d-bag newbie here with stupid chainline and BB conversion questions
 

Hi all...since i live in an urban area i ride quite a bit to where i need to go. never a fixed\ss though. i recently found an old columbia frame at our local co-op and decided to make a fixed\ss out of it. what a pain in the a** it's been trying to find parts that fit (all i had was the frame and fork). i have a couple of questions i'm hoping someone can help with.

first...im not sure my bb conversion piece and my wheels are gonna work together. everything i read says i need a straight chainline. does that mean perfectly parallel to the frame? or just not totally out of whack? (again...newbie here)

second...i had to buy this 1 piece-3 piece bb conversion kit. http://www.bikepartsusa.com/bikepart...ategory=search . has anyone used one before? anything i need to know? should i have gone with this one? http://harriscyclery.net/itemdetails.cfm?ID=1335

ps...here are the cheap-o wheels i bought if it helps (decided not to go balls out on the first build) http://cgi.ebay.com/Track-Fixed-Gear...3A1%7C294%3A50

thanks for any help you can offer...

Any bottom bracket can go with any wheelset, so you don't need to worry about that.
The chainline doesn't have to be perfect, but it should be within a few mms of parallel with the frame. I hear it's less of a big deal if you use a 3/32 chain/chainring/cog than if you use a 1/8 setup.
You have that conversion kit; don't worry about others; it's a sunk cost.
Read up on making conversions here: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html
Don't listen to the haters on here that will inevitably tell you that it's not worth it to convert that bike and to instead buy a Kilo TT; you'll learn a ton and love the bike way more if you do it yourself.
Have fun!

Go ahead and use the Pyramid bottom bracket. Grease the bearings well and the threads lightly. Make sure the threads on the bottom bracket shell of the bike are nice and clean.

Read all the sheldonbrown.com stuff. Like Scratcher said, don't worry over the chainline too much. Follow Sheldon's instructions on how to measure and get a rear wheel hub that'll fit or be very close.

I'd imagine if that Pyramid bb gets you anywhere between 105mm to 112mm, whatever fixed wheel/hub you get will work. May have to use a spacer on the inside of the rear wheel hub or have the wheel redished.

Have fun.

Thanks much guys
 

I appreciate it. i should have this damned thing built by next week. I cant wait...now for the gear ratio trial & error phase (I've read Sheldons ratio page...i was lost).

If you get a road crank like the Sugino RD, it usually comes with a 48T chainring. I'd go with a 17 or 18T cog in the back. That'll be acceptable for the flats while not being so high you can't climb hills.

If you get a smaller chainring like a 46T, just go with a 16 or 17T. I use a 42-15 on my San Jose. It came with a 17T cog but after a while I changed to the 15.

A one tooth difference on the rear cog makes a noticeable difference and swapping cogs is cheaper than changing chainrings. I gave the 17T cog to a buddy.

Thanks for the advise B. Again, I'm cheaping this first build out, mostly knock off parts. I figure if I love fixed riding as much as i'm led to believe I'll go name brand components on the next one i build. below is the chainring i bought...it's a 46t. my fixed and ss cog is 16t. i figure i'll ride that for a month or so and see how it goes. it's very flat here, and, if it matters, i plan on riding 10-15m a day. any thoughts?

http://cgi.ebay.com/BLACK-TRACK-FIXE...3A1%7C294%3A50

again, thanks for the help. i love forums. i can't wait to post on the "hate on my bike" post when i'm done. should be interesting