thespacerockkid

yes, one of the main reasons i decided i could probably figure this out is because that other guy had done it already. i figure like you, if he did it (and like you said, isnt lying) it must be worth a shot. plus, i just dont see the point in completely scraping a free bike, even if it does have vertical drops. i know plenty of people with fixed up old road bikes but hey, im down for trying something new!

pyze-guy

Jeez, 42x18 is alot of spinning. I use that on my ice bike with studded tires and find even then I am spinning like mad.

thespacerockkid

what do you mean by this exactly?

jet sanchEz

A big cog on the rear and a small cog on the front means a lot more work is required to make the bike move ie: your legs will be spinning a lot harder to go forward. It is not ideal, unless you live in a hilly area, that is why I suggested a 16tooth rear cog and a 44 or 46tooth chainring in the front.

jet sanchEz

You really should ride that bike as it is, with gears, and figure out a gear that you feel comfortable in and then aim to get your gear ratio as close as possible to this "comfy gear".

Drwecki

Spinning means a low gear (easy to move, but to go really fast you have to pedal really fast) this is great for the knees and can be fun (he has coast to so it's not that crappy). But our boy here want to find the magic gear and it looks like this is an option he can do with no extra pieces. You're set up may not work as a magic gearing for the perfect fit in his vertical drops!

Drwecki

if 42 18 is a magic gear for him (why would it work for one dude and not another... He could move up to a 40x16 or a 53x18 ...

Scratcher33

Because the frames could be different sizes - making the chainstays different lengths

Drwecki

Interesting, yes, better measure with a yard stick the chainstay...(google)... Does a Walmart schwin come in options Just try different gears until you get the chain nice and tight.

thespacerockkid

believe it or not, it was a total pain to find the magic gear, using any combo! perhaps it is because i am new to this. anyway, i found another bike for really cheap that had better parts on it already. originally i was going to purchase it for replacement parts but instead i put a tentioner on that one and it works better than the varsity at this point. so i figure ill ride around on that one and save up for the white industry hub, since everyone seems to agree thats the safest and easiest way to go. plus, this way ill have a fixie and an ss. either way, stay tunned for the most badass budget custom 2006 varsity schwinn youll ever see!!!! just have to make more time and get some money for that hub! hehehe