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building my first fixed wheel. OR AM I?!?! you tell me...

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Singlespeed & Fixed Gear "I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five. Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailer? We are getting soft...As for me, give me a fixed gear!"-- Henri Desgrange (31 January 1865 - 16 August 1940)

building my first fixed wheel. OR AM I?!?! you tell me...

Old 02-03-11, 07:04 PM
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building my first fixed wheel. OR AM I?!?! you tell me...

So I just moved to san francisco and apparently bikes are cool...

Where I'm from (snohomish WA) the only people that ride bikes are the ones that don't have cars, little kids and my mother. But since living in the bay I feel left out, less hip even.

So I picked up a CHEAP CHEAP road bike for 30 bucks. It can't be younger than 30 by now. Its a schwinn and after stripping it down to bare frame and fork lastnight I found out just those pieces weigh a little over 20 pounds. So my question is:


I want to try out this whole fixed gear thing, but I'm not sure how expensive that will be.I've done a few engine rebuilds on cars so I'm confident I could overhaul this bike with mostly the OEM parts. But is that really fiscally responsible?
The current wheels are 27" and its my understanding that 700c are basically interchangable, right? But a set runs between 60-300 bucks.

Or I could take 100 bucks to an auto parts store and get some carb cleaner, grease, sandpaper, spray paint and misc **** to make all these junk parts squeeky clean again.
I've got tools.

So what say you, two wheel people??? Sell this relic and get a real bike?
Or fix it up so I can have awesome leg muscles?
And if you say fix it, with old parts or new ones?
Lastly, if new parts...where do I get them?


Thanks for your help fellas!
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Old 02-03-11, 07:18 PM
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What model Schwinn is it? It may or may not be worth sticking any money into. Can you post a picture? Either way it'll be cheap transportation if it's all there and doesn't need too many new parts.

You can go fixed gear by threading a cog onto your current wheel, but since you (probably) can't thread on a lockring the cog is likely to spin off when you backpedal. For this reason I doubt anyone will recommend it. But if you run two brakes and don't try skidding it's perfectly safe.

Or you can thread on a single-speed freewheel and go that route. Again, if the bike doesn't need new parts you can get it setup for FG/SS for less than $20. If it's a nice bike it might be worth buying a flip-flop wheelset so you can go fixed gear the correct way.
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Old 02-03-11, 08:39 PM
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option 1: spend 15 bucks on some cleaner, shine up the old parts, and sell the bike on craigslist for 100. then purchase a converted road bike on craigslist- you should be able to find one for less than 250.

option 2: spend 15 bucks on some cleaner, shine up the old parts,find a cheap rear fixed wheel (bikeisland.com or the like) and ride the heck out of the bike.

option 3: spend 15 bucks on some cleaner, shine up the old parts, and sell the bike on craigslist for 100. then purchase a kilo tt from bikesdirect.com
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Old 02-03-11, 09:28 PM
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Sounds like you're in a similar spot as I am, I picked up an 87 Schwinn World Sport a few weeks ago and plan to re-build it as a single speed. I haven't ridden a bike regularly since I was 13-14 years old, almost 15 years ago. I'm planning to rebuild mine to use as a part-time commuter and for recreational exercise. Strip off the gearset, figure out the best gear ratio for your local terrain, and thread on a single speed freewheel to replace your multispeed freewheel. Swap the bars if you want, keep both brakes if you go SS. Simplifies the mechanics, gives a little satisfaction for wrenching on the bike and making it your own, and you'll have a comfortable commuter to have fun on.
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Old 02-04-11, 02:11 AM
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Originally Posted by snowman3645
So I just moved to san francisco and apparently bikes are cool...

Where I'm from (snohomish WA) the only people that ride bikes are the ones that don't have cars, little kids and my mother. But since living in the bay I feel left out, less hip even.

So I picked up a CHEAP CHEAP road bike for 30 bucks. It can't be younger than 30 by now. Its a schwinn and after stripping it down to bare frame and fork lastnight I found out just those pieces weigh a little over 20 pounds. So my question is:


I want to try out this whole fixed gear thing, but I'm not sure how expensive that will be.I've done a few engine rebuilds on cars so I'm confident I could overhaul this bike with mostly the OEM parts. But is that really fiscally responsible?
The current wheels are 27" and its my understanding that 700c are basically interchangable, right? But a set runs between 60-300 bucks.

Or I could take 100 bucks to an auto parts store and get some carb cleaner, grease, sandpaper, spray paint and misc **** to make all these junk parts squeeky clean again.
I've got tools.

So what say you, two wheel people??? Sell this relic and get a real bike?
Or fix it up so I can have awesome leg muscles?
And if you say fix it, with old parts or new ones?
Lastly, if new parts...where do I get them?


Thanks for your help fellas!
San Francisco has a very mature and very savy and knowledgeable bike market.

That means, if you paid $30 for a bike, it's probably worth $30...or less.

All of the hidden gems have been unearthed from nanna's basements and relieved from thrift stores.

If the bike is worth $30, it's probably ain't worth restoring, especially if it has no sentimental value.

There are PLENTY of bike shops in SF. When last I was there, there were FIVE bike shops on one 2-block stretch of Stanyan St (at Haight) alone. Not counting the dozens throughout the city... then there's the other cities. Oakland etc... There was enough business to support all of them. Go do some shopping and ride a bike home. No need to order online. Living in SF and ordering a bike online is like living on the Gulf Coast and buying frozen fish sticks. You are at the bike mecca. SF has one of -- if not THE -- richest bike cultures in the US.

Last edited by carleton; 02-04-11 at 02:16 AM.
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Old 02-04-11, 07:07 PM
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don't know if its been said yet but 27 INCH WHEELS ARE NOT THE SAME AS 700C WHEELS, i've made the mistake before, and trying to find a nice looking brakeset to make the distance between the brake bridge (the place that you mount the brakes to the bike) and the rim of the wheel (the place the brakes touch) can be difficult.
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Old 02-04-11, 07:37 PM
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Originally Posted by carleton
Living in SF and ordering a bike online is like living on the Gulf Coast and buying frozen fish sticks.
Dispersants, don't trust the Gulf shrimp, or fish. Still sketchy in my book.

As for the OP, keep relic as beater, and get a nice, local bike.
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Old 02-04-11, 08:06 PM
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if you're buying a bike to look cool, just put the schwinn back together, lube everything, and if you want it simple do it single speed with a bmx freewheel. keep both brakes on

if you are actually interested in getting into cycling, prepare to spend ~400 at a shop or ~$250 for a used bike on craigslist.
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Old 02-04-11, 08:22 PM
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Originally Posted by rustybrown
Dispersants, don't trust the Gulf shrimp, or fish. Still sketchy in my book.

As for the OP, keep relic as beater, and get a nice, local bike.
Oh yeah. I forgot about that when I was writing that post. Maybe frozen fish sticks are a better option in that case.
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Old 02-04-11, 09:48 PM
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Lets see some pics of this Schwinn. They can either be decent bikes or very heavy ones depending on the year or model.

As far as doing a fixed gear with the stock wheels it can be done. I have done it without problems. I would recommend rebuilding the wheels with new spokes and dishing the rear in the process for a fixed cog or BMX freewheel. And YES you can use a lock ring and in my experience you should. Just be sure that you use some lock tight on the lock ring and make sure it is all nice and tight.

Just my 2 cents.
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