I found a 1970s schuwin(sp?) continental and purchased it with the intent to make it a single speed. Currently it is all stock and is a 21 speed I believe. The frame has slanted horizontal rear drop outs. What parts do I need to buy and what actions need to be done to create a single speed and maintain freewheel motion? I know this is a little openended but I'm very new to this. Thanks

bump

Go to Sheldon Brown's website and look for information. You could also look at the opening page and read the other ten threads that are currently going on about this same topic or use the search function and read through hundreds of threads that deal with this exact same topic. You could also type it into google and read through millions of hits on converting a bike to a fixed gear/single speed. You could also buy a track hub, spin a freewheel on, shorten the chain, possibly remove 1 or 2 front rings and you are on you way. You could also take the wheel off, have the freewheel removed, spin a bmx single freewheel on, remove 1 or 2 chainrings, shorten the chain and be on your way.

Can I purchase a long tooth rear gear and replace the 7 gears that are on there with it and fill the space with the spacer set? Can I use this with a shorter chain and be on my way or do I need spaces on the bb gear set as well? Also can any chain be shorted by oneself?

what's a long tooth rear gear?

i'm guessing that the hub has threads and that the 7 geras that are on there are part of a unit that screw on to the hub. you'll need a freewheel remover tool in order to remove it. replace it with a single speed freewheel unit.

read sheldon brown's stuff on chainline; you might need to eyeball or measure the chainline and move the chainring of your choice to the optimal position (probably inside of the crank spider).

you can shorten the chain yourself, but you'll need a chain tool and know-how.

note that the bike's chain, cogs, and chainring are of 3/32" width. if you buy a 1/8" width single speed freewheel, you'll need a 1/8" chain. you will not, however, need a 1/8" chainring.

Get a fixed gear cog, and spoke wrench. Install it in the rear wheel.

That Schwinn has a one piece crankset, I don't know if thats gonna be a problem.

Nah, just ignore one of the rings for now. Also, your bike is most likely a 10 speed, with a 5-speed thread-on freewheel on the rear. Read Sheldon's stuff on re-spacing and re-dishing a wheel for single speed use, and get a BMX freewheel for it (standard, not metric, threading).