So I have an SE Draft at the moment, regular single speed bike. I'm looking to get a new rear wheel with a flip flop hub and try out riding fixed. (Check out all this fuss.) I found a cheap wheel on eBay from Bikesmiths (Good? Bad?) that comes with a 14t fixed cog and lock ring. It seems like a great deal, but t the same time I'd like to have my 16t freewheel cog on the flip side. Would the chain length difference be significant between a 14t fixed and 16t free cogs? Can I make the tension tight enough just with pulling the wheel back in the horizontal track fork end? (It seems close, each link seems about 2 inches, and 2 less teeth would be about a 2 inch difference, the fork end on my frame is probably little more then 2 inches...so...)

Unrelated question: I'm assuming that buying a new tire with a flip flop hub is cheaper then installing a new hub on my existing tire. Am I right? I'm just guessing it would be 40 bucks for a decent hug, a solid 50 bucks to relace the wheel, and another 20 for a cog and lock ring versus the $65 tire I found complete on EBay. (Besides, having a spare rear wheel will only encourage me to build a new single speed bike!)

Any suggestions are welcome. I'm a broke college student, so lets keep this as cheap as possible!

Thanks!

One link is half an inch. Thus, the 1/8" (or 3/32") by 1/2" chain. I would assume you would be fine, but you'd be adding an extra two links to keep the wheel in the same position, if I'm thinking correctly, which I may not be.

Installing the 14T will only require you to pull the wheel axle 1/2" back in the dropout, which should not be a problem unless you are already within 1/2" of the end of the dropout with your 16T. However, my question to you is why you would want to use a 14T FG cog, which is huuuuuge. What is your front chainring, anyway?

Yes, flip/flop is the way to go for a combo SS/FG.

Awesome, sounds good.

The flip flop rear wheel I found for cheap comes with a 14t cog and lockring, my only reason for choosing it. My front chainring the standard 36t the bike came with.

I know flip/flop is the best way to go, but is buying a new wheel rather then installing a new hub in my exsisting wheel the best way to go about getting flip/flop functionality?

I would say so, unless, of course, you have a hidden skill in wheel building. Wheel building generally costs on the upper end of 50 dollars (where I've been at least). A new hub will cost you a fair amount, and you'll probably need to get new spokes too, and then there's the wait -- oh the wait.

Chances are, the wheel you're getting is nicer than the rim you have already. One other thing -- I recently ordered from the bikesmiths, and they get two 's from me.

Then I'll be placing my order as soon as I get some more cash! ...just need to decide if I should get a 16t fixed cog as well...

OK, I didn't realize your chainring was only a 36T, so the 14T cog is not that bad. It gives you a reasonable 69 gear inches. I'd just buy a complete wheel, and avoid the hassle of the rebuild, which would probably cost more, since you may also have to buy new spokes and could only re-use the rims, plus the shop labor.

Lots and lots of fail in here. One tooth usually moves the axle by less than 1/8". Going from 14t to 17t will move you further than going from 18t to 21t. Because the relative change in size of the smaller cogs is bigger than the larger cogs.

On my kilo with the stock chain length & sprocket (48), I've run from 15 to 19 (with 23c tires) - and could easily still fit with a 14t cog, but that'd be way to many gear inches. Barely any clearance with the 19t and the tire / seatpost, but it looks sweet. btw - after all those sizes, I now run 48/17t (whatever GI that is....) and not for the skid patches, honestly.

After some research, I found this on Sheldon Brown's site:

I have an eccentric rear wheel, so I don't have as much room to move as most.

Answer me this: I am moving from a 53-tooth chainring to a 48-tooth ring. I am dropping 5 teeth. This means, according to Sheldon, that I am moving the axle by about 5/8" [5 x 1/8"]. So to compensate, I ought to remove only one link from my chain?