Hey guys,

So i recently came across a mid-eighties Miyata Six Ten Steel frame for 25 bucks. ( I figure it was a pretty good deal) Now, this thing is absolutely hit, The frame (from what i can tell) is in good shape but i mean, rusted everything everything else, rims bent all out of wack...it does have Cinelli bartape though! haha.

Anyway, im planing on making this my winter refurb/single speed convert. project. This is going to be my first project bike ever, so Ive recently figured out that i have no idea what I'm doing. Im guessing you guys could help me along the way.

What are the necessities to convert a bike like this to single speed other than the obvious conversion kit? I have no idea where to begin. Can you guys give me a basic list of things I am going to be needing along with the possible places to buy such componentry? Ill post pics later. Prepare yourself, this thing is not pretty as it sits right now...

Im not an expert but have done a few single speed conversions, First remove the shifters and shifter cables, both fd and the rd, then take the bike down to the LBS and have them slap a free wheel cog on the rear wheel, while your at the bike shop get yourself a front chainring single speed adaptor kit (about 5 bucks) its just a bunch of small nuts n bolts that will take the place of the ones you remove from your front chainrings, most times you can place the smaller chainring where the big one used to be, then use the nuts n bolts from the kit to attach the smaller chainring, you cant use the old ones cause theyre to long, sometimes the rear wheel needs to be dished out a bit so the chain can line up with the front chainring, if you know how to do this yourself your ahead of the game add a chain and thats about it I keep both the front and rear brakes as long as they are functional the rest is up to your personal preferance Im sure if I missed something someone will be nice enough to tell you any other questions feel free to ask heres a pic of my latest conversion =)

Did you even read the original post?

The guy said that the only thing that's not rusted and/or useless is the frame.



My two cents to the OP: See if you can get your $25 back. Why?

- If the frame is all that is usable, then you paid $25 for an old frame PLUS the thrill of removing all of the parts. You can get a basic track frame for $100-200.
- It's safe to say that if the rest of the bike's components are rusted then the frame is likely rusted, too. Frames can rust from the inside-out.
- Since you will wind up building a bike from scratch, why not start with the frame you want? It's sort of like, "Hey, I got a great deal on a piece of land. It's in a sh*tty neighborhood and I get to demolish the old house, BUT I'm going to build a great house on it!" Then what do you have? A great house in a sh*tty neighborhood...when you could have built that same great house in a better neighborhood for $100 more.

I did not read the whole post but no need to be testy That being said I would have to agree with carleton

If it were me, and I wanted a single speed, I'd get an 80's 10-12 speed in decent shape for $25-$40, remove the un-needed parts, and put a bmx freewheel on it. Thats about it.

Your $25 frame doesn't seem like a god deal.

BTW I broke a Miyata 714 aluminum frame where it's aluminum tubes GLUE to the lugs at the bottom bracket, while standing up pounding up a hill.

I dunno, depends on how rusted things really are. The outside can be fairly beat without compromising the frame. That's not a promise, but you can figure it out fairly easily by pulling off the cranks, stem, and seatpost. If the frame isn't compromised, you might consider whether the parts are serviceable for your needs on a winter beater. Maybe a little grease and a new wheelset (or even converting a used but functional wheelset) will do the trick. There's plenty of info online for doing this stuff (sheldonbrown.com). If you do go that route, just know it'll cost you a good bit of time.

If the frame is toast or you're not into wrenching, you can still pick up a cheap, functional bike and convert to SS for far less than the price of a new frame. Even if it's just for the frame and you want new components, old frames are great, far cheaper, and potentially higher build quality than a new $100-200 track frame.

well mainly, the only thing rusted is the chain. obbvious the thing sat out in the rain for extended periods of time. the rest just looks like its seen some hard use in the 20+ odd years its been in this world.

the whole reason i spent the money on this thing is just to have something to take apart and rebuild. for some reason, the thought of buying a brand new frame and putting new stuff on it just doesnt seam as appealing as refurbing an old bike. maybe it just me.

Its not just you, most cyclist love building their own bike their way, its a very fun and cool thing to do, if you really want to do it just go for it I agreed with carleton because its a good way to go, but if you really want to make a bike your own do it your way kyselad gave good advise for checking the inside of the frame for rust, if you find any rust inside soak the whole frame in oxalic acid, Ive never used it but know of plenty of people who have with fantastic results

You don't have to buy a brand new frame and brand new parts. But you can start with a good foundation (frame), especially if you are starting with nothing.

It used to be that most people who do conversions either,

A) Already had the bike and really liked it for various reasons.
B) Assume that buying an old beater and properly (emphasis on properly) converting it is cheaper than buying new or used.

I for one just like to build ****! Not that I have a bunch of money to spend, but it doesnt bother me to spend money on something Im building rather than just go out and buy a new bike, Ive done both and always end up loving my hand built bikes a whole lot more kinda like Dr Frankenstien when he built the monster! he was ugly as sin but he loved him anyways! Its alive! Its alive!