hingearoo

I'm thinking about converting my 89 centurion lemans to a fixed gear but have no idea where to start and what to be thinking about as far as parts go.

can anyone give me some advice about what sort of parts i want to buy to convert the bike? i am looking for things that are of decent quality and allow me to grow--rather not get the truly high end stuff right out of the gate unless someone strongly recommends it.

anything in terms of brand names, parts specifics, etc. would be greatly appreciated. also, if there are specifics i should know about this particular bike before i start the process that would be helpful too.

thanks in advance for the help

the Hinge

Bikeophile

If you're going to go for Fixed Hubs (rather than adapting road hubs) then I would recommend MICHE Hubs. They are by no means HIGH END, but are much better than many others. They have sealed cartridge bearings, are fairly easy to service and last for quite a long time. You can pick up a set for around $100US (I sell them up in Canada for $150CAD). They are an all around good hub. I've ridden on Miche's for years on my daily commuter, and many of the messengers I know ride 100's of miles per week on them.

Miche also has a decent priced Track Crankset. Again this is if you're planning on using Track parts rather than converting an old road crank.

One thing though, don't ever use the MICHE bottom bracket, they don't last very well.

email or PM me if you want to get into more parts and ideas. A lot depends on what your current bike setup is, and what you want it to look/ride like in the end.

Cheers
Rob

jacobs

all you NEED to go fixed is a cog, some locktite and some tools/time/friendly bike shop folks to help you out with getting your chainline right. this isn't ideal however, and i'd suggest just getting a new back wheel.

read sheldon browns article: https://sheldonbrown.com/fixed-conversion.html

iro (irocycle.com) has good deals on decent wheels.
harris (harriscyclery.com) has a great selection of stuff for fixed gear bikes.

pitboss

I'd recommend a new rear wheel too - you will need to know the spread between dropouts on the rear: 120mm is trad track; 126mm, 130mm are road with the later being most common; anything higher than 130mm means you might have bent your frame - although mountain bikes these days run 135mm rear spacing, but the Centurion LeMans in most likely NOT 135mm.
You will see that there are some who have had great success with the "bumbike" (how the hell did it get tha name?!?) wheel set-up consisting of loctite, BB ring, etc. I am not a fan, but it works in a variety of ways for those that do use it. My suggestion: run a brake if you run that wheel build.
If you want a FG specific wheel, find out the rear spacing and check with your LBS and see what they can do as far as getting a pre-built in or building one up for you. Check the list of stores (some are posted here in this sticky - https://www.bikeforums.net/singlespeed-fixed-gear/99587-lbs-obs-fixed-track-single-speed.html) to see what is near you if you are uncertain.
You might want to pick-up on a group ride through here too (https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=95281)- it might help in getting you more comfortable on the new ride. Plus it is a great way to find out what people are running with success...or not.
Welcome aboard!

cavit8

As per bikeophile and 165's comments, I'd recommend a dedicated rear fixed hub (getting that only instead of the set would bring the price down somewhat). You'll keep that as you grow, rather than a bumbike setup which you'll likely replace at some point. Miche's a good economy choice rather than, say, a Suzue basic (junior). I have the latter and regret buying it.

Stock crankset will likely be fine as long as the crankarm length isn't so long that you'll pedal strike going around corners and you can get your chainline right. I find 170 is fine for me, but I also ride a relatively large frame (61 cm). You can often find shorter cranksets (e.g. 170) kicking around that you can upgrade as you like. A lot of 70's and 80's bikes I've come across use Super Maxy which is a Sugino label from that era. Shorter, like 165's (the crankarm length, not the mod) may be harder to come across.

hingearoo

thanks to you all for your responses.