I'm going to try my hand at converting a late-80s Schwinn Traveler 12-speed to a singlespeed (horizontal dropouts). After doing a little research, I just want to confirm a few things:

1) I need a special tool for taking off the freewheel, correct?

2) I should buy a singlespeed kit, correct? If so, which one will work?

3) Is a kit the only thing I need?


I've been to Sheldon Brown's site, but there is almost too much information -- it's easy to get lost.

Some brave soul should take the time to properly archive and organize all his writing. Not it.

1. Yes.
2. No. Buy a BMX freewheel, and then respace and redish the wheel. A SS kit is for a cassette type (or freehub) hub, and you have a freewheel hub. Look up both freewheel and freehub on Sheldon's site and you'll get the idea.
3. Probably a good idea to get a new chain too. And respace/redish, of course.

You need a singlespeed kit if you either have
a) Vertical dropouts
b) freehub (like a freewheel but the cogs are a seperate piece.)

You have neither. You need the LBS to remove the freewheel (don't bother buying the tool. You won't need it again and there's so many different kinds of freewheels that if you do, it'll likely be the wrong one.) All you need after that is to shorten your chain and put a ss freewheel cog on there.
Parts: $15-25 (varies by whether you want/need a new chain.)
LBS Labor: $0-5 (removing the freewheel is a 30 second job.)


*edit* This does not take chainline into account, but you'll be fine using the inner ring (or moving the outer ring to the inner position.)

And you know what kind of freewheel he has... how?

Because it's a 12 speed Schwinn Traveler. Not that complicated.

because in all likelihood a late 80's schwinn bike has a freewheel.

Somehow I missed this post. This is all completely correct. I deleted mine, as a result. Eh, maybe I could add that you can adjust the chainline to some extent by moving the single chainring you'll leave on the crankset, to the inner position, or even adding spacers into the chainring bolts, between the cranks and the chainring. And you can push the freewheel a bit outwards with spacer rings that you put on the hub. If you can achieve good chainline using either or both these procedures, you can save yourself the effort of redishing the wheel. Which, by the way, will still require you to add/move spacers on both sides of the rear hub axle.

No **** sherlock. How do you know which freewheel remover he needs, specifically. I said what KIND of freewheel, not what kind of rear wheel.

Someone wake up one the wrong side of the bed today?


If you don't care about the old freewheel, they are pretty easy to destroy/remove with basic tools and application of force.

Go back and re-read the original post, he says DON'T buy a freewheel remover and just take it to the LBS to get the freewheel removed for $0-$5.

Thanks for the replies guys. One more question -- what is "redishing" the wheel exactly?

Edit: never mind -- found it on Sheldon Brown.