Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Converting my Fix to SS and need guidance on appropriate parts.

Everyone,

I've been riding my bike for the past two years with the following configuration, and am planning on changing the bike to single speed. My current setup is as follows:
- Wheels: Mavic Elipse (2010)
- Brakes: Shimano 105
- Cog: EAI Black
- Crankset: Sugino 75
- BB: Sugino 75
- 42mm chainline up-front.

My goals with the conversion are as follows:
- Use wheels intended for brakes, with a freewheel hub. This likely means building up new wheels from the ground up.
- Ensure I have a correct chain-line after the conversion, without deltas.

I'm leaning towards the following part exchanges:
- New wheels: Mavic OpenPro rims. PhilWood hubs (free/fixed), 32T. DT swiss spokes.
- New cog: PhilWood cog
- New bottom bracket: PhilWood, or White Industries BB designed specifically for 75s.

The open questions on my mind are as follows:
- What's the minimum set of items I need to swap to achieve my goals? Can I achieve my goals with only a new wheel set? It would be great if I could build up wheels with a 42mm chainline, and not need to swap my BB.
- What is the chain-line for a PW hub, with PW cog? I can't seem to find this online.

Threads I read before posting:
http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-290531.html
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/fixed-single-speed/high-low-flange-phil-hubs-197423.html
http://tarckbike.com/node/7304

Presumably when you say PhilWood cog, you mean Phil freewheel. The chainline isn't going to be effected at all by the choice of hub or freewheel as these should all be standard 42mm. You should be able to use any track wheel with a machined sidewall. And there isn't any reason to change the bottom bracket solely because you are converting to singlespeed.

Seriously, you've overthinking this by a longshot. Get new wheels, install a freewheel and put them on your bike. You don't even need a fixed/free hub, as a freewheel can be installed on a fixed hub without any problems - which means you could realistically just thread a freewheel onto your current rear wheel and call it a day.

Also, Phil Wood doesn't make a freewheel.

Seriously, you've overthinking this by a longshot. Get new wheels, install a freewheel and put them on your bike. You don't even need a fixed/free hub, as a freewheel can be installed on a fixed hub without any problems - which means you could realistically just thread a freewheel onto your current rear wheel and call it a day.

Also, Phil Wood doesn't make a freewheel.

+1

Kinda weird that OP calls a supposed freewheel a "cog" too. Just remove your EAI cog and replace it with a freewheel. Donezo.

Well he does need brakes and I don't know about running brakes on the ellipses. Maybe OP thinks that the moving part of a freewheel is on the hub?

I'm pretty sure brakes can be used on Ellipses without any problems (aside from the color coming off the sidewalls).

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/444890-Running-brake-on-Mavic-Ellipse

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/621741-mavic-ellipse-and-brake (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/621741-mavic-ellipse-and-brake)

Thanks for everyone's feedback. You've basically made the following clear:
- My current BB and crank setup is a-ok.

In response to my comment on a PhilWood cog for the new setup, I assumed PhilWood free/fixed track hubs would use the same cog on either side, and that one side of the hub would have an internal freewheel (rather than requiring a freewheel cog). I was also reluctant to run a freewheel-cog on my Ellipses as I doubt they were ever intended for use with brakes. Ex: They don't have wear indicators. I'd hate to have something go wrong with them from running a brake on them. (I've already been running fixed with full brakes for ~6 months, so not worried about the paint beint removed).

I'm pretty sure brakes can be used on Ellipses without any problems (aside from the color coming off the sidewalls).

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/444890-Running-brake-on-Mavic-Ellipse

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/621741-mavic-ellipse-and-brake (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/621741-mavic-ellipse-and-brake)

True, but I think it hurts the resale value and/or the aesthetic value if the OP ever goes back to brakeless.

Also, I think the brake track on the Ellipse isn't as thick as that of a normal rim such as the Open Pro.

OP seems to be OK with spending the extra cash to do things right.

Not worried about re-sale value on the rims. I already ruined one side of the rear rim by attempting to use the supplied spacer with an EAI cog. The paint is also already gone from both painting surfaces. I don't expect to get any cash from these guys.

Correct that I am cool spending the cash to do things right. My bike is custom built, so I'm invested in getting it just right.

Thanks for everyone's feedback. You've basically made the following clear:
- My current BB and crank setup is a-ok.

In response to my comment on a PhilWood cog for the new setup, I assumed PhilWood free/fixed track hubs would use the same cog on either side, and that one side of the hub would have an internal freewheel (rather than requiring a freewheel cog). I was also reluctant to run a freewheel-cog on my Ellipses as I doubt they were ever intended for use with brakes. Ex: They don't have wear indicators. I'd hate to have something go wrong with them from running a brake on them. (I've already been running fixed with full brakes for ~6 months, so not worried about the paint beint removed).

I thought the same thing about fixed/free hubs. there is no freewheel internal on a fixed/free hub - it is simply that one side is threaded completely 1.370x24tpi without the 1.29X24tpi threading for the lockring. This gives a little more threading for the freewheel to screw onto, but is completely unnecessary. I have a freewheel threaded onto my fixed/fixed hub and it works just fine.

In response to my comment on a PhilWood cog for the new setup, I assumed PhilWood free/fixed track hubs would use the same cog on either side, and that one side of the hub would have an internal freewheel (rather than requiring a freewheel cog).
So this is what you got wrong. The only difference that a fixed-free flip-flop hub has is that on the "free" side it doesn't have extra-threading for a lockring. You still need a freewheel to go on that side and you can use a freewheel on the fixed side without problems, thus you can put it on your current wheels.

edit: jimbo beat me.

You might consider just buying a freewheel and putting it on there to see how you like it before you invest in new wheels. Maybe SS isn't your thing.

Strange. My previous fixed gear was built up by my local bike shop at the time (American Cycles, SF) with Velocity Deep V rims and unknown hubs. Those hubs used the same cog on either side, yet the hub had an internal free-wheel. Sounds like this was a one-off solution? I guess the important thing for me to know is how Phil Wood free-fixed hubs work. Those will most likely be my next set.

That is weird. Does anyone know of any hub at all that has an internal freewheel that isn't an internally-geared hub like a 3-speed?

Unless it was a BMX hub with a cassette driver on one side and provisions for a fixed setup on the other (which I'm not sure even exists in the first place), no.

Well, I don't know what you had on the previous bike, but the fixed/free phil wood hubs work as I described above. Since money is no object, I would recommend a white industries eno freewheel to go along with it.

Since money is no object, I would recommend a white industries eno freewheel to go along with it.

+1

+2. went from Dicta (stock) to Shimano to Eno on the Nature Boy. should have skipped the middleman.

Quite possible that my old hubs were a one-off. They lacked any branding and came as a pre-built wheel from American Cycles in San Francisco. They were free/fixed, and yet I never have owned a freewheel cog.

Definitely looking at the White Industries UNO/ENO.

Do folks usually stick with the same gearing ratio when going from fixed to free?

Well he does need brakes and I don't know about running brakes on the ellipses.

Apart from the brake pads wearing through part of the "ELLIPSE" decals, it ought to work.

I was also reluctant to run a freewheel-cog on my Ellipses as I doubt they were ever intended for use with brakes. Ex: They don't have wear indicators.

Dental calipers:

http://www.nectarintl.com/dentcal-4.gif

They only cost a few bucks.

But unless you routinely ride in abrasive conditions (i.e. on the beach) or use nasty sinterized brake pads, you can safely assume your rims will last for years.