It's cold and rainy here. So, I might wrench this weekend.

I have an excess of old freewheel style threaded hub rear wheels around and wondered if these can be used for single speed wheels with a BMX type freewheel without redishing

I realize I'm asking you to generalize. But, chainline is not as critical with single speed as it is with fixed -- say plus minus .4cm. As I eyeballed it, it looks like I can get a pretty straight chainline by putting the chainring on the inside of the crank.

Have any of you had experience with this type of conversion?

Thanks

My single speed is built on road wheels with a single speed freewheel. Might need to redish... well, probably. Might work with spacer under the freewheel.

Now that I think of it, if you don't change the axle locknut spacing nothing would need to be redished...

The 'goodness' of the chainline will probably depend on whether the bike is 120mm or 126mm rear. I'd just try it and if you have problems then re-dish it later. The last one I did I just tightened all the non-drive side spokes by a turn or so, did some minor truing and voila.

Nine times out of ten I have to redish, but maybe you'll get lucky.

Neal

what your saying is true however I would respace the wheel to make it center on the 126 or 130 spacing and then redish it. it will have less stress on the drive side.

I had to respace, redish and use a spacer to get it just right.

Ok, this is all very helpful. Thank You.

I have very little experience messing with wheels. How do I respace and redish?

First check chainline. Whatever you have up front you'll need to match on the rear.

1. Install frewheel snug but do not tighten.
2. Measure chainline up front.
3. Measure your current rear chainline. = OLD/2-(cog centerline distance from outside edge of locknut)
4. Only then do you know what you have to do.

I have also put the chain ring on the back side of the crank arms too.

I might suggest that if it is feasible, it may help to change out the BB spindle for a different overall length. Some of us after a few builds do have some spindles in our parts bins. My SS was done using a free hub, which as you might expect is a lot easier — lots of shims available for a perfect chainline.

I have also done the ghetto fixed gear conversion using a bb lockring with good results.

If you BB is British threaded, you can use a Miche Primato track BB. It gives you an adjustable chainline like a Phil Wood, but for cheap. I used one on this:

Now, that's interesting.

And this:



And this:

Still like the Carlton...

Same here. This has a Sugino 116 mm conversion spindle up front.

Quite the closet hipster. Great bikes. What is the silver/blue? Any more photos of that one?

That's my Bridgestone Kabuki Submariner. Stainless steel tubes with aluminum lugs. It has a silver saddle now. It's the only bike I've ever built just to sell it, but I haven't tried yet. I need to hurry up, before fixed gear conversions go completely out of style.

Sheldon Brown will show you how: https://sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html

this site has a how-to specifically on redishing: https://www.63xc.com/dennb/redish.htm

If you have little experience with wheels, you are in trouble. But it is the kind of trouble that study and practice will fix.

The following suggestions assume that your present wheel is true and properly dished already.

Basically, and I am ball parking here, you will have to move your hub about 2.5mm towards the drive side. Replacing/removing spaces will accomplish this. Of course, once respaced, you will have to center your axle in the hub and set bearing clearance.

With the hub moved to the drive side, the rim will be out of center with the center line of the frame set and must be moved 2.5mm towards the non-drive side. To move the rim, loosen each spoke on the drive side by one exact full turn each. Hold each spoke with your fingers and loosen the nipple. Ensure that the spoke is not winding up or down.

Winding up, or down, is what happens when the nipple catches the spoke threads, forcing the spoke to twist with the torque applied to the nipple. You must not allow this wind up or down to remain.

After loosening the drive side spokes one full turn, tighten the non-drive side spokes one full turn. Now check your dish. It should be pretty darn close and you should have more acceptable chain line. Repeat as req'd to hit dead center.

Hope this is a help and, for more information pertaining to how to convert old bikes to single speed design, you are welcome to visit my custom bicycles page, and seek out the sort of information that will help you with your project.

Really excellent, well written, and understandable advice. Thanks

Now, will I need a cone wrench to respace?

Pretty mixte. Can I ask what you mean by adjustable chainline?

I also need some help in this regard, I put a SS freewheel on my old Raleigh SGP in hopes to complete it's transformation into snow machine, of course I didn't think of chain line (duh) but it's not too far off. As far as spacers go, would just about anything work?

Spacing the hub body on the axle? You'll probably want to keep your OLD the same, so you'd be swapping them from one end of the axle to the other. No new pieces required (hopefully). But any washer/spacer with a 10mm+ hole will do.

I THINK i've grasped what to do here (I'm about as far from mechanically inclined as one comes) , the test will be tomorrow when I get a chance to get this thing up and running. Seeing as my car is looking like it's never coming back, winter biking as become a must.