Hey guys,

Are there any options out there to be able to switch a bike back and forth between fixed gear and freewheel? I know about flip-flop hubs, but are there any others?

Thanks

SRAM Torpedo hub...

I believe Kappstein was also developing something akin to the Sachs/SRAM Torpedo hub (which is no longer made). Flip flop hubs are the best option around but truth be told I rarely switched over, I either run fixed or freewheel depending on the bike and if I do switch it is usually for a long period. There was one time when I was first starting riding fixed and I was going down to a hill that was rather steep and fast and I thought well I will just flip my wheel around to my freehweel and then I got to the hill and decided against it and was an excellent decision.

You could potentially run a double crank and chain set up and just pop off a chain when not using it but that is quite silly.

I've seen a bike locked up once and it was set up as a double drive train. I don't remember if it was double fixed or freewheel but it was single speed. Crazy.

Either have a choice of two wheels and decide which to fit before the ride, or use a flip flop hub. Anything more complex takes away half the point of riding single speed or fixed.

Single speed requires less technique and concentration than fixed. People who like riding fixed enjoy the challenge and the feeling of oneness with the bike. Each has its pros and cons and the choice will depend on your needs and preferences.

If you have fixed on one side of a flip flop hub, and free on the other, you will start off thinking that you will change regularly, but in the end you will find you use one side all the time.

If you put two fixed, or two free, cogs on a flip flop, you will probably find the same.

If you prefer freewheel and want a little more versatility than single speed, consider hub gears. Modern ones offer 8 or so gears and cost an arm and a leg, but the traditional Sturmey Archer 3 speed offers three widely spaced ratios. The middle one is direct drive (no additional friction losses), the top one is +33%, and the bottom one is -25%. As my dear old dad once explained it to me: one gear for up hill, one gear for the flat, one gear for downhill.

Or you could do some serious searching and find ether a close ratio 3 speed or — yes, really — a fixed 3 speed.

Dingle Speed

Not an answer to the OP's question but my Mooney is currently set up as a triple drivetrain. 46-44-38 front, 13 (or so) on one side in back and 17-21 double on the other. All rear cogs are fixed. 46-13 is a very respectable downhill for a fix gear (and I can go 12), 44-17 is my usual all-purpose gear and 38-21 a bunch lower for long hills when I am strong. I can unscrew the 17-21 and go as los as 24 if I want (and carry the cog wrench).

Being able to ride seriously hilly rides as a 65 yo with all gear changes being 1) big enough to be justified and 2) taking less than 2 minutes is really fun. But really only works when the ride has one or two serious hills. Rollercoasters like the Pacific Highway are a nightmare. Riding up to a mountain pass on the flat gear, moving the chain to the low gear, climbing for miles, the flipping the wheel and blasting down in the big gear - well that setup comes alive!

Edit: I often run this setup on just the middle ring, a single 17 on one side and an 18 on the other as a traditional flip-flop 2-speed and I do flip the wheel, I may start out on the 18 until I am warmed up and flip back to it to wind down at the end of the ride. One ride I do is ~70 miles with a hilly loop at the far point. I go out on the 17, flip for the loop, then gear up to come home. I've gotten good at flipping the wheel fast and I do it quite a bit.

Ben

Edit: I often run this setup on just the middle ring, a single 17 on one side and an 18 on the other as a traditional flip-flop 2-speed and I do flip the wheel, I may start out on the 18 until I am warmed up and flip back to it to wind down at the end of the ride. One ride I do is ~70 miles with a hilly loop at the far point. I go out on the 17, flip for the loop, then gear up to come home. I've gotten good at flipping the wheel fast and I do it quite a bit.

^ If you want that many gearing options, why not skip the hassle and just ride a geared bike with a derailleur?

Because we're all weird and crazy.

I think if there was a way to switch between multiple fixed gears on the fly, I'd totally use it.

Like this?


S3X 3 Speed Fixed Gear Rear Hub

this is cool... like thuper dooper kewl. I want to build a wheel now!!

Because every derailleur bike has those d****ed freewheels. Every one. No exceptions. Some of us prefer fix gears. Some of us find that changing gear ratios has its advantages, esp when you are 60+ years old and live where the hills are real.

That's neat. I was thinking of something with a similar number of total gear choices, and close ratios, as a modern derailleur bike. But I can see the appeal of that hub.

It is crazy but a cool look and especially neat if you are using high dollar items like Sugino 75s or Campanoglos Record Track or Duraaces. I think I saw it first on Sheldon Brown's website with DA and a Phil Wood hub somewhere in his picture archive.

As far as that Sturmey Archer hub, cool idea but I have heard it doesn't work well. Maybe it has changed and improved but I fear not under Sunrace.

[MENTION=392125]79pmooney[/MENTION] you have multiple gears at the front and dingle speed at the rear. If you kids don't like it then don't build it but to me it is sensible especially for longer rides when you might want to switch gears but don't want to be freewheelin' Plus it is an early Peter Mooney frame, something you don't see often because it was handbuilt by Peter Mooney and I don't think he makes a ton of frames. I have seen one in person and it was a treat. Plus it being a custom built frame it could have some very choice parts on it that many people who enjoy the finer things in life would drool over!

The first production run back in 2009 had some issues, but they seem to have been resolved. I've had one since 2011 and it has held up fine. I've even done a couple century rides on it.

What you are looking for is an MTBMX Strada Fixed.

For many it's a reason to have another cool bike though.

Apparently this sub-forum does not understand the difference between...


and multi-gear phiksies, dingle cogs or freewheels, and other strange...errr...creative alternatives, hmmm?

I didn't realize that SRAM's Tropedo hub was discontinued - one of my bicycling acquaintances got one not too long ago and it seems they are still pretty readily available. I remember back when the Kappstein "FlipFree" hub was announced - it did come out, but just never caught on (much like the Torpedo, I guess.) IIRC they even attempted a collabo with Leader, and while Leader is long-gone, I'm pretty sure that Kappstein hub is still around if one looks hard enough.

@JohnDThompson That is excellent to hear. Maybe I might get one on the SS/FG RandoCross Fun Time Machine. That would be a perfect bike for that.
[MENTION=325203]IAmSam[/MENTION] I haven't seen them at all in any SRAM literature at all and in any catalogs. If they are making them still they aren't doing anything in the U.S. market then but I would doubt that. The ideas of the hubs are not bad but I so few rarely need that level of switching so quickly.

Kappstein is still around for sure and last I checked (which has been a while) they still had the hubs.

What OP is looking for is a BSA DP hub. Dual Purpose. Two speed fixed or free. 1930s. Very scarce.

SRAM Torpedo hub had severe problems. Could auto-shift from free to fixed. Vulnerable in several ways.