HowTo? Fixed / Singlespeed conversion from an old bike

road bike geometry is generally considered more comfortable for road riding than track geometry, mainly because it's designed to be. the fact it's a road frame isn't why it should be built properly, it's because it's a hand-built frame built by one of the most respected framebuilders in the country/world.

there's also the problem that anyone who's been into cycling for over 20 minutes will take one look at you riding fixed on a classic frame like that and think "what a tool". also the fact that you spent £225 on a frame, having never built a bike before may also make people think "what a rich tool".

tl;dr: BUILT NICELY WITH GEARS PLEASE

Rich tool is not the look I was going for! Frame arrives today, i'll consider either gears or selling it on as there is a genuine 'Roberts' who is interested. I currently ride on a track frame so may be worthwhile getting another one for this new build instead of perverting a classic road frame with my filthy fixed gear ideas, Teenslain how many bikes do you have by the way!

If you want to build it fixed/SS, then do so.

go with McCarthy suggestion - build it fixed/ss if you like, just try not to 'puppy kill' it by removing stuff like the braze on/repainting etc.

It's a good bike to keep, especially if in the near future if you want to build up a geared bicycle, you already have a frame.

Don't be bullied into selling that frame - it's totally a keeper. yeah as ed sed just don't start hacking and filing it, build it fixed and then you've always got a sweet frame if in the future you want to build a geared bike... but comeon, don't sell it!

What those two said. It's your bike, do what you want with it, just don't do anything irreversible or tremendously silly with it.

The frame says "Diamond Road", the seller tells me.

http://imgur.com/hqdp3.png

Here is a large pic of the derailleur:
http://imgur.com/bTlQW.jpg

I'm thinking it might be the same bike as this (this pic is not from the seller of the above bike):
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pVASdIFqnaY/SKruVJD1oRI/AAAAAAAAACs/8bj-JW9G59Y/s1600/IMG_0015_.jpg

Worth a go or not? Seller wants ~£100§

Looks good for £100, is it the one in the first pic?

Bridgestone made some fantastic bikes, and even the 'low end' ones were innovative and stylish, and mostly well specced. I cant see a Diamond Road in any of the catalogues, but then I own a Radac hybrid that also isnt in any of the catalogues, so that doesnt mean ought.

Buy it, bin the stem, love it.

Looks good for £100, is it the one in the first pic?
Yup, that's the one of the two (I'm afraid).

I managed to pick myself up a 17inch Ridgeback Velocity which has been butchered/converted into a single speed. The person who did the conversion was about 14 years old.

All the gears and cogs are still on the bike, and I'm not sure whether the SS gear ratio is best for me. It also doesn't have a rear brake, although i have the bits for it.

I'm not sure whether it would be quicker and easier and cheaper repair it back to a geared bike and get myself something else single speed.

So what do all my lovely LFGSS friends think?
And where is the best place to get it repaired? (as I have no techy know-how and my sweet smile will probably mean I will get stitched up by my local bike shop.)

Thank you in advance for any input.

Ok need a hand?

How many gears on the rear wheel? o see if its a cassette or free hub.

Actually am willing to give a hand in return for tea and biscuits. Nt a mechanic just a tinkerer.

yes please.

This looks very much like what I have got. All the bits are either on the bike, or in a plastic bag.
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/ridgeback/velocity-2009-hybrid-bike-ec017036

Tea, biscuits, and I might even bake a cake in your honour. Tinker away...

I would restore the gears and back brake. Take Lynx up on his offer of help.

yes please.

This looks very much like what I have got. All the bits are either on the bike, or in a plastic bag.
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/ridgeback/velocity-2009-hybrid-bike-ec017036

Tea, biscuits, and I might even bake a cake in your honour. Tinker away...

I'll show you what to do, and bring tools, and help. Trying to explain along the way.

Looking at that it might be that straight forward, maybe better to return the gears and then look around for another frame with either track or horizontal drop outs.

I'll show you what to do, and bring tools, and help. Trying to explain along the way.

Looking at that it might be that straight forward, maybe better to return the gears and then look around for another frame with either track or horizontal drop outs.

Thanks, that sounds brilliant. IF i baked a cake... would your preference be cherry and walnut or coffee surprise cake?

Hi,

Just wanted a bit of help and advice really. Bought my Gazelle Tour de l'Avenir a while back and it's served me well, my first bike tour through France and Spain. Held up really well, rack & panniers etc across the Pyrenees.

But now I want to make a little project out of it, never done much like this before so bare with me! I'd like to convert it from a geared to a single speed, it's running a suntour groupset (minus the shimano back derailleur to the suntour snapping), I'd like to keep the front chainring and cranks etc.

Also looking to fit some moustache bars to it, (I saw this project).

The wheels are Weinmann concave.

What do you think? where should I start?

Thanks!

Dan

http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/2807/dsc0003ck.jpg
http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/6949/dsc0005bd.jpg
http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/2742/dsc0004ep.jpg

just single speed?
work out which gear you want to stay in first.
take the derailleurs and shifters off, and take off one of the chainrings on your cranks and replace the bolts with single-chainring specific ones.
then get a freewheel (http://www.pushbikes-uk.com/products.php?plid=m6b174s194p2980&rs=gb) and ask your lbs to re-dish and re-space your rear wheel accordingly and to fit the new freewheel.

Is it defintely a freewheel hub not a freehub?

yes, the bike is from the 1970s.

Any comments on chainline / where to fit the chainring on the crank?

trial and error, most likely fit the chainring on the inside of the crank spider.

Does OP want to go fixed, or at least wants to try it?

judging from the first post, no.

Is it worth getting new wheels with a flip-flop hub?

not unless the op wants to go fixed.

just choice a gear you like, then shorten the chain to fit without the gears.
and put all the puts you took off into a little box and put under the bed.

Cheers for the replies!

Spending wise, just a reasonable amount, I can do most things myself like removing old gear parts across the bike, but don't want to rape this bike of a nice finish! The body work is tip top, and the wheel's gleaming... so the only thing I'd really like to focus on is the gears / bars.

I think I'd prefer single speed, for comforts sake. Basically just been riding around town with it in the same gear for a while, and just prefer the idea of it, really. When it comes to chain tension et al, I'd be pretty stumped but the simple task of removing parts / shortening chain I can do!

I had a trawl about this section of the forum to find tips and that, but not really too much in the way of projects, like you said!

Thanks for the help so far, I'll get the bits off first and then see where I'm at from there!

Dan

Would this frame make a good fixie conversion?
If you were me where could you start?
I would like to repray the frame black.

Thanks
Brent

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nice simple raliegh
horizontal dropouts
should be a problem at all

I'd start by reading through the forum and sheldon brown's site. You should be able to find all the information you need.

This is going to be like Current Projects for noobs. We don't need a new thread every time someone asks about how to convert something. It's all been covered by Sheldon anyway.

yeah good idea
do you advise the OP when they get merged ?