Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - More newbie questions

I'm building a first fixie from a Lotus Elan frame and 27" wheels. I have a few questions:

Is there a preferred lacing pattern for a 36 hole fixed gear wheel or is the regular cross pattern ok?

What's a safe pedal height to start with? I like 175 mm cranks, but am worried these will be too close to the ground, because this bike was originally set up with 170 mm cranks.

Can I really use an ordinary BB lockring as a track lockring?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Is there a preferred lacing pattern for a 36 hole fixed gear wheel or is the regular cross pattern ok?

Doesn't matter too much as long as they are solid. I built my fix wheels with a 3x pattern. They're solid as can be.


What's a safe pedal height to start with? I like 175 mm cranks, but am worried these will be too close to the ground, because this bike was originally set up with 170 mm cranks.

Most people say 170mm at the most. I think this is good advice. Rig your bike up with 175mm if you like and take it out and see how far you can lean over before striking something. Bikes have different BB heights, so it just depends on what type of bike you have and how high its BB is.


Can I really use an ordinary BB lockring as a track lockring?

No, you'll need a track lockring if you are using a fixed/track hub. A BB lockring will be too large in diameter.

Thanks, labratmatt (I too am a lab rat, physics). I can't wait for my IRO hub to arrive.

No problem. I am more of the computer lab type lab rat. Glad to see another linux nerd on the forum.

Are you at Univeristy of Maryland? I'm a grad student at Virginia Tech. We have several faculty members from U of M in the department.

....Glad to see another linux nerd on the forum.


Add my girlfriend and me to that list ;-) We live 100% M$/Mac-free here.

Jim

Good company! I am at U of Maryland, physics grad student. I've never been to Blacksburg but have spent time in Western NC. Must be an awesome area for mountain biking.

I can't vouch for Blacksburg mountain biking, but the hills are fun. Or maybe I'm just wierd.

Glad to see another linux nerd on the forum.
Damn straight. ;)

linux == good

No, you'll need a track lockring if you are using a fixed/track hub. A BB lockring will be too large in diameter.

a bb lockring also has right-hand threads, does it not? track lockrings are left-handed.

I use a 3 leading, 3 following 3X pattern when lacing a 36 hole hub and love the way it looks.
Try it if you feel adventurous.

linux == good

Actually:
linux == good^H^Hd 8-)

Jim

I use a 3 leading, 3 following 3X pattern when lacing a 36 hole hub and love the way it looks.
Try it if you feel adventurous.

Ah... sounds cool, any photos of what this looks like? It's a 3X but you switch the direction every other group of spokes?

a bb lockring also has right-hand threads, does it not? track lockrings are left-handed.

Right, gotcha. Another post on the forum said you could use a BB lockring, so I thought, hmmm, save $8 or something. Oh well!

Another linux geek checking in... I do admin work at a web hosting company.

Another linux geek checking in... I do admin work at a web hosting company.

Excellent. So, uh, I guess I am fulfilling my destiny as a Linux user by building a fixed gear bike!

http://www.motorimania.it/manifestazioni/sportive/lotus/images/Lotus.Elan.3.jpg

I didn't know that you could make these into fixed gears!

Milo
My geared bike is a mac
My SS is running HPUX (hell yeah! worst operating system ever!)

http://www.motorimania.it/manifestazioni/sportive/lotus/images/Lotus.Elan.3.jpg

I didn't know that you could make these into fixed gears!

Haha :) I found so many of those things while surfing the 'net for info on my bike (I'm still unsure of what the tubing is, for example, though another guy on the forum said CrMo).

Moxfyre: you are making ANOTHER fixed gear bike? Whoa man. You are way ahead of me!

Cmon cmon drop a picture of the Lotus frame!

Moxfyre: you are making ANOTHER fixed gear bike? Whoa man. You are way ahead of me!

Cmon cmon drop a picture of the Lotus frame!

No man, I just gave up on the previous frame because (a) it was a rusty POS (b) it was too small, and ... most importantly ... drumroll ... (c) the right side of the crank was stuck in it, with the threads stripped, and it's really hard to get out.

I'll get a picture for ya tonight.

