So I need some help here.

Here's what I have.

Mavic Ksyrium SSC.
Giant TCR Team ONCE frame, vert. drop out.

Here's what I want.

Use the frame and wheels.
Option 1 fixed <---- would really love to try riding a fixed gear. I promise i won't wear cut off jeans, t-shirt and a cap, while sipping on a starbucks coffee.
option 2 single speed. (If I go with single speed, that'd be easy, get a tensioner and be done with it)

Here are my questions.

1. Can I convert the Mavics freehub to a fixed gear type without rebuilding the wheel.
2. If #1 can be done. How can I make sure there's no slack in the chain? I can't seem to find any calculators for chain length. Is it possible? I can buy one of those links that allows you to remove or add a single link, instead of 2. That should help right?

Thanks. any help will be appreciated.

I'm sick of riding my commuter around town just to pick up lunch or something. Too scared to ride the roadie 'cause well, San Jose sucks! lots of bike thiefs.

Not easy to convert that bike to fixed. I'd do it right by getting a new wheel with an ENO hub.

Or surf eBay and try to snag someone else's fixie compulsion that quickly faded once they realized the girls still weren't going to go out with them. Stay away from the SE's.

https://eehouse.org/fixin/fixmeup.php
enjoi...its fairly accurate, worked for me

you can very possibly use the surly fixxer with your mavic wheel. you may want to do a bit more research to be sure, however:



you can indeed use a half link with the vertical dropouts to achieve better tension. here is an article about finding the "magic gear (ratio)" to use with a given bike with vertical dropouts:

https://www.63xc.com/toddp/halflink.htm

the link posted above is good as well, perhaps better.

Man, save you Ksyriums. Those are nice wheels. Plus, the only way I'm aware of to convert to FIXED is by welding up the pawls inside of the freehub body. So.... (EDIT: didn't think of the fixxer....)

You have two options: Best method, buy a cheapo Formula Fixed/Free Hub, and build it to something like an Open Sport. Shouldn't cost you too much.

Or, get something like thishttps://pricepoint.com/detail/13456-2...ersion-Kit.htm to convert the Ksyriums to SS.

As for chain tension, you're going to want a tensioner, such as one of the ones herehttps://pricepoint.com/thumb/3-Parts-...arts-False.htm.

honestly, even though people deride giants, i'd rather see that TCR team and ksyriums used properly, like a geared bike. if you want to do ss/fixed, sell 'em and build up a track frame and wheels. an ENO would be the way to go if you absolutely must have a fixed-gear TCR, though— you'd be better off selling the wheels and building your own set with a rear ENO hub and the front hub and rims of your choice.

"magic ratios" are do-able, though not easily. I dont know what the drop outs look like on that frame, but if they are thick enough with a dremel you sould create some long-ish horizonal drop outs, but I dont know if you want to modify your frame or not.

yea, I saw that while shopping for my new road bike.

I wish I can start fresh, new frame and wheels but I just dropped about 3k on the roadie. My gf would kill me if I start building another "new" bike.

Thanks for all the links, I will study them when I get home tonight.

stfu, neither the rider nor his parts owe you anything.

easy chief, neither do you.

Be careful with the fixxer, it's only comptable with hubs that have splines for a Shimano freehub body. Ways to assess this are: remove the axle/cones and insert a 10mm allen wrench in the freehub side. If you can engage it, then the freehub is removable (turn the wrench counterclockwise to unthread it, then pull it off) and it is compatible. If, like some modern hubs, the freewheel mechanism is built half into the freehub body and half into the hub body itself, then it won't be compatible. Most of the ones like this that I have seen have cartridge bearings on the freehub side (the axle is pressed into both sides, and spacers are removable with allen keys), while compatible ones have cup-and-cone bearings. Surly has the tech manual for the Fixxer on their website, so if you don't know what I'm talking about, take a look at what the hub splines should look like there. You should be absolutely certain it will work before plunking $85 on a hunk of aluminum.

It works very well though, I use one for my disc wheel.

ok, so I just found an old thread here that states the fixxer is not going to work on any mavic hub.

Oh well, time to re-think about how much I really want a fixed gear. Hmmm...maybe if my gf was out of the picture.......

maybe it's time for a new gf.

Unless you're willing to build a new rear wheel out of an eno. Don't bother. It's more trouble than it's worth. Magic gears are useless. The instant the chain wears any, and you'll get slack. There's also ZERO way to adjust it on vert dropouts. You get what you're stuck with even IF you find a magic gear.

The fixxer itself is a good chunk out of a new rear wheel anyways. Even if you had money to drop, this is a money losing exercise unless you *really* *really* want to be a hipster.

SS would be about 90000x easier to do, and cheaper. All you have to do is buy chainring bolts, cog and spacers an maybe a tensioner.Total for this stuff can't be more than $60.

Thanks. I guess single speed it is.

Thanks all!

you could sell the ksyriums and build/buy a wheelset with a white industries eccentric hub. that's what i'd do.