What do i need to build a fixie?

[mill_mobile]

Ok, i have searched and couldn't find anything so here goes...

I am thinking of building a fixie.

Apart from a frame and this: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Track-single-speed-fixie-groupset_W0QQitemZ230328481897QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Sport_Cycling_Parts? hash=item230328481897&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A1%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318 what else do i need?

I know i will need 2 wheels... does the back wheel need to be built up specially? Will the hub that comes with that kit just need to be laced into the rear build?

Any help appreciated!

Cheers a bunch!

Jono

[saskatchewanian]

rims, spokes, nipples, tires, fork, spacers, headset, seat post, post clamp, brakes (optional but highly recommended), pedals, possibly a chain tensioner (depending on frame), a rear cog, tools, time, money.

I am probably missing a few bits but that should get you started.


For most of my biking questions I go to MTBR. They have a great forum over there too.


edit: missed your question about the wheel build. Build up the rear wheel with normal 3X lacing. I would be tempted to lace the front wheel radially but I don't know how smart that would be with a hub of unknown quality.

[ntappin]

double posted :(

[ntappin]

Get a Chain Tensioner too.

If you get a frame with horizontal dropouts then you will need one of these. http://www.danscomp.com/products.php?cat=PARTS&show=ChainTensioners

If it has vertical dropouts you need a kit like this. http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/15164-075_RENRL6-3-Parts-664-Single-Speed-Parts/Rennen-Rollenlager-Single-Speed-Chain-Tensioner.htm

Those will keep your chain tight. With horizontal dropouts you can do it by hand and just tighten it up a lot. But it is way easier to keep it tight, and a bit more safe if you aren't using brakes to have a chain tensioner doing the hard work.

You will also need a rear cog, since that set doesn't include one.

For just starting off I would go with a slightly larger cog, as it will make it a bit easier to control the bike.

I would also start with at least a front brake. I just got a new fixie, and I must say I'm wanting a brake already. I can ride it and skid no problem, but I also haven't been in any really dangerous spots yet. It is kind of like having a helmet. You may never hit your head, but if you do, you will be happy you have one.

The chain they are supplying you with is also a pretty cheap one, and if you aren't using a brake then I would put the money into a nicer chain like a Sram SS chain, again it is an insurance thing, you don't want your chain to snap and there is a lot more pressure going into a chain on a fixie.

Also don't be a fixie hipster, get a real bike frame, make sure it fits you, or you will be complaining later.

For pedals you will probably be using cages to start, so make sure you get a pair that are comfy. I have crappy cages on my new bike and they dig into my toes on my front foot when I try and skid, so make sure you get some nicer ones.

[kington99]

a note on your frame, unless it's designed for single speed the bottom bracket will be low and you will be at risk of pedal strikes on turns with normal length cranks. You need to use slightly shorter cranks and narrower pedals with a normal road frame or you will have a nasty accident.

[mill_mobile]

Thanks for the replies everyone, its much appreciated :)
I am pretty busy with work at the moment and stuff but will write a more detailed response hopefully tonight.
Cheers.
J

[phlegm]

Get a Chain Tensioner too.

If you get a frame with horizontal dropouts then you will need one of these. http://www.danscomp.com/products.php?cat=PARTS&show=ChainTensioners

If it has vertical dropouts you need a kit like this. http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/15164-075_RENRL6-3-Parts-664-Single-Speed-Parts/Rennen-Rollenlager-Single-Speed-Chain-Tensioner.htm

I don't think you can use a chain tensioner for vertical dropouts. The tensioner would have to be strong enough to withstand the forces in a fixie drive train, and I'm not aware of any such thing.

My fixie has vertical dropouts. I built it with a mountain bike frame, which is nice because it has a higher bottom bracket which provides more pedal clearance when turning. When I built it I calculated what chain ring and sprocket combinations would work for the frame I had. Alternatively you could figure out what combinations will fit by trial and error, changing either the ring or sprocket by one tooth difference at a time.

Also, I don't think you really need a tensioner. I have track nuts like these (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/fixed.html#bolts) on my fixie, and I've never had them come loose.

[kington99]

yes the jockey-wheel style tensioners are made for single speeds, on a fixie when you back pedal the side with the jockey wheel will go tense, flattening it against the frame and allowing the normall tense side to go slack. This then allows your chain to fall off just as you're trying to use it to brake. Oh damn. I have built a singlespeed mtb with vertical dropouts by spending ages arseing around with the chain length. This might be your only option if you have a vertical dropout frame.

As for track nuts, I've had trouble with my wheel shifting but my dropouts are only semi-horizontal and face forward, so tensioners aren't an option.

[habbywall]

You may want to go with a flip-flop hub.
I've heard that some people like the ability to switch between fixie and single speed every once in a while.

[Mikefule]

Checkout Sheldon Brown's website. Also, Google "fixed wheel" or "single speed".