This is how to do it.
http://www.terminalvelocity.demon.co.uk/WheelBuild/3leading.htm

here are some pics of my bud zev's wheel:

http://bikecult.com/works/parts/pinecone48h.jpg
http://bikecult.com/works/parts/pinecone48i.jpg

and the build up, if anyone's interested...
http://bikecult.com/works/parts/pinecone48.html

Wow, that is sweet...

Moxfyre: you are making ANOTHER fixed gear bike? Whoa man. You are way ahead of me!

Cmon cmon drop a picture of the Lotus frame!
Here's the frame. Nice dropouts, eh? :) Now that I think about it, it looks kinda ugly in present condition. I'll probably either repaint it or do the nail polish thing.

Good company! I am at U of Maryland, physics grad student. I've never been to Blacksburg but have spent time in Western NC. Must be an awesome area for mountain biking.

I'm sure it is. I've only lived here about two years and I've only been road biking. Lots of good hills/mountains to build up the climbing ability.

I dig that frame. I like the black and red color scheme. Don't repaint it.

here are some pics of my bud zev's wheel:

and the build up, if anyone's interested...
http://bikecult.com/works/parts/pinecone48.html

Those kick ass! Any idea how they hold up compared to something starndard like a 3x wheel?

Excellent. So, uh, I guess I am fulfilling my destiny as a Linux user by building a fixed gear bike!
Indeed. A colleague once asked why the hell one would want to ride a fixed gear bike. I responded that it was a bit like programming in vi. A bit unwildley at times but oozing with leetness.

He undertsood. =)

Indeed. A colleague once asked why the hell one would want to ride a fixed gear bike. I responded that it was a bit like programming in vi. A bit unwildley at times but oozing with leetness.

He undertsood. =)

Hehe, awesome. I've gotten start using analogies like that to explain my weird collection of hobbies! <emacs user laughs nervously, glances around, tries to blend in>

To change the subject completely, I ground off my rear brake cable guides tonight while I meant to remove the derailler cable guides. @#($*&@#$(*&#$!!!!! Yep, I'm a ******. I *knew* I should've quit for the night after overhauling the bearings.

On the plus side, I traded an old wheel for a Sugino crankset with 39 and 53T rings, then I flipped around the BB spindle and I have the perfect 48.5 mm chainline. All I can say is... bring back the adjustable bottom bracket.

What do you need a rear brake cable guide for anyway?

Nice frame!

What do you need a rear brake cable guide for anyway?

Nice frame!

Well I was thinking for winter use I'd need a rear brake.

Well I was thinking for winter use I'd need a rear brake.

Don't need a rear brake on a fixie, you're legs are attached to your back wheel.

Well I was thinking for winter use I'd need a rear brake.
If you panic and grab a fistful of the rear brake, your sliding/skidding on the ice/snow, etc. and sure to go down. If your careful on ice/snow/etc., and slow down gradually, then you won't have a problem.

Well I was thinking for winter use I'd need a rear brake.

I'm sure everyone has different opinions on this, but I find riding brakeless to be much easier in winter (assuming snow) than in good weather. A brake (even front) would just be one more thing that could get iced up. I like having full control of the back wheel, locking it up almost effortlessly. I'm also used to cheap brakes that do nothing to stop the bike when wet though, anyway.

Thanks for the brake tips, I am sure I'll eventually get the hang of it. I was thinking that a rear brake can be good to have in winter because, if you need to use a hand brake, the last thing you want to do is lock up the front wheel!

I run a rear brake on my mountain bike. Partly because it's also a sometimes single speed but also because I have no foot retention mechanism.

Sometimes I'll find myself using all three brakes, front, rear, and back pressure.

Your preference may vary.

Here is my nearly-completed 39x15 fixed gear bike! I have to tape the bars and get short stack bolts so I can lose the big chainring. There are still a couple major problems remaining:

(1) The front brake sucks. It's an old single-pivot brake with these triangular pads that have very little contact area. It can barely slow me down on a downhill. Can I save this thing by putting decent pads in? If not, can anyone recommend some calipers with a 60mm reach?

(2) I think I put the wrong size bearings in the @#($*&#@$ headset. I put in 5/32" balls and I think I needed 3/16". Suffice it to say, the fork vibrates like crazy when I brake. Is there a way to figure out what size bearings I was supposed to use, since I stupidly threw out the old ones?

