Hi Everyone,

I wasn't sure whether to post here or in fixies (but there seems to be some negativity about converting back from fixed)

I'm looking to buy new wheels for my bike which i'm converting (for learning and fun) to fixed/ss - https://fixedgearshop.se/product.php?id_product=78

some of the description is in swedish
"Hubs: Formula högflänsnav, rear flip flop fixed / fixed, 36-hole
Rims: Weinmann DP18 700c, Black, Without braking surface"

I have a cycle through france in July and I would like to put the cassette I have off the old wheels onto the fixed ones at some point. is this possible? Anything in particular I need to ask/measure/find out about? Can you just screw the cassette back on and lock it in place?

I'm riding an old Swedish crescent from 1975.

Many thanks :-)

Al

Its difficult to convert from a track-frame to a geared bike.
Purpose-built fixed-gear frames often have narrow rear dropouts (110mm). Geared bicycles need much wider spaces (currently 130mm).
Fixed gear frames usually lack a derailleur hanger.
The thread for a freewheel is usually deeper than for a fixed cog.
You dont use a lockring on a freewheel since there is no unscrewing force. The fixed gear is unscrewed by pedal-braking.
A freewheel (geared or singlespeed) requires rim brakes. Your current rims have no braking surface.

If you want gears, then it is easier to use hub gears.

Tell me if I''m wrong, but I don't think theres anything particularly Swedish about those rims. Sounds like Formula hubs with Weinmann rims, which are available in the US.

That aside, you can't put a freewheel on those wheels because they are designed for fixed gear cogs on both sides. Its more possible if you find one that is fixed on one side and a single speed on the other. Even then though, you'd probably have problems. A freewheel is obviously wider than a single speed, so the dish of the wheel would be off. And there's a good chance it just wouldn't fit with the width of the axle.

Why can't he fit a freewheel? The thread on a freewheel hub is the same as the conventionally-threaded part of a fixed-gear hub, they're interchangeable. My old Raleigh (derailleur gears, circa 1956) had a "fixed-gear" style stepped thread on both sides of its rear hub, and it had a 5-speed freewheel on it for the 20-odd years my uncle had it before he gave it to me.

Not saying it's a good idea to do it, but it's not impossible.

Consider an internally geared hub in the wheel rather than a derailleur mech.

IG hubs are very nice these days. 3 , 5, 8 , 11 speed
a Sturmey 3 speed as for folding bikes is less than 120 wide,overlocknut.
so there are parts swapping opportunities
should you wish a 36 hole hub shell, rather than a 28.

and there is , this year, a fixie 3 speed. added 2 are reduction gears.

While you're right and it would fit the bigger issues are that the axle would not be long enough, the wheel would not have the right dish and the frame dropouts are not spaced widely enough for anything other than a 5 or maybe 6 speed freewheel setup. And if it's a track frame there's no hanger for the rear derailleur.

Seems like an easier option would be to get a 5 or 7 speed internally geared wheel and switch it out for trips such as this.

But then for the price of the IGH wheels and shifter setups you could likely buy a whole other bike with regular derailleurs front and rear if you were to shop for a nice used bike.

It is originally a touring, geared (5 speed) bike. It does have a hanger for a rear derailleur. So I reckon the frame would be ok. I was more worried about the wheels. I had intended to take the cassette off the old wheels (they're a bit wrecked) and stick it (if possible) onto the new when i need to go on long distance trips.

I emailed the guy in the shop about whether they its a flip flop hub and he said:
"Yes it's a flip-flop hub, but with fixed threads on both sided. But you can use either freewheel or fixedcog on them no problem."

So the fact that I have a touring, geared frame set up I'm guessing would make this a whole lot more possible? Just wondering now would the old cassette go on the new wheels...

Thanks a mil for the advice, gold dust :-)

There's still the issues of the dishing being wrong and lack of axle offset for the fixed wheel to just mount a 5 speed freewheel.

If you want to set this up I'd say you will be best off to get a new rear wheel that is set up with a 5 or 6 speed freewheel gearing set and mount a derailleur setup for the trip. That way you can switch back and forth without TOO much issues.

Would you get a new drive side two or three speed crank arm setup as well? Of course then you'd need to mount up a front derailleur and shifter for it.

flanges are closer together on derailleur rear hubs, than flip flop track/fixie hubs I believe..

Actually that's true. And it points out my/our error in saying that the axles are not long enough. They WOULD be long enough because the axle length is set by the dropout spacing. But adding a 5 speed freewheel would make the overall wheel hub too long for the frame and too long for the axle.

So it comes down to the option that the only way to go geared is to get another wheel with a hub that is set up for multispeed gearing so the wheel and freewheel assembly will fit in the frame.

Thanks very much for the tips guys. Now to brood on this advice and count my pennies....