but this was first posted in Women's Cycling. They advised me to post here anyway. Haven't been on here in forever. Last time I checked this was a terrible place to be :/ anyway here goes

"Anyway, I've been thinking about wanting to convert this bike maybe to just a single speed or a flip flop.



The only thing I'm concerned about is if this would be a waste of time and money.
and if I get wheels that are 700c that would mean a ton of toe overlap :[ So does that mean I have to find 650c wheels? I think this bike has 26" wheels. I'm not sure. Is that equal to 650c? Would I still have toe overlap? That also means I need to get shorter cranks. I had 165mm cranks on my Pake. I'm short like 4'11" this bike the perfect size for me. The back brakes fell apart, the front one is about to as well. The last bike I built up was a Pake 49cm I ended up giving it to my dad because the bike was too big for me. I was wondering if anyone could help me since I can't really find any information on the Schwinn Caliente; bottom bracket, cranks, etc. Also, price is pretty important. I don't have a lot of money right now and my dad is willing to buy the parts. I've told him to get used parts and I'm guess that won't be hard since I am in Portland. I'm not interested in reading Sheldon Brown either. sorry :[

sorry if this is really scattered. Hope someone can help!

Why are you terrified to post here? We don't bite.
The cheapest way to convert the bike is probably use your current wheels and convert it to singlespeed. It is likely that the rear wheel has a freewheel hub, which means you could unscrew the cluster and replace it with a single speed freewheel; however, I am not certain if it is a freewheel hub, but it most likely is. That way, you don't need to buy new sets of wheels which might cost a lot and create toe over lap problems. Maybe a new crankset is necessary as well.

Haven't been on here in forever. Last time I checked this was a terrible place to be

Good strategy, first insult them and then request their help...

Oh, you know that is not what I meant. hahah.

Scrod might bite. Depends on how he's feeling

Yeah I've thought about doing that, keeping the current wheels. I'm sure it's a freewheel hub. If I do that would I have the option to put a fixed side as well?
Also, what if it's not a freewheel hub? Then what would my other option be?

looks like a nice bike

first off how much is the asking price?

How much I'm willing to spend? Oh, I don't know. Probably less than 200...if that is even possible. Probably with real crappy parts. I might spend a little more probably up to 300. who knows. Is that a little absurd? haha

Just take the derailleur off and BAM! You got a singlespeed.

So all you need is:
New brakes, probably a better seat, bar tape, tires?

Your chain looks okay from here. Make sure you don't have oddball Schwinn size tires. Too bad you don't read Sheldon.

ohh nvm scratch that,

I assumed you didn't have the bike yet

300? thats a lot of dough for a schwinn.

Oh! I bought the bike for 25 dollas

If you are going to use used parts, it probably would only cost around a 100 bucks, but you might have to take it to the shops if you don't have the tools to do a certain task. Like removing chain links, popping of the cranks if you want to change them. But what WoundedKnee have said is the easiest, most economical way to go.

everyone is just acting nice b/c you came in with your tail between your legs. If you didn't mention anything about being scared, people would be like "BAH USE THE SEARCH FUNCTION AAHOIHFASKH"

EDIT: Oh, and because we know you're a chick haha.

hahah, I was scared due to posting in here last time. Everyone thought I was trolling.

oh, the privileges of being a chick in this forum.

;]

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

Every question you've asked so far would've been answered had you bothered to read Sheldonbrown.com

asdfghjkl,

I'm going to risk sounding a little smarmy. That looks like a nice enough bike - why not just replace the brakes with something safe and go riding? That would be the cheapest way to get a decent bike. A little bar tape would go a long way, too. As for converting it - sure. But please understand that converting on the cheap is largely a do-it-yourself affair. Reading Mr. Sheldon Brown is part of that. Lots of folks here can help but no one can teach you how to do a $200 conversion that will be safe, fit you well and you will enjoy in a short paragraph. It's not rocket science but you have to be willing to invest your own time and effort (along with the money you've said you are willing to use) into your project. The advice I'm about to give is top notch - go to Mr. Sheldon Brown's site, read it thoroughly, formulate ideas based on your newfound information and then you'll be able to come back here with a much better set of questions. Again, I'm not cheap-shotting you. I'm just pointing out that your project requires your input and the good folks here can add polish in the form of experience and hard earned knowledge when you have more pointed questions based on a little homework. You came to the right place. Just a little up-front work will go a long way towards making your desires come to fruition.

asdfghjkl,

One other tidbit that would get you to your end - go to your LBS, push the bike in, drop your coin on the counter and say "convert this, please". They'll count your money and tell you when you can pick up your conversion. No bull. It will work almost exactly that way.

bbatle's and oldfixguy's comments above about doing a little legwork are spot-on. This bike is actually a pretty decent candidate for conversion given the condition, but you'll have to put in a bit of work to get it done. However, it's actually fairly straightforward and there's plenty of info out there to show you how to get it done safely.

If you're up to converting it, I would probably stick with the wheels you have and put a cog + bottom bracket lockring (and some loctite) on the rear and then redish the wheel if needed. This would cost very little, and since you're in Portland I imagine you're swimming in bike co-ops where you could get some hands-on help with the dishing, which is the only remotely technical part of the process.

If you're really not into doing much of anything yourself, that's perfectly fine, but just skip the conversion route. In that case, I wouldn't sink money into a new wheelset or shop labor on the Schwinn, just pick up a complete, new bike in the $300 range. If you can't find something locally within your budget (preferable but perhaps impossible in Portland), you can choose from several bikesdirect bikes within your budget, including shipping.

P.S. Forgot to mention that you almost certainly can't fit a 700c in there if it came with 26" wheels. Wheel sizing is a bit of a pain, as there are lots of different "26 inch" wheel/tire sizes. You'll want to check at the outset whether you can still get properly sized tires before converting the existing wheels. But all the info is readily available from ... wait for it ... Sheldon Brown

You can check out the thift stores for bikes and salvage parts. I just got a 1973 Schwinn World Voyageur for $20. My problem is, I can not bring myself to strip it, because it's all original and in really good shape.

Dude, that pic really did give me a fright.

I hate little mean dogs...almost as much as I hate cats.

Excellent post. Do this, Ms. ____asdfghjkl, and thou shalt prosper. Read sheldonbrown.com, especially the page about conversions.

To convert that bike on the cheap, remove all the chainrings besides the smallest one. Remove the rear wheel and take it to a bike shop so they can remove the cogs, install a fixed cog, locking, and redish the wheel. Then get a 1/8" chain and insert spacers (washers) to center the wheel with the chainring. I have converted a lot of bikes for less than $50. Personally, I really like the looks of converted 10 speeds without all the flash though.

Also, look for a second hand bike shop. Here in Houston, I can get brakes for $2, chains for $1, old 10-speed frames for $10, etc.