Originally Posted by
elmore leonard
Can this bike be converted to a BMX Cruiser. What would I have to change?
Can I make the existing rear wheel a single speed by removing all the cogs but one and using some type of spacers (where would I get them) to replace them? Then use the smaller chain ring and remove the larger one? then BMX bars? it won't be a true bmx of course but it will be good enough I think to do a few obstacles at the local park? any assistance would be appreciated.
If it has a freehub then yeah, go with spacers. You can get "Singlespeed Kits" which have a bunch of spacers, possibly a new lockring, and a cog (sometimes several cogs.)
If you want to do a lot of hard pedalling, you'll want to get a cog carrier, or a nicer, thicker cog (like a Niner cogalicious or a Surly cassette cog. - thinner cassette cogs really chew into cassette bodies) Stock cassette cogs also tend to have pretty short teeth, so are more prone to chain dropping.
If it's a freewheel, some people do use spacers (PVC pipe cut to length), but I prefer to get a BMX freewheel, screw that on the wheel, then respace and redish the wheel. this can be a little tricky, so it can be easier to just buy a single speed freewheel rear wheel.
If the chainrings are bolted on, then you can get singlespeed chainring bolts or just use spacers to bolt on either the middle or big ring by itself, you can move to the outside or inside of the crankarms to adjust for chainline needs.
Careful picking out bars. Some BMX bars have a 22.2mm clamp diameter, whereas your stem has 25.4mm clamp diameter. Actually for true BMX bars, you'd also need to swap out the stem for one with a removable faceplate.