CrimsonKarter21

Has this really ever worked for anyone without one of those Surly Singleator's? I'm finally ditching my Raleigh and taking the Surly/Mavic wheelset to put them on my old Cannondale roadie, the only problem is that it has vertical road drops. Since I go to a trade school, I could have the CAD class machine me new track ends, and have the welding class weld them on, but I'm worried about durability.

While I'm at it, does anyone think I could get some kind of a peg over the downtube shifter butts? Just for kicks and giggles.

zephyer15

i dont think you should run fixed with a singulator.... but thats only because people smarter than me told me not to when i thought about it. i guess it has something to do with it not being able to endure the stresses of fixed gear, but i might be full of ****e. if you do go that route i wouls suggest a brake

dirtyphotons

since you mentioned the singluator i hope you're talking singlespeed, not fixed. the singulator will not work on a fixed gear.

if you're talking about a magic gear, i've done it, it works. you will have to replace your chain more often because it will stretch, but with a ss you can get away with a bit of slack.

i used this calculator, measure as accurately as you can.

bicycle

if you weld on new track ends or dropouts or whatever, i do'n't think strenths will be an issue, as long as you weld it well enough.

zephyer15

whats a magic gear?

dirtyphotons

it's the exact gear ratio or ratios that fit your bike's vertical dropouts.

there's a good mathematical despription of it here but if you don't care about the math, just use the calculator i linked to above.

blu3d0g

https://www.whiteind.com/ENO_Products/eric.html

get one of those, available from fine retailers online or your LBS

edit: I re-read your post and actually paid attention this time

go with the machining and welding deal if you don't want to shell out for an eccentric hub and have your wheels rebuilt. the singlerators are no good for fixed.

abeyance

Also, you really don't want to weld alu dropouts on your bike. It's just asking for trouble, besides with a new paint job and the cost of the welds, there are alot of framesets cheaper.

dirtyphotons

yeah, the eno is a much better performing solution. the magic gear's only cheap if you can get any freewheel and chainring you want.

a cheap frame that fits you and has horizontal dropouts is probably the best middle ground.

CrimsonKarter21

Sorry for the confusion, but the bike will be fixed, and I guess I won't be getting the singleator after closely reviewing the name.
I really want to use the frame because it's treated me very well, it fits like a glove, and the geometry is perfect for a fixed gear. If anyone has bad experience with welding aluminum, please tell me.

As for the cost of everything, I can get paint very cheap, or I could just rattlecan it. Also, the dropouts will be however much the aluminum costs, and the welding will be free, and done by almost-certified welders. That may sould like a bad idea, but (arguably) the best welder in Ohio will be supervising, and he's been known to get in people's faces for wierd reasons.

I love trade schools. No labor charges.

Hungry Jack

the aluminum for the dropouts isnt gonna cost you much at all. As for the durability of the welds, as long as they're done well, it will be fine, just like any other weld on the bike.

I'm actually doing the same thing on my old criterium, so i'll let you know how it goes.

dirtyphotons

that's awesome. i know nothing of welding, but it sounds like you've got a great resource available.

if it works well maybe a tallbike or cargo bike...

recneps

the ENO hub can work amazingly.

blu3d0g

your frame is aluminum right? 'cause you need to match the metals for welding (exactly as far as I know) so you can use matching filler metal and have everything go together right. if that's the case and you trust the welder, go for it.

ISeeDeadHuffies

Depending on the alloy you will most likely need to heat treat the frame post weld to get any kind of strength. Ask your welder. Sure would suck to have your dropouts break off.

Seggybop

I think the ENO hub is pretty silly. What is it, like $200? Unless you're working on a bike that's already worth many times that, I don't see how it could be worth it. The difficulty of finding an acceptable magic gear is way overstated. People read stuff on the interwebs saying omgz teh vertical dropz aer teh fail and then repeat it endlessly without having ever tried it out. You might not be able to get the exact gear ratio you want, but you can get it close enough.

Fugazi Dave

It's a lot less than $200. No, it's not a cheap hub, but there's also nothing else like it and it's on par, quality-wise with anything else you can find, Phil included. Plus, it works perfectly like it's supposed to. It's an infinitely more elegant solution than dicking around trying to make the "magic" gear work. It works perfectly AND you get precisely whatever gearing you want. If you've got a nice frame with vert dropouts, it's pretty much the only way to go, IMO. Top notch component.

LóFarkas

Vertical is working for me rather decently. Semi-vertical, actually. This one. There's about a mm of back and forth movement in the dropout, extended to 1,5-2mm with a file by yours truly. I also filed the axle a fair bit to gain another 1,5mm or so, so now I can use a somewhat worn chain and still have it tight. Something of a PITA to set it, though, and a seriously worn chain will be saggy.

Sammyboy

You don't have to weld identical materials. A skilled TIG welder can do things that are almost black magic, joining aluminium to titanium, things as thin as foil to plate, etc etc. You may not find anyone with those chops in class though.

CrimsonKarter21

I'll check on this later on. I know for sure that the class has special aluminum welders, but I'll see. For now the bike is staying geared, but come winter when I get my new bike, everything on it will change. As for the ENO hub, the only money I'm looking to spend on this is the money for new bars. I've got everything else, including a brand new, perfect wheelset.

GirlAnachronism

Has anyone else in NY seen that black Cannondale with the welded on track ends? The comically enormous track-ends that make me take a second look every time I see them. It's usually in the East Village, and it was at Ladytron last night. Anyway, I've been seeing that bike around for a while, so apparently it can (and has been) done.

dustinlikewhat

also remember that someone in a welding class might not understand wheel alignment, and you could end up with a wheel that is slightly slanted across it's horizontal axis...

Hungry Jack

good point dustinlikewhat. definitely make sure the dropouts are aligned, I suggest you be
EXTREMELY careful with that part.

You will not have a problem with materials. First off, i'm sure the kids in the class know that you need to use aluminum filler rod when welding aluminum, thats very basic and common sense. If they tried to use steel filler, it simply would not combine with the aluminum, they would notice immediately. The type does not need to be matched, either. As long as it is aluminum, you won't notice the difference.

Don't worry about heat treating either, it will be plenty strong without it.