26" Wheels?
 

I am building a fixed-gear utility bike and I found a great deal on a candidate for conversion, except for one thing... it has 26" wheels as opposed to the typical 700c or 27". I haven't seen any 26" fixies or even singlespeeds, and google is no help- is using a 26" wheelset some kind of taboo in the SS/FG world? I prefer big wheels, but the deal is very good and I'm on a low budget.

You can make an SS/FG with whatever wheel size you want. What kind of bike is it? For a utility bike, 26" wheels are probably better anyway because you can run just about any tire you can think of. I made one for myself out of an old mountain bike for commuting/snow riding.

Here ya go...

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...88shastafg.JPG

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...whitedoor1.jpg

I converted a 26 no name road bike worked fine theres not much of a differnce.

I have to run a chain tensioner and FG is not really an option, but I'm pretty happy with my 26" wheeled SS utility bike.
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z...s/IMG_1628.jpg

This is before I switched to 700s. I'm still thinking about trying to use the rear brake posts as a means of attaching a non-permanent rack, just need to do some customizing.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k113/coma061/GT04.jpg

add to the list of fgmtb:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/...587fe113_d.jpg

I love all of them.

Chi-james and sixty-fiver- those bikes look fantastic! Is that a brooks saddle on the white-tire mountain bike?

Anyway, nice to know I'm not the only one- tire options are one reason I could deal with a 26" bike, as well as cheap and near-universal tubes, brake systems, rim and spoke repair, etc.

A few more questions- I'm used to 700cs and apart from my 20" folder they're all I've ridden for over three months now. I am pretty skilled at even BMX-style curb hops and such on my 700cs, will the 26" wheels be that much of an adjustment?

Second, tire options- I need something that can do mild off-roading, general bad weather duty, and still get me to around 15mph on a clear day without excessive rolling resistance. What sort of tread pattern/tire width should I be looking for with these uses?

Third what about clips/straps for pedals? What kind of shoes are necessary to ride with them and are they worth it for a singlespeed as well as a fixie?

No.

Lot's of 26" options. Look for tires with tread that is smooth in the center and something with more grip on the sides. This will give you less rolling resistance on the road, but provide some traction on looser ground. However, for many off-road situations--like dirt trails--smooth tires work just fine.

Edit: Here's an example: http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...5_10000_200518
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=170065

1. If anything, those tricks will be easier on a 26" bike, especially because (I'm assuming) it will be a mountain-style bike.

2. I like my 26"x1.4" slicks for everything except serious offroading or snow. They are quick and silent on pavement but surprisingly capable elsewhere.

3. Run what you want. I have clipless pedals on all my bikes except my SS/FG commuter, on which I don't have any foot retention.

(My apologies to those of you that have seen my ugly bike a dozen times.)
http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/z...s/IMG_0816.jpg

I ride bikes with wheels in almost every size ever known save for 24 inch... 26 inch wheels are that nice in between that roll out and usually ride better than really small wheels (without a suspension) and are much tougher than 700c road wheels.

As for a great multi use tyre that will give you everything you ever wanted plus good flat protection and a long service life I can only suggest the Schwalbe Hurricane... mine have at least 10,000 km on them and show very little wear and have never flatted.

Thanks, that answered most of my questions. Fastjake, I really like the rim style on your bike, from the photos is looks sort of "deep-dished", if that's the right word for it. Were there any older (ie, something I can find used and cheap) bikes that had that rim style?

Sadly this bike was stolen....I'll build a new one up someday. Old Rockhopper.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2781/...e969b9ec7f.jpg

Not that I know of. Those rims came off my 2009 Marin Muirwoods. And although they may look "deep" in the picture, they really aren't. They only have a little "V" to them, about the same width as the braking surface.

Man, that's too bad!! I really like it, very clean if you will. Looks like it was too much fun to ride!

Look what I found in the dumpster today... see pic.

It's no ordinary Free Spirit tank. It's a proper bike, one of the imported Puchs- lugged frame, far better general materials/build quality than the gas-pipe tank of a Freespirit bike I found before, and surprisingly low weight for a bike made with standard steel (about 28lbs once I removed the stand and rear rack).

The fenders mount well, work well (though they could use mudflaps) and look decent. Frame/fork are the same. The wheelset is okay, but leaves something to be desired. The seat and bars are very nice. Everything else will be changed or replaced for something better or lighter. I will also be adding bar tape, keeping a small front brake lever, adding a headlamp and round cateye reflectors to replace the kludgy and heavy square ones, and trying strapped pedals.

Now to the immediate problems- where to get a good track cog and lockring to replace the freewheel, where to get the freewheel pulled/wheel redished (LBS? What's an average price for that kind of job?)

Also, where's a good place to buy cheap pedal straps, and are most platforms compatible with them?

I used this webpage and about ten bucks for cheap pedal straps (& they work great!)

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/...d-gear-riders/

also, my 26er,

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...s/IMG_1382.jpg

edit: since this pic i've aded a chainring with one additional tooth, the chain tension is perfecto now.

Wheelchair wheels?^^^

naw, teny rims from china, has a flip-flop in the rear.