I am in my 50s, new to bicycling, and decided to take up bicycling to stay in shape and stay fit.

I recently bought a vintage (late 70's-early 80's) Centurion LeMans road bike. I am a woman, and it is a bit too high for me, probably a 56-62cm. I would fit comfortable in a 52cm.

I want to convert it to a 'fixie', or single speed bike.

What I want to know is, if I put slightly smaller tires on it, would it lower the height of the bike? Also, to convert it to a single speed, could I still keep one of the brakes?

Basically, would I just remove the gears, then purchase a new chain?

Thank you in advance for your help.

Welcome to the forums.

Welcome to the forum! I've moved your thread from Introductions to the Singlespeed & Fixed Gear forum. I'm sure they can answer your questions.

Yes but only by a couple mm depending on the existing size of the tires
If its going to be a Single Speed, keep both brakes. unless you would like to put a fixed gear then its ok to go with just a front brake

Purchase a new chain if needed, you should be fine just by removing some links from the existing chain-if its still in good condition.


I would suggest getting a smaller frame. If your going to be riding more often your body will thank you. You would be surprised just how comfortable you can be on a bike that fits your body. I hope this helps.

Hi there, welcome! I think your bike at the moment is too big for you and it would not be advisable to ride it especially when comfort comes to mind. You might want to sell that bike and get one that's properly sized to you.

+1 on re-selling the bike you just bought and getting a smaller frame. if you're uncomfortable, you won't want to ride. Maybe you could find a designated single speed, might be cheaper and more bike for the money.

Thank you for your replies. I guess I will have to sell it. I will use the money to buy a smaller fixed gear bike.