Tblizzard

Hello, I recently decided to try fixed gear cycling, so I went down to a pawn shop and picked up this Giant Perigree for $100. Is this bike a good candidate for conversion?

Thanks for your time.

https://img16.imageshack.us/img16/170...1203191836.jpg

https://img23.imageshack.us/img23/331...1203191851.jpg

Spoonrobot 

Ya.

Use a file or dremel to remove some of the material from the dropouts so you have the ability to move the axle back further if needed to set proper chain tension.

Get a rear wheel from Velomine or Wabi and you should be set with a decent fixed conversion for around $200.

Danzaxbonanza

Why convert? That bike looks like a pretty sweet bike as it is. A lot of people make fixed conversions out of bikes that are too far gone for anything else. Why not ride it as is and save up for a nice prebuilt fixed gear. It will more than likely save you a lot of time and money.

Tblizzard

Yeah it is a pretty nice bike. I really want to give fixed gear cycling a try and this was the only road bike I could find. My only concern is the drop out because it's so small. Will I get enough chain tension even if I dremel it a bit?

EpicSchwinn

With a dremel you should be good. If you try that and it's still not enough, you could use a half link chain

Bat56

If you can remove the material inside that reinforced ridge you should have enough to play with. But it's going to be slow and you need to be careful. Screw it up and your wheel will sit crooked.

Do a search for magic ratio.

Search sheldon brown for filing a solid axle and for cutting a quick release axle flush with the locknuts. I've done both of those with some success.

Tblizzard

I think I could handle dremeling the drop out but I don't think I'm skilled enough to go beyond that. Although the challenge is enticing.

Dannihilator

Measure out how much you need, then mark it. Do the same with the other side. Also measure twice cut once.

GENESTARWIND

Why ask why?
absolutely nothing wrong with converting a frame.

Spoonrobot 

It's not that complicated, after you finish doing a hardness test on the dropout you should only need to file the extra material up to the lip. Here's an example of what you're dealing with:



Just make the driveside dropout the same as the non-driveside. This will allow you to get a good amount of spacing to move the wheel around and get tension. This is a simple, 5-minute job.

Scrodzilla

Unless the OP cuts the dropout in half, there really isn't any risk of "screwing it up". The wheel will only sit crooked if you bolt it in crooked, just like on a frame with rear-facing dropouts.

Bat56

You can screw it up by making two 10mm slots that do not align with each other. If you do this, the only thing that can be done it to open each slot so that they (or one) is wider than 10mm. And yeah, if you can do this, you can get the wheel aligned but it's a batch because you are working against two axes. As opposed to one axis if you have a 10mm slot.

So, you want to take this and remove the dark material:



But what if you do this, and create a 10mm slot that slants up:



And then on the other side you do this, creating a 10mm slot that slants down:



The only solution is to wallow out both sides, making a big fat drop out. What I called screwed up, some people might not:

Scrodzilla

BFSSFG - overcomplicating the uncomplicated.

Nagrom_

Rockwell hardness test?

Spoonrobot 

Jesus christ. "The only solution?"

Or you could just do it properly; using the raised edge as a guide. It's a dropout, not vagina. You don't just throw the file in there and jam it around until you're exhausted.

Nagrom_

Thanks for the sig, mang.

Scrodzilla

Jesus ****ing Christ.

hairnet

RAmen

Bat56

I apologize, I forget my place.

Tblizzard

Thanks for all the input everyone. What type of file would be best for this task?

Scrodzilla

A Dremel will be the easiest way to go about it but if you choose to file it by hand, get yourself a round file that fits nicely inside where you'll be removing metal - slightly smaller than the actual axle so you have a little room to work.

As Spoonrobot said, use the raised edge as a guide and don't rush it.

Bat56

And be sure to consult the above diagrams.

gigantor

BFSSFG : We know drama

Scrodzilla

bro

that bike is pretty sweet as it is