, it seems. I'm just using an old road hub, I'm sure you're on a better "track".

Ride Well Fixed
Pat

Shorter cranks will *definately* make it easier to back pedal.

Originally posted by RainmanP
If you ever think about it, read Sheldon Brown's articles on the subject. There are some serious caveats. One thing is you can NOT use your rear derailleur at all.
Regards,
Raymond

Raymond,

Where do you find an article written by Sheldon Brown?

I'll answer that even though I'm not Raymond.

SheldonBrown.com is his site. It's large and not all bicycle oriented but once you get to the Harris Cyclery page you should see the link to articles right away.

:beer:

Walter is right. Sheldon is big fixed gear fan. He has a nice discussion of why one might consider riding fixed gear. He has articles on many aspects of cycling an bicycle mechanics. I have learned a great deal from him.

BTW, I got the fixed gear wheel yesterday and put it on my Bianchi. I like it. You can read about my (mis)adventures over at Commuting in a thread titled "Rainman in the rain..."
Regards,
Raymond