KendallF

Figured I'd post a few pictures of how my fixie conversion turned out. I started with a $15 rusty 10 speed a guy at work picked up on Craigslist. I paid him $15 and took the carcass home. The goal was to do a low to no-dollar conversion, then if I'm having fun and riding it, buy some better parts for it along the way.

I stripped the frame and painted it with some leftover base/clear that a painter friend gave me. I learned that I do not have a steady enough hand to outline lugs with a brush. I had to touch up every one with the base color.

The parts are all original with the exception of the seat, bars and brake levers which I had in my parts bin. I had to buy a track cog and bar tape, that was it. The crank had a big ring with a separate bolt pattern and I just cut the spider off and left the small ring. Reversed the bottom bracket axle to get a better chainline as well. Polished things a bit and tried to wire brush the rust off where necessary.





Here's what I started with:

huerro

Looks good!

If you are lining the lugs with white, I've found a whiteout pen works pretty well.

sfcrossrider

Looks great. Congrats.

toddistic

how'd you attach the cog without a lockring?

KendallF

As Always, Sheldon Has The Answer:

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixeda.html

I used locktite and an old bottom bracket lockring. Note that some people refer to this as a "suicide" conversion.

kringle

I like that color scheme.

Did you degrease and wire brush the threaded area of the hub before applying the red loctite?

Judge_Posner

the bike looks good. andddd you get extra ghetto-points for having two brake levers and one brake.

KendallF

I went through the leftover paint cans at my painter's shop..knew I wanted a two tone effect. He didn't have any bright primary colors but the purple looked like it would pop. Plus, I knew it'd be a hit with my girls.

Yes, I cleaned the threads before doing the locktite. I rode it tonight and tried to coast once..lifted the back wheel 6" off the ground. Seems like it's holding.

I was wondering if anybody would spot that. I like riding in the hoods, especially on a bike like this that's not a race rig.

pinkrobe

They're not even the original levers - extra point.

edit: No wait - two minutes for looking so good!

j0e_bik3

not your fault, pinstriping is THE hardest thing to learn in all of custom painting, you need to pull about 5 THOUSAND lines, before you'll start getting the technique down.

here are some things that will help you right off the bat, then just practice, practice, practice,.....

1)the BRUSH is CRITICAL to pulling nice even, clean lines, for lining lugs I like this brush, and NO OTHER:
https://www.mackbrush.com/virus2.htm
I like the #444-2 personally, but cruise around the mack brush site and read, you'll learn alot. (and they have every freakin brush you'll ever need)

2) the brush needs to be broken in: thats part of why it takes so many pulls to get the technique, half of it is just breaking in the brush, which is WHY I like that virus brush so much, the synthetic "golden taklon" breaks in after only about a hundred strokes (pulls), and actually releases (makes a line) really good right out of the box,....easy to learn on.

3) the paint needs to be at JUST the right viscosity: too thick and it globs, and wont pull a clean even line, too thin and it wont cover and the brush will "grab" (it sticks) and you'll have to go over it again (which always looks like crap), so get the thinner for whatever paint your using (I like House of Kolor pinstriping urethanes and reducer), and use some kind of shiny magazine paper to "pallette" the paint back and forth on the paper with the brush, adding a few drops of thinner, or paint, working the paint up into the heel (area near the ferrule) until you get it where it pulls nice and slippery, and makes a perfect line. now keep in mind that this stuff dries pretty fast, so you'll CONSTANTLY have to work the paint, and add thinner, or paint as you go,...seriously once the paint is perfect, you have about a minute till it starts thickening.


as you can see this is rather involved, and will take some time to learn, so I see NOTHING WRONG with going down to the art supply store and getting a paint pen, and lining your lugs with that. NOTE!!! if you are clear coating over a paint pen striped bike, shoot a test panel FIRST!, a piece of pipe, or coke can, ANYTHING thats NOT the bike, and then pinstripe the test panel with the paint pen, then wait no less than 6 hours (at 70 degrees, longer if colder) and then shoot some clear over the test piece to see if you get wrinkling or other weirdness. if you DO,...wait a few days and try it again,..once the paint pen paint has cured out fully, it shouldn't react with the clear, just make sure you shoot a SUPER LIGHT COAT, then let that cure for a few hours, THEN blast on your 2 or 3 or 4 coats over that.

tricky but not impossible once you have some knowledge, and practice, so you bring your skill level up.

trons

looking good! needs one change though (unless i am wrong) - the cranks/chainring look steel

chrism32205

looks good.. nice job

KendallF

Joe,

Thank you for the detailed reply. Great tips all.

kemmer

The cranks are alloy, but I still think they should be replaced. Sometimes cutting off the outside part and removing the extra ring can make the cranks too weak. I would try and find a better quality set up.

dijos

love. I'd ride that thing to death.

nightfly

I've got a similar Italvega (that unfortunatly I paid a lot more for), if you need some cranks for it, look at some older Sugino Mightys. They look just about right on that vintage bike and they aren't too pricey used.