Thanks for everybody's advice, I can tell this thing will be fun when I iron out these problems.

Lookin good! You'll probably want to add a full twist to your straps under the pedals to help keep them from sliding around on you. As to #1, Kool Stop pads are probably just your ticket.

Lookin good! You'll probably want to add a full twist to your straps under the pedals to help keep them from sliding around on you. As to #1, Kool Stop pads are probably just your ticket.
Ah, thanks for the tip on straps. That may possibly explain all the toe strap problems I've ever had :). As for #2, it appears that it was just an ornery hard-to-adjust headset.

when I first started riding fixed, I left my rear brakes on because I have a flip flop with a freewheel. one day on the UMD campus some jackass lady almost hit me in the middle of the night with no one else on the road and I hit both brakes. I had the quick release lever of the brakes off so they actually worked to slow the wheel down rather than stop it. probably not the best move in the world, but with the QR off, it actually seemed to be OK.

when I first started riding fixed, I left my rear brakes on because I have a flip flop with a freewheel. one day on the UMD campus some jackass lady almost hit me in the middle of the night with no one else on the road and I hit both brakes. I had the quick release lever of the brakes off so they actually worked to slow the wheel down rather than stop it. probably not the best move in the world, but with the QR off, it actually seemed to be OK.
Hey, another UMD'er! Do you ever ride down big hills on your fixie? I rode from DC to the UMD campus this morning on route 1 and I felt like two brakes might be safer for those big long downhill stretches.

Hey, another UMD'er! Do you ever ride down big hills on your fixie? I rode from DC to the UMD campus this morning on route 1 and I felt like two brakes might be safer for those big long downhill stretches.

I don't go to the school, but I ride in the area everyday. I do the hill on Cherry Hill right there in front of the Shoppers' brakeless without any problem. You get used to it after a while. That DC to UMD ride is decent; I used to do the reverse everyday when I was doing courier work downtown. Of course, that was a long time ago and I was riding mountain at the time.

I don't go to the school, but I ride in the area everyday. I do the hill on Cherry Hill right there in front of the Shoppers' brakeless without any problem. You get used to it after a while. That DC to UMD ride is decent; I used to do the reverse everyday when I was doing courier work downtown. Of course, that was a long time ago and I was riding mountain at the time.
Wow, brakeless!? I just tried that stretch of road yesterday, and there was no way I could slow myself down enough with a 39/15 gear (5.2 gain ratio). I guess I need practice...

Wow, brakeless!? I just tried that stretch of road yesterday, and there was no way I could slow myself down enough with a 39/15 gear (5.2 gain ratio). I guess I need practice...

Yeah, you'll get better with practice. I considered myself pretty strong when I first started (I have only been riding track for about seven months now), but I was hurting for the first few months.

Yeah, you'll get better with practice. I considered myself pretty strong when I first started (I have only been riding track for about seven months now), but I was hurting for the first few months.
My quads felt ever so slightly tired after my 9 mile ride this morning, which is not usual for me. I do really like the ability to slow down gradually and maneuver in tight spaces without touching the brakes. I think I need some bullhorn bars, because I kept wishing I had another hand position above the brake hood area :)

My quads felt ever so slightly tired after my 9 mile ride this morning, which is not usual for me. I do really like the ability to slow down gradually and maneuver in tight spaces without touching the brakes. I think I need some bullhorn bars, because I kept wishing I had another hand position above the brake hood area :)

I have some bullhorns if you want them. I wouldn't charge much for them; they are Chuck's so they were only like $10 new. PM me if interested.

All righty... just one... more... question :)

How do I route the cables for my bar-end aero brake lever? Maybe I am a ******, but I can't figure out whether the cable is supposed to be coming out of the top or the bottom of the lever...http://www.performancebike.com/product_images/400/00_0961.jpg

All righty... just one... more... question :)

How do I route the cables for my bar-end aero brake lever? Maybe I am a ******, but I can't figure out whether the cable is supposed to be coming out of the top or the bottom of the lever...

The bottom. The little ball end of the brake line sits between the little hook things at the end of the lever and runs through the hole in bottom. The casing butts up against the lever at the bottom as well. You can route the cable through the bars if you fool with it a bit.