the roots of cycling.
how to build a fixie
- get a used road bike
- take off the front and rear derailleurs, along with the rear brake, rear brake lever
- take off the freewheel (attached to rear hub), using a freewheel remover (there are three different sizes, ask your LBS about your specific size.)
- you might as well just buy a wheel with a track hub, which will have the reverse-threading you want. OR do it the cheap/dangerous way: keep the old hub, and screw on a lockring. use locktite to hold it (real track hubs have reverse-threading, old road bikes don't). this means that your cog may start unscrewing during a back-pedal if it is not on tight enough. just buy a track hub.
- screw on 1/8 inch track cog. other sizes won't work with a 1/8" track chain.
- take off all but one chainring, make sure you have some spacers or single-speed bolts so there's no play in the chainring
- slap on a 1/8-inch chain (a bit wider/heavier but stronger than usual road-bike chains)
- ride up a big hill to tighten the cog, repeat as needed
tips
- make sure your chain's tension is correct; not too loose, not too tight. you should be able to hold the bike sideways and shake it (with pedals moving) without the chain falling off. also spin the rear wheel and make sure the chain isn't so tight that it's make the wheel stop turning.
- you'll go through (rear) tires pretty quickly, depending how often you ride, and how you skid. you can easily go through a tire in a month, if not sooner, and some tires are better than others.
ride at your own risk
always wear a helmet!
also ensure that the chain-line is more or less straight. (from the rear cog to the front chainring, that is.. if it's not, the chain will come off)using a brake
when racing on the velodrome, you are not allowed to use hand-brakes. when riding in the city and on roads, it is advisable to have a front-brake installed, if only for emergencies. you may be confident that you can stop in a short distance without a brake, but what will you do if the chain comes off? or one of your straps break, or the chain breaks, etc. it will always happen at the worst time, e.g. when you're going down a steep hill towards a red light, that's when you're pulling the hardest..why fixed gear?
Each and every person on a fixie has their own reasons. some like the extra workout you get (going downhill you have to back-pedal to slow down), some do it for track racing on a velodrome, some do it just have a fancy bike. a fancy fixie won't be as expensive as a fancy road bike. no matter why you do it, riding fixies has the benefits of building strong legs and developing a round pedaling-stroke.
Stopping on a fixed gear is accomplished by pushing backwards on the pedals (on a fixie, stopping the pedals stops the rear wheel), which is not the same as the old-school 'coaster' brakes.
you also can't do a backwards circle on a freewheel bike (at least most people can't). doing a backwards circle is one of the most fun things you can do on a bike! here are some backwards circle videos from youtube for you to enjoy. just keep practicing, you'll get it!
fixie links
- fixed-gear gallery
- old school track from nyc
- sheldon brown's fixed gear pages. great resource for cyclists wanting info on fixed gears and how to make them.
- forum for fixie riders
- single-speed group on flickr
- site dedicated to track racing
- fixed gear wiki - wiki for fixie riders
