Fixie build thread - any interest?

[Rocksteadyeddie]

For reasons best known to myself I am going to put together a fixie. Obviously it's not as exciting as hacking sheet metal, and welding and all the other McGyver type stuff that guys on with most of the car build threads, but happy to document if there is any interest, or to poke it up me own arse if not?

[jamescodriver]

Please do! I've an 80's Peugeot in my garage waiting for me "restore" it,'motivation is needed!

[jamescodriver]

Please do! I've an 80's Peugeot in my garage waiting for me "restore" it,'motivation is needed!

[HowMuchLonger]

Would be interested, but being harsh for a minute a fixie does not exactly have many components to put together.

Will you be building the frame yourself?

[okgo]

No.

[anonymous-user]

take your skinny jeans and go poke yourself

[XitUp]

jamescodriver said:

Please do! I've an 80's Peugeot in my garage waiting for me "restore" it,'motivation is needed!

Me too. I just need to get some wheels, and cranks, and a sprocket.

[fixedwheelnut]

Here are a group of usefull Fixedwheel links I set up on another forum, I've been building my own fixed bikes for years just ask if you get stuck.

edit to add the Fixed FAQs
fixedFAQs latest version

The number one drooling site
Fixed Gear bikes Gallery


How to links
Sheldon Brown runs Harris Cyclery, a good bike shop with a strong web presence. He's here both as supplier of a first-rate selection of cycle bits and as a fount of useful knowledge. His website has so much good stuff that it would be crazy to miss it. Please take a look. You'll probably stay for ages. Why not bookmark us so that you can come back when you've finished?

Why ride fixed? Fixed Gear Bicycles for the Road

Fixie conversions Fixed Gear Conversions

Fixed gear parts Harris Cyclery: Your Fixed-Gear Bicycle Headquarters!

Sheldon on chainline http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainline/

63xc.com--How To | FG 101


Shop links
Condor Cycles London


SURLYVILLE

Highpath Engineering : Home page

Track cycling has ceased trading so I usually buy from Parker International, excellent service. Worldwide Cycling Mail Order Specialists & Consultants - Parker International

Izumi 1/8th chain, with review http://bikereader.com/forum/index.php?topic=28258....

GOLDTEC HUBS Goldtech hubs

other hubs
Kogswell Cycles - The Fork (IS) The Frame

Phil Wood

Hubjub

Old Skool Track NYC

http://www.fixedwheel.co.uk/

http://www.londonfgss.com/ London fixed gear single speed forum

There is a free calculator you can download here
http://www.machinehead-software.co.uk/

it takes into account tyre size aswell

or go to google;
[quote]Hello, I am Bruce link=topic=27141.msg360227#msg360227 date=1168259616]
I was playing with Google's Calculator, and came up with a formula for calculating cadence that I thought I'd share.

Just go to Google and type in

((SPEED miles per hour)/(CIRCUMFERENCE metres) * (SPROCKET/CHAINRING) in (minutes ^ -1)

with appropriate values for your SPEED, wheel CIRCUMFERENCE, and SPROCKET and CHAINRING tooth counts.

e.g.

((31 miles per hour) / (2.155 metres)) * (19/49) in (minutes ^ -1)

Gives 149.6 rpm.

("minutes ^ -1" just means rpm).

You can change the units, e.g. speed in km/h, or circumference in furlongs, and Google with handle it automatically.

[/quote]

BUSINESS CYCLES- Technical Reference Specifications For Track Bikes and Track Components

http://eehouse.org/fixin/formfmu.php

Welcome to londonfixiebike


kiwicycles | home of fixies and freewheels


FOFFA bikes, good value fixed wheel builds.
http://foffabikes.com/

[garylythgoe]

Out of curiosity, what kinds of prices can you build a 'budget' fixie/single speed for? Roughly? I've seen the 'Create Bikes' flip flop hub bikes for about ~300 and not sure if its worth DIYing ?

[Rocksteadyeddie]

garylythgoe said:

Out of curiosity, what kinds of prices can you build a 'budget' fixie/single speed for? Roughly? I've seen the 'Create Bikes' flip flop hub bikes for about ~300 and not sure if its worth DIYing ?

I reckon I'll be all done for £350 ish. I will leave it to you to judge whether the £300 ones you can buy are as good as, better than, or a total pile of **** compared to mine.

[garylythgoe]

How long you reckon it will take? I'm intruiged

[Rocksteadyeddie]

garylythgoe said:

How long you reckon it will take? I'm intruiged

I need to acquire some bits, but I'll get started this week sometime with a bit of luck. The difficult bits - as far as any of it is difficult - will be re-dishing my existing rear wheel for single speed, and getting my position as close as possible to my road bike with different geometry. I intend to commute on it (c30 miles each way) so some sort of decent set up is reasonably important.

To be clear none of this is new, none of it is particulalry challenging, and none of it has not been covered 100 times on the internet. But, I often see simple questions being asked about bikes so thought it might be useful to illustrate how I chuck a bike together.

[thanetspeedshop]

garylythgoe said:

Out of curiosity, what kinds of prices can you build a 'budget' fixie/single speed for? Roughly? I've seen the 'Create Bikes' flip flop hub bikes for about ~300 and not sure if its worth DIYing ?

'bout 8 quid (for the tyres, the rest of it I found).





Oh yeah, I bought the lock as well . Got it at the pound shop, can't remember wot it cost...

[thanetspeedshop]

Who'd bother to chain that up?

Found the frame/forks etc as a mangled mess in a skip...

[HowMuchLonger]

thanetspeedshop said:

Not sure that the forks had that much rake when they left the factory!

[fixedwheelnut]

garylythgoe said:

Out of curiosity, what kinds of prices can you build a 'budget' fixie/single speed for? Roughly? I've seen the 'Create Bikes' flip flop hub bikes for about ~300 and not sure if its worth DIYing ?

Cheapest way is just buy a seconhand steel frame preferably 70's with 120mm rear drop outs [thats the axle measurement between the rear of the frame] often seen £50 region in local papers and get a rear fixed wheel, the only other two things you might need are a shorter Bottom Bracket axle to correct the chainline to the rear sprocket and a 1/8th chain

[NUEZ]

I am starting to do the same. 30 quid 70s racer from ebay as a base. Just need to get the parts

Plan for me it to create a 'beater' on the cheap that I am not scared to lock up. Don't like leaving my road bike locked up (even with a very good lock)

If you based in London, the London Fixed Gear and Single Speed forum is very good for parts.

http://www.lfgss.com/

[amnesia182]

A couple of guys at work have just bought these...

http://www.primera-sports.com/products/track-bikes...

Might have to try one out ;-)

[magpie215]

does anyone know if this represents VFM?

http://www.sportsdirect.com/universal-track-bike-9...

[thebluebus]

I am in the middle of rebuilding my old bike into a single speeder.

I don't think I'm keen on going the full fixie though. Somebody sell me on why I should.