slopvehicle

We should have a sticky called "So, you'd like to convert a road bike..."

Here's what you should look for:

1. long horizontal dropouts (as opposed to the modern, short/vertical style) so you can adjust your chain tension.

2. three piece aluminum cranks (as opposed to the ancient cottered type). 170mm or shorter will work fine on most fixies. preferably with removable replacable chainrings so you're not stuck with a stamped granny gear on the inside. if you can run your chainring on the inside OR outside of the spider, you've got a better chance of getting a good chainline.

3. somewhat lightweight tubing (cro-mo, renyolds, etc-- look for stickers on the seat tube) so you won't be lugging a 40lb bike around.

4. aluminum wheels. if you're planning on making a "bum bike" or "suicide" fixie you can remove the freewheel and spin a track cog on in its place. if you can't afford $60 for a cheap rear wheel, that could be an option. however, be sure to read all the cautionary mumblings about riding sans proper lockring.

If you look for these traits, chances are you can convert the bike into a relatively slick-lookin' one speeder with a minimum amount of lameness. It might even be a pretty solid ride.

Of course, these are merely suggestions. It's mostly function-- if you find a bike that fits my checklist, you've eliminated a good 70% of project-halting convsersion headaches. On the other hand, you could convert that tank-like Schwinn Varsity with cottered cranks, built-in chainrings and steel wheels. It's possible, and nobody's stopping you.

But it's easy to find a more worthy candidate for very little cash. I picked one up at a pawn shop a couple weeks back for $30. I picked another up at a thrift outlet for $10. Check Goodwill and Savers. Or your local bike co-op. Or a garage sale. Or craigslist.

Or find one abandoned on the street. Ask your neighbor about that rotting Fuji in his backyard. Or ask your landlord about the pile of abandoned-lookin' bikes in the basement (got a sweet 80s Trek, 80s Specialized and 90s Gary Fisher that way). Check the curb on trash day. Wait for college students to go home for summer break. Check the dumpster behind your local bike shop.