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How to Build a Fixed Gear Bicycle: Fixed Gear Conversion

A helpful how-to guide for irresolute your rail or road bike to a fixed gear. Included gear recommendations and budget estimations.

Step 1 – Have a look at your rear wheel.

Your runway or road bike volition virtually likely be either 27 inch or 700cc size, measuring the diameter of the cycle. In that location is only a iv millimeter difference betwixt the two sizes. You may desire to stick with the same size of wheel that you currently have – if you change cycle sizes, you will have to conform the achieve of the front brake. This is of import later on. (Keep reading.)

Understand that Stock-still Gear bikes practice not need a rear mitt restriction. You accept control over the rear cycle using the pedals. I highly recommend that you KEEP your forepart brake. Relying on the pedals for breaking is non rubber in a city environment. Stay safe; continue that front restriction.

VERTICAL VS. HORIZONTAL DROPOUTS

Take a look at your frame where the rear cycle is bolted to your frame. At that place are ii types of dropouts (the area that your frame is bolted to the bike axle) either horizontal (pregnant that the rear wheel slides out at an angle or horizontally) or vertical dropouts.

Dropout types affect your chain tension. Sympathise that the chain must be tight on a fixed gear bicycle. With a horizontal dropout, you lot can but slide the axle dorsum and forth to find the Best concatenation tension.

With a vertical dropout, you will NEED an boosted item – the chain tensioner. Chain tensioners keep your chain tight and in a line.

MEASURING YOUR DROPOUT

Remove the bike from the dropout and insert a metric ruler in the space where your axle goes. Nearly track and road bikes have a length of 126 to 130 millimeters. Go along this measurement in listen when y’all choose your hub.

Step 2 – Do you desire to buy a new Rear wheel or catechumen your current hub?

The hub is the metal cylinder at the center of the bicycle. This is by far the Most important function of a fixed gear. Without a expert hub, you run a risk having a shoddy bicycle or even worse, a dangerous cycle.

DIY hubs are oft referred to past bicycle enthusiasts every bit “suicide hubs”. Don’t take the risk, brand certain to get a decent hub or a decent hub converter kit.

HUB CONVERSION KITS

Hub converter kits are available at many bike retailers. Essentially, these supplant the rear sprocket (rear gears) with a single track cog. I recommend the Surly brand hub converter kit; it ranges from about $60 to $fourscore dollars at most retailers. You tend to get what y’all pay for; I think it’due south a good idea to spend the extra cash.

You lot may need special tools to remove the rear sprocket and supervene upon it with the conversion kit. You may as well desire to have a wheel professional perform this assembly; labor should cost tens of dollars. If you take no experience working on bikes, I recommend taking it to your bike shop, they volition assist with the spacing and lining up the cog.

NEW HUBS

Hubs are the nearly expensive piece of equipment on a fixed gear cycle. If y’all are purchasing a new hub, I will make one important recommendation: Sealed Bearings. Lower-quality hubs will not be sealed, and will accept a serviceable ball bearing. If y’all want a quality fixed gear bike, make sure to get a sealed bearing hub.

Once more, if you want a quality hub for a decent price, look to Surly, Formula, or Dimension.

If you lot want a fleck college-quality and have the cash, I recommend White Industries, or Phil Woods.

In that location are as well many alternatives – again, expect for sealed bearings and good reviews.

BUILDING A NEW WHEEL

Hubs come in 32 to 36 hole variations. Make sure that if y’all’re building a new cycle, you cull a hub that fits your rims.

I recommend taking the hub and your rims to your local bike shop – nigh custom wheel builds are effectually $50 dollars – information technology’south a good idea to have a professional person handle your bike building rather than attempting to make a wheel from scratch.

FLIP-Flop HUBS (Fixed/free hubs)

Flip-bomb hubs are a skillful idea for many first-time fixed-gear riders. These hubs characteristic a side for a single-speed freewheel (cog with bearings) AND a fixed gear cog. So, by flipping the bicycle around, you can choose between a unmarried speed and a fixed gear bicycle.

LOCK-RINGS

Sympathize that fixed-gear hubs will accept a reverse-threaded portion on the hub. This is to gear up a Lock-ring on the track-cog. Exercise non ride without a lock-ring, your cog volition spin off when yous brake.

The lock-ring is threaded in reverse; braking causes the lock band to tighten against the cog.

STEP iii – Gear Ratios and Tooth size

Choosing a cog size and tooth number is something to inquiry on your own. Nevertheless, I will say that larger rear cogs will event in a lower gear. Choose wisely, most likely y’all will want a middle footing between the highest gear and lower gear.

In a urban center surroundings with flat landscapes, you won’t need a lower gear. In a hilly environment, you may want a lower gear ratio.

I recommend purchasing a higher-toothed cog for city riding. More teeth = faster acceleration, lower height speed. Less teeth = college top speed, lower acceleration.

Front Concatenation RING AND PEDALS

For the front end chainring, yous may want to retain your original and continue the chain on one of the gears. Or, buy a new Chainring for your ain gear ratio.

I like to go on my chain on the high gear, this allows a medium stroke and a comfortable speed for city riding.

Keep your pedals high. You cannot lean around corners when you ride a stock-still gear, you have to go on pedaling.

Footstep four – Keep the Concatenation Straight

Here is the rule with stock-still gears – KEEP THE CHAIN IN LINE. You lot may have a difficult time finding the best chain size for your wheel.

Purchase a new chain; ($nine to $thirty), fixed gear bikes tend to cause a big amount of stress on your chain. Get a new concatenation and stay rubber.

As stated earlier, for vertical dropouts, you need a chain tensioner for accurate chainlines. (Some people even have chain tensioners on horizontal dropouts.)

I will mention that White Industries has produced an Eccentric Hub that does Not require chain tensioners – a chain tensioner is included on the hub itself. White Industries Eno Eccentric Hub ranges in price from $140 to $170 dollars online.

SUMMARY

If you enjoy fixing bikes and don’t mind getting a petty greasy, by all ways build a stock-still gear. Fixed Gear edifice is an incredibly rewarding hobby – you have command over a large number of variables every bit you gather the cycle. There are many other details when assembling a stock-still-gear bike, this article can only handle a few of those details. Most bikes are unique.

Still, if yous Practise NOT bask working on bikes, I recommend only purchasing a new wheelset and simply taking it to your bike shop for assembly.

Again, building a fixed gear is Not a spectator sport. Poorly-assembled or poorly-maintained bikes are dangerous – you are at your ain risk when building a bike, do Non push the limits of your technical expertise.

As with any technical projection – ask a professional for advice before you lot invest fourth dimension or money.

Upkeep Breakup

Option 1 – Simple Hub Conversion

Hub converter Kit – $sixty-$eighty

Chain $9-$thirty

LABOR: $50-$100 or three to four hours

COST: $120 – $210, not including shipping

Including a new chainring ($xl-$100): $160 to $310

Option ii – New Wheel or Wheelset

Bicycle – $lxxx to $200

Chain – $nine to $30

LABOR: $25-$50, or two hours.

COST: $115 to $280, non including aircraft

Including a new chainring ($40 to $100): $155 to $380

Option 3 – Build a new wheel

Hub – $60 to $150

Concatenation $nine to $30

LABOR: $75 to $100, or 3 to four hours

Cost: $140 to $280

Including a new chainring ($40 to $100): $180 to $380

FURTHER Resources

Here is an excellent resource for Stock-still-Gear Information, if you are interested, please check out Sheldon Brown’s website – information technology’south fantastic!

I institute nearly of the equipment I needed on these websites. At that place are many additional shops online, these were my favorite.