okay, so i've looked into this whole fixie thing and decided i would love to convert a bike. so while i was at the bike shop getting a commuter on emergency i asked "what do you know about converting to fixies" and was told "you need horizontal drop outs but don't bother, they never work right". what does that mean? i've got a frame, all i need are a couple parts and i'm there, but i'm obviously not going to be able to get them from my lbs.

i still wanna know what he meant by that, though. any ideas?

For some reason my fixie won't let me coast.

That you don't want a conversion, you want a track bike?

Either that, or he's never been able to do a conversion, which would surprise me. I've never had any problems...

He meant that, as an inferior mechanic, he couldn't figure out 19th century technology. He probably tried locktite-bumbike fixing, or had problems with chainline...

If you're gonna convert, at least use a track hub for the rear wheel, and yes, horizontal dropouts will make it infinitely easier to get proper chain tension without one of those expensive ENO hubs...

[QUOTE=Judah]He meant that, as an inferior mechanic, he couldn't figure out 19th century technology./QUOTE]


That's funny. Now what's wrong with riding a fixie with platforms?

[QUOTE=Toasted]Nothing, as long as you have handbrakes.

Maybe he was referring to the fact that you only turn left on the velodrome?

I think you misunderstood him. You may have heard him say
What he really said was
I'm not gonna bother with your damn fixie conversion cuz it's not gonna make the shop a lot of money and I couldn't be bothered with all the questions you're gonna ask me cuz I don't want to look like an idiot since I won't know the answers

Do the conversion yourself and search on hear for answers to any questions that come up. We'll be glad to help.

aside from the fact that they are uncomfortable to walk in, i'm sure all of the people with the leering and cat-calling and the offerings to exchange money for sex would be a distraction while riding a fixie.

It means that he is trying to instead sell you a new track bike. Go to a different shop or read through the archives and do it yourself. It works so long as you have enough dropout to adjust the chain tension or the right gear ratio.

Maybe he meant that if you don't have Horizontal dropouts it is often a struggle to get the chain tension right. It tends to be a choice between too tight (which causes some "scrunching" and your drive train to wear out quicker) or too lax which can mean you will throw your chain at unexpected moments (if you ride brakeless, this can be extremely dangerous -see what Sheldon Brown has to say about this). But i think there are components to fix both problems such a a disk which keep the chain from being thrown, the different eccentric components to get a good tight tension etc. Of course using these components (some of which are cheap/some costly) kinda messes with the whole "cheap, simple, fixed, second hand frame/campagnolo style dropout" bike concept. Still, a nice and good working fixie can be made quite cheaply if you bother spending some time shopping around and some energy in optimizing. Once it is done it will be a very durable and hassle free bike.

you'd also have to raise the seat every time you switched from platforms to normal shoes. total pain in the bullocks.

My fixie keeps taking me to work when I don't want to go, so I guess mine doesn't work right, either.