Hi All

First post on here and i hope i don't annoy anyone by asking loads of newb questions :|


I've been watching from a distance with regards to Fixed gear and reading loads of stuff about how to convert bikes into a fixed. I think i'd rather learn more that way than start with an already built fixed and learn later.

BMX is where i usually lie, but i've got a bit over the whole dirt jumping phase now and wanted something else to obsess over

Just wanted to see if this is a good place to start with regards to my fixed gear journey?


https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=330401856324


Thanks in advance...

this is a good place to start

START HERE!

i've had a read through that thread and it's helped me decide some things, but i was just wondering if anyone else had any experience with that kind of thing? its the right size for me and i like the idea of a 'retro' frame to start with.

I'm not asking for any help on what to do with it next, i want to learn all that through the process of taking it apart and rebuilding it but, its just the initial starting point and i can't tell if its got horizontal or vertical dropouts in that picture? or if there's something terribly wrong with getting that complete bike over something else?

ahh... with that, i can't help you. maybe someone else will chime in.

It's a good starting point. Strip everything but the frame and fork. Go for it man.

P.S. It's a safe bet that bike has horizontal dropouts. You should be fine there.

thanks... i'm bidding on it now, so hopefully in less than 24 hours i should potentially own my first fixed gear project. its pretty exciting...

i'm in the middle of sourcing a good local powder coater for getting it all shiny and looking new after i've built it. i don't fancy getting it done first before i've converted it into a fixed gear because if i destroy something i'm guessing the paint will be the first thing to feel it :|

That paint i pretty cool I would leave it.

Remember its your first fixed gear not your last.

I would not invest a ton of resources you may not like it or You may want something nicer in the future.

the way i'm planning on working it, is that when i get the bike i strip it down to its bare components and give it a wee bit of a clean to see what the actual frame is like and the using the majority of what is there to make it fixed but without spending too much before i know if its for me or not...

if it is then i'm going to start with crank, chain, rims and tyres and then after i've updated the main parts i'll go for a headset, bar, seat post and seat replacement...

then finally if i don't find a different frame and forks that i like, or if i fancy a change then i'll go for a paint job and see what happens from there... it'll be a long project i reckon but it'll be worth it when i get to ride my new fixed gear (with or without the perfect parts and paint)

Yeah, it's ok to take it slow. I've been beating around on the same Peugeot conversion for the last 2 years. I've not really made any changes to it's setup because I have it dialed in pretty nice. It's quiet, smooth, solid and fast. Perfect commuter with the bigger geometry.

Hope your conversion treats you well, just take the time to do things right and you wont have any problems.

Just be aware that older french bikes will have some odd size parts/thread pitches...etc...

sounds awesome to be honest... i'd love to have a bike that's perfect for me to ride. properly looking forward to it now.





I am worrying slightly about this, like rims, tyres, and crank issues? like what would be the best sizes to use on it? benefits and drawbacks of using certain types of rim and tyre, etc...

i'll just have to take it as it comes and see what happens... as long as i can get it fixed then i'll be fine, then i can work the rest of the replacements at a later date.

Probably the biggest concern is bottom bracket. Velo Orange has a pretty good looking French BB. I haven't tried it but I'll probably pick one up to have around. Sheldons site has tons and tons of info on this subject.

You'll run into weird stem, bar and seatpost sizes but wheels should be a snap.

I'd keep all the components except the rear derailleur. Take the old freewheel off (the five gear cluster) and add a new freewheel cog. If the front chainring is a 48, use a 16 or 17 tooth freewheel in the back. Adjust chain length. Make sure the brakes have new pads and probably new cables and housings. Add some bartape. Off you go. Singlespeed bike on the cheap. Then start upgrading parts after you get a feel for what really needs to be upgraded.

I took this bike


and turned it into


then


Bike looks and rides great but I poured ~$700 into it. Ridiculously easy to spend way too much on a project.

that is very nice... love the conversion... can't wait to get mine now... got like 2 and bit hours till i know that its mine

Thats the wrong way to win an auction unless you like to overpay. When you bid, you are advertising to the whole world that you just put in a bid, and you give competitors time to continue to bid it up. The best way to bid is to decide the absolute maximum you are willing to pay, then bid in the last minute. This does not give you time to get emotionally attached to the item (and overbid), nor does it give anyone else time to engage you in an illogical bidding war. In the meantime, if some other idiots keep outbidding eachother, you stay out of it and don't contribute further to the price increasing. Use that time to consider what you are willing to pay. If the price goes over your maximum before the last minute, then just let it go. There are millions and millions of items on ebay...something just as suitable if not better will turn up almost immediately.

The posted bike is not French. It is English. Raleigh made some bikes with propraitary threading, but I don't think this is one of them. Too late. I would be more concerned about the 26" wheels, unless the seller has made a listing mistake. I'd ask. 26 could mean any of number of tire/wheel sizes.

thanks for the advice

I've already got my final price in mind so that i don't get drawn into the eBay battle... i'll see how it goes and if i win then i win and if not then, like you said, there's millions more to look at... this one was the (i think) 15th that i looked at... and the 2nd i've bid for, so its not the end of the world if i don't get it.






What's the downside with the 26" wheels? or what else could 26 mean? sorry i'm really asking to be slapped with all these questions...


thanks for all the help though its been a big help

Depends on sizing. Odd sizes may have availablity problems. Read here for some insight on the bewildering variety of 26" sizes:
https://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html
They're not interchangable, and some are obsolete.

Frankly, I'd ask the seller. Given the listing, he/she does not seem to have a lot of bike knowledge. Try to find out the ISO spec for the tires.

Also, note that a frame made for 26" wheels is made for a smaller rider. They were mostly juvie bikes, for middle school age kids. That bike appears to have cottered cranks, which may or may not be a pain to get off. The photos aren't the best, but cottered cranks also indicate steel rims, which would be pretty typical for a period bike aimed at the "young adult" market.

I'm not sure I drop 50 bucks plus shipping on that bike-- I'd need better photos and more info at the least.

Your questions are not stupid in the least. Bikes have their own nomenclature, and are a mess of sizing standards. Once you wander into the land of older bikes, things can become confusing fast without a guide or two.

What kind of bars are those? How did you like riding them flipped?