I bought a fixie ready made a year or so ago. Great on the flat and rolling country, but dreadful on very steep hills, up or down. At the moment I am running it as single speed with a freewheel.

[Spudman]

Since I'm too cheap to spend money on parts, I ride a POS fixie that is the result of converting an old ten speed Schwinn. If you can get a hold of an old mostly complete bike, the only part you'll need is a fixed wheel for the back (I know some people who converted their old road bike wheels into fixed wheels by pulling off the cassette and just lock-tighting a fixed cog on, but that's a really sketchy way to do it). Once you have a wheel and a bike, you can just rip off all of the redundant parts that are no longer useful!

Note that this method doesn't result in a proper bicycle, but it's a nice way to build one up quickly for next to nothing.

[ntappin]

You may want to go with a flip-flop hub.
I've heard that some people like the ability to switch between fixie and single speed every once in a while.

What he showed on ebay was a flip flop.

I'm pretty sure the tensioner I posted though would work. It doesn't move. You bolt it into the quick release, then adjust the tension, then bolt the other part in at the derailleur. So it is bolted into two spots, and doesn't move at all once it is bolted in.

I think too, if you are going to build a fixie, you should at least make sure that the drive train is legit, if anything happens to it, then you are boned, and it is always nice to have a bike that will last.

[florida]

You need to determine the size of the wheel chain(40-50) and what size will be your rear cog(14,15,16). This determines the geared inched and if u want to ride hills you better stay in the 70-79 range. True fixies have no brakes but do u have the guts.

[ntappin]

I forgot to mention, you can also get half chain links to fine tune a chain if you need them, so you can get the chain just the right size.

[Catboy]

I'm suprised nobody mentioned this:

You're going to need a whole lot of smug! Fixie riders are very smug, in the complacent kind of way, and you just wont look right riding along with a big smug smile and attitude. Don't forget to try and smugly draft/race every non-fixed gear road bike you see. When they shift gears and put you in their dust, become even more smug, for you must be the better rider, you only have 1 gear! Clipless pedals? No way, rat-traps are much more smug.


SMUG SMUG SMUG!

[john_childs]

I ride a fixie and enjoy the smell of my own farts.
I have even been considering getting a Mac and Prius.

[ntappin]

I'm suprised nobody mentioned this:

You're going to need a whole lot of smug! Fixie riders are very smug, in the complacent kind of way, and you just wont look right riding along with a big smug smile and attitude. Don't forget to try and smugly draft/race every non-fixed gear road bike you see. When they shift gears and put you in their dust, become even more smug, for you must be the better rider, you only have 1 gear! Clipless pedals? No way, rat-traps are much more smug.


SMUG SMUG SMUG!

Hah, I used to see fixie riders doing that, and then try and race them on my coker just for fun.

I can't wait to try clipless on my fixie though.

O and John's post made me laugh.

[uniextreme]

I'm suprised nobody mentioned this:

You're going to need a whole lot of smug! Fixie riders are very smug, in the complacent kind of way, and you just wont look right riding along with a big smug smile and attitude. Don't forget to try and smugly draft/race every non-fixed gear road bike you see. When they shift gears and put you in their dust, become even more smug, for you must be the better rider, you only have 1 gear! Clipless pedals? No way, rat-traps are much more smug.


SMUG SMUG SMUG!

The Smugness is key but a side backpack and dirty mustache are important variables as well.

[hopeful]

This: http://www.mcbains.com.au/index.php?q=node/540

By far the easiest way to do it, and, depending on your level of skill building bicycles, maybe cheaper than doing it yourself- much like buying all the parts to build a unicycle may end up costing more than just buying one already made.

If you're dead-set on building one yourself for as cheap as you can, find an old steel frame bicycle with horizontal dropouts (they don't have to be rear-facing) that seems to be in good shape, and go down to your LBS and have them order you a rear wheel (or build one for you) and then enlist the help of someone knowledgeable to get you all set up on it.

Matt.

[Spudman]

True fixies have no brakes but do u have the guts.

Yeah, stopping is for pussies!

[ntappin]

I just finished my second day of commuting via fixie, and I've now done about 6 rides outside of that on it, and I must say, I'm really seeing both the downsides and the upsides to riding them.

Noticeable pluses have been:

Fitness, it is definitely way more of a workout
Maneuverability, the higher bottom bracket makes slithering through deadlocked traffic, very fun, much easier, and much more safe.
Skidding is really fun.
No nothing on the handlebars just feels nice
Simplicity.
Light weight (relatively, my chromo fixie weighs less than my old aluminum road bike).

Downsides have been:

Hard on the knees.
Definitely a bit unsafe, I really want a front brake even though I've learned how to skid quite well and I tend to be a good rider because I know its not all about me when I'm playing in traffic.
certainly not as efficient.

