converting to fixed

rob brown · Nov 13, 2007

I have an old raleigh (80's I think) with reynolds 501 tubing in the garage and would like to convert it to a fixie as it has the old style sliding drop outs. Now i'm on a bit of a budget but have some idea of what I'm talking about as I own a on one il pompino.

Now here's the technical bit..... I'm pretty sure that the cassette is one of those old screw on free hub jobbies. If so can I simply unscrew this and screw on a track cog?? I seem to remeber reading this somewhere but just wanted to check.

cheers.

Max P · Nov 13, 2007

You can but it is known as a suicide cog for obvious reasons. If you crank it up real tight and use a BB lockring with decent locktite and use two brakes you should be fine. A proper track hub has a thread the same but in addition a smaller left-hand thread that the lockring screws onto. If you use the fixie for braking (ie backwards pressure) then the cog tries to turn against the lockring which being a LH thread tightens up rather than loosens.

rob brown · Nov 13, 2007

I have no intention of running the bike with anything less than two brakes

thanks for your help.

hollister · Nov 20, 2007

suicide hub

1.loctite cog on hub,wait a day

2.loctite lockring,wait a day

ride,enjoy,pony up for a real fixed hub.fixed gear(or wheel like you guys call em) is soooo much fun

(if'n the lawyers ask, i didnt recommend anything)

elite504 · Nov 20, 2007

hollisters description is all I do. . .
But bear in mind, when I went to see the track championships in Ghent, no-one used lockrings (less weight), as tehy said you NEVER get enough back pedal force to unwind compared to haw much forwards welly you put on it. UCI regs say juniors must use lockrings (not so powerful the screw the cog on hypertight I guess??), but seniors a lockring isn't compulsory. Hope this helps. never had one unwind yet . . .

Stick Legs · Nov 20, 2007

I had converted my Apollo (27" wheel) road bike to fixed wheel when I was at school, the chap across the road from my parents is a keen cyclist (He is now in his '60's, has had a heart bypass and still rides an early '80's Dawes Galaxy, Audax stylee with Mavic hubs and Simplex gears

) and he gave me a 27" track rear wheel.

I don't remember that having a lock ring. But it did have 2 cogs, so it was a proper fixed hub. Unfortunatelty that bike was thrown out by my parents when I went away to sea, obviously figured that I would not need it when I had newer ones there. I am glad I have my own house now!

andrewl · Nov 20, 2007

I've never run the lock ring on my track bike either so you'll probably be fine without.

The only issue you may have is the offset on the hub and geting a good chain line.

velomaniac · Nov 22, 2007

Wheel offset can be a problem but if the chainstay clearance allows it you can use chainring spacers to move the chainring inboard. Hubjub on the internet are a good source of these. Chain alighnment is very important for smooth running and chain not coming off !

As a freewheel hub has a wider threaded portion than a fixie hub for the mounting of the sprocket it will take longer to unwind itself if you shift it from back pedalling and believe me you feel it shift and thus quickly pedal forward to resite it. In short a lockring is not an absolute must on a converted freewheel hub.

Cheers

elite504 · Nov 29, 2007

if using an old wheel, you can always swap the hub spacers around to move the sprocket further out for a better chainline. Re dish with 360 degrees off all drive side spokes, and 360 degrees on all non driveside. Check the dish, and see if it needs more. Otherwise, a rebuild is advisable if its something a bit more posh, or if you want to do a 'proper' job.
See how much you like it first. Fixed is an aquired taste, but its a taste I can't get rid of.. . .

converting to fixed

rob brown

Dirt Disciple

Max P

Senior Retro Guru

rob brown

Dirt Disciple

hollister

elite504

Stick Legs

andrewl

Senior Retro Guru

velomaniac

elite504

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