MrCjolsen

Old '85 Giant Perigee. It was destined for Goodwill and/or the nearest landfill before my sister-in-law gave it to me.

First started by using a road wheelset and 42t ring left over from upgrades on my road bike. Made a very nice singlespeed for the cost of 5 BMX chainring bolts. Re-sized an old chain and was good to go.

I got a BMX chain so I could use a half link and some BMX cogs (I needed a 16t to get that perfect gear ratio. I also gave the bike a new seat and installed a MTB stem so that it actually fits me.

Then I built a wheel out of the original front rim that was on the bike (the rear was bent) and a very old, slightly bent track hub guy gave me out of his junk pile and thinks he's getting $20 for. (If you're reading this, we need to talk. The hub was bent and so was the axle. The bearings were shot as well.)

The biggest investment thus far has been the spokes for the wheel. $30.

Now I have a track hub. Need to see the guy with the garage full of bike junk to see if he has any old BMX freewheels.

I also need to find a larger track cog. 42-14 is way to studly for me. I'm more of a 2.5 ratio kind of guy.

BUT I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.

Will stopping be easier or harder with a larger cog? Note: The bike will always have a front and rear brake. I'm cheap, but not crazy. (yet)

The bike has 170mm cranks. My road bike has 175's. Is it that big of a difference. Does fixed gear call for larger or smaller cranks?

There are some brutal railroad tracks on my way to work. On my road bike, I do a slight wheelie (as well as one can on a road bike) and hop my front over the tracks. At speed, I'm not able to stand up when I'm riding fixed. Do I need to slow down for stuff like that?

How long does it take to learn to do a trackstand? Should I be clipless when I do it? I ask this because I have a class of 20 first graders who would think it's really cool and could become future fixed gear riders if properly indoctrinated.

The paint scheme on this Giant is ugly. A really bad attempt to copy Bianchi green. And the lettering is way early 80's. I want to paint the bike. Here are my two main ideas.

Primer Grey - sort of a legitimate look for vintage hotrodders. Kind of says "Yeah, I'm not done painting it because I've been busy making it do an 8 second quarter mile."

OR

Each one of the kids in my class 30 seconds and a spray can with their choice of colors. Would be really special because they'd see me riding the bike (hopefully) as they got older and remember that they helped paint it.

MacG

Skip the SS freewheel. I don't know of anyone that has a fixed/free setup and actually uses the freewheel side.

Stopping will be easier with a lower gear ratio.

Fixed usually calls for shorter cranks for better pedal clearance and easier spinning. I run 165s, but cranks are really proportionate to the length of your legs. There is a bunch of really technical info on fitting cranks to your body on the web if you search for it. 170s should work fine; just remember that you probably can't bank it way over on the corners with a fixie.

You'll quickly learn how to lift the bike underneath you (to an extent) without stopping pedaling. I personally take tracks slowly anyways unless I am familiar with them since I don't feel like buying new rims/tires/tubes/face any sooner than I have to.

No practical experience trackstanding from me. In theory, it won't matter what pedal system you are using once you get good at it because you won't need to take your feet off the pedals. While you're learning, some flat pedals (or just being unclipped) is probably the best bet.

I personally think that letting a bunch of 1st graders at your frame with rattlecans will net you a really ugly bike. Your mileage may vary.

caloso

My thoughts:

42-16 is a pretty good all around gear for the flats of the Valley. I don't think you'll have trouble stopping, especially if you keep both brakes (you lose all style points if you get crushed by the Yolobus, anyway).

No real trick to trackstanding. Everytime you roll up to a stopsign or stoplight, try to go as slowly as you can. Eventually, you'll get it to where speed=0, et voila, a trackstand.

And definitely go with the 1st graders with cans project.

FlatTop

Agreed. But grab a few pair of plastic goggles at the dollar store to keep the little maniacs from hurting themselves.

jim-bob

Be warned - the first grader with cans approach is likely to end up looking something like

MrCjolsen

Actually that looks pretty cool. And I was going to get some masks, gloves and even caps for them to wear while they painted. What's cool is that if I call it an "art project" I might even get my principal to spring for the paint.

schnee

You do now!

I use the free side now for urban riding, and am keeping the fixed side use for training-specific rides.

It's a few bucks more, and flexibility is nice sometimes.

colinm

I love my SS. Options are nice.

I vote gray primer, then give the kids sharpies and let them each draw a little animal on it, then clear coat.

Bunny hopping on a fixed almost killed me once.

165's are fun.

Some people are born trackstanders. I can do one for about 10 seconds, including the 1.8 seconds it takes me to go horizontal while trying.