So should everyone get a fixie? No, but should anyone that is interested give it a go? Yes, Fixie riding is defnitely different enough to warrant getting another bike (although I wouldn't replace your trusty steed with one of them if you already have one), and if you ever have a chance to borrow one and are interested in the least, don't pass it up.

[unibikeling]

the hardest part about learning to build a fixie is telling your parents your gay (no offence to anybody)


for anyone who doesnt know what i'm talking about, post a thread on Observedtrials.net about how riding fixies is cool.

[ntappin]

the hardest part about learning to build a fixie is telling your parents your gay (no offence to anybody)


for anyone who doesnt know what i'm talking about, post a thread on Observedtrials.net about how riding fixies is cool.

Yeah you will probably get about the same reaction as if you said uni trials are cool.

You get the same reaction if you talk about doing tricks on a fixie in most fixie forums as well.

It is like talking about how awesome scooters are in this forum.

[john_childs]

Downsides have been:

Hard on the knees.
Definitely a bit unsafe, I really want a front brake even though I've learned how to skid quite well and I tend to be a good rider because I know its not all about me when I'm playing in traffic.
certainly not as efficient.


A nice thing about a front brake is that it makes it easier to reposition the pedals after you come to a stop. After you come to a stop and have one foot on the ground and one on a pedal, lock the front brake, push the bike forward to lift the rear wheel off the ground, spin the pedals into position for getting started again. Nifty! That advice from Sheldon Brown (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html#mounting).

[ntappin]

A nice thing about a front brake is that it makes it easier to reposition the pedals after you come to a stop. After you come to a stop and have one foot on the ground and one on a pedal, lock the front brake, push the bike forward to lift the rear wheel off the ground, spin the pedals into position for getting started again. Nifty! That advice from Sheldon Brown (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html#mounting).

Sweet, I haven't had too many issues with bad pedal position though I think because of unicycling, if it is in the back I just push off with my left foot and put my weight on the handle bars so the pedal just keeps on going, otherwise I can just put my weight on the pedal and go.

The one thing I have been wondering is what kind of ratio people ride in the city? I've been riding 3:1 almost and it is pretty fun, but it seems like something a bit lower might be more practical.

[john_childs]

The one thing I have been wondering is what kind of ratio people ride in the city? I've been riding 3:1 almost and it is pretty fun, but it seems like something a bit lower might be more practical.

3:1 would be a higher gear than normal. My bike came with 46x18 which is about 69 gear inches. It's very close to double the gear on a Coker.

Most city and recreational fixies are using something between 60-70 gear inches. Sheldon Brown has a gear calculator (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/) that can calculate gear inches, or just take your ratio X 27".

[ntappin]

Yeah mine is 48 15. According to sheldon brown that is 86 gear inches!!

I think I will take it down to 70 or so

Is it easier/better to change the chainring or the rear cog? I can get both at the same price pretty much, the chainring would be a blackspire and the rear cog would be a surly, both 30 bucks.

[Mikefule]

My fixie was 46 x 20 on 700c = 65" and was good for most stuff except really steep hills.

As I live near really steep hills, it is now 46 x 22 on 700c = 58" and with a freewheel instead of fixed. I will ride it fixed when I'm away from the valley - I did some fairly level cross country on the 65" fixed last year.

That's on 700c X 23 mm slicks.

[hopeful]

My track bike is 46 x 14, which translates into 86.3 gear inches, which I find comfortable. I used to ride 46 x 12, or 100.7 gear inches, until I broke a cog and chain while riding.

If you change the chainring to something smaller, you'll end up with a more compact and lighter drivetrain, if you change the cog to something larger, you'll end up with a larger and heavier drivetrain.

[john_childs]

I found a gear calculator for fixies (http://software.bareknucklebrigade.com/rabbit.applet.html). What's cool is that it also calculates the number of skid patches (http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_sa-o.html#skidpatch).

If you're going to be skidding you want to get a higher number of skid patches on the rear tire so the tire wears in more spots. Figure out how many gear inches you want then try to find a combination of chain ring and sprocket that gives a good number of skid patches.

[maestro8]

Figure out how many gear inches you want then try to find a combination of chain ring and sprocket that gives a good number of skid patches.

Um, shouldn't you change your shorts after the first skid patch shows up?

I didn't think riding fixies was that scary...

[john_childs]

Riding fixies isn't scary. The skid patch calculations have defined upper and lower limits based on your gearing. You aren't going to have a skid patch happen way out of bounds.

The chamois skid patch (CSP) calculations for a Coker or geared Coker are not so cleanly bounded. The CSP is nice and linear and well bounded for low speeds up to 10 mph. From 10 to 14 mph the CSP increases linearly but still is bounded. Above 15 mph the CSP starts to go up exponentially. Go above 22 mph and it becomes unbounded with streaks in your shorts extending all the way up your backside.