First fixed bike build thread - Help build my first singlespeed or fixed bike

No problem.

Hi Guys.

I purchased a cheap £150 Mongoose Maurice with drop bars a couple of months a go and really loving it. The bike has taken over winter duties from a much more expensive carbon bike and I can't tell the difference. Loving the single speed!

Any way, the reason for the post is because I want to build up a much nicer and expensive single speed for the summer.

The question is; what are my options?

Track frame is the obvious but can you get nice single speed wheels to fit? I've seen some mavice ellipse but these only seem to be for fixed and not single speed. Can I stick a freewheel on em?

The other option is an old steel road frame for semi horizontal drops, something like reynolds 753. Question is; can I get nice wheels to fit the 126mm rear spacing of an old bike?

Thanks!

Yes and yes (using axle spacers).

Please also use the fucking search as it has all been covered many times in existing threads. Good luck.

Great so I can fit 120mm rear wheels into a retro frame.

Can you actually get good 120mm single speed wheels? They all seem to be fixed? Want somthing that's about £300.

Putting Ellipses on a conversion would be silly. Putting a freewheel on Ellipses sounds very silly, but is perfectly possible. It's the same ISO thread for a freewheel as for a cog. Please don't put Ellipses on a freewheel conversion though. You'll end up in anti.

Either a road conversion or a frame designed for single speed. You'll want it drilled to take both front and rear brakes, which a true track frame probably won't be. I'd ditch the idea for the Ellipses too, you'll wear off the anodizing within a week. If you want Mavic I'd stump up for some handbuilt wheels instead with CXP33 or Open Pro rims

Read this now
http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed/

Hi Guys. I've recently got into single speed bikes and have a mongoose maurice to get me through the winter.

Next year i'm hoping to build up a nicer and more expensive single speed. I'm not converting something I already have, so will be purchasing new parts. Just looking to see what the options are really and the pro's and cons. This will be my main bike for training. Hills and everything.

I think I have the following three options;

1) Track frame with single speed flip hub.
Pros: Easy to get correct chain tension
Cons: Pay premium for track frame. Lack of expensive single speed clincher wheels

2) Old steel frame with horizontal drops
Pros: Loads to choose from and pretty cheap.
Cons: Lack of new wheels with 126mm spacing. Difficult to get correct gear and chain tension.May need 1 tooth bigger/smaller to achieve tension.

3) Old steel frame with horizontal drops cold set to accept modern 130 spaced wheels
Pros: Can purchas brand new wheels. Loads of frames to choose from
Cons: Difficult to get correct gear and chain tension.May need 1 tooth bigger/smaller to achieve tension.

==========================
I'm thinking of going with option 3 because i can run nice wheels and have loads to choose from. Also, I will be able to get a nice frame and not have to pay a premium. i.e. cinellig vigoreli frame costs about £500 when I could get somthing else just as nice for about £250.

I understand I can also cold set a frame to take 120mm fixed/single speed wheels but this doesn't appeal.

This will be the fist single speed i've done. Am I on the right lines? Is option 3 a good one?

Thanks in advance.

You can space out any track hub based wheel to 126mm or beyond, so that shouldn't be a factor, cpl of 3mm spacers for a few pennies and you're away. so that shouldn't be a factor in whatever you decide.

Ok cheers. The reason I ruled out the track wheels was because of the lack of choice when compared to standard wheels. I'm a bit of a boy racer when it comes to wheels, want somthing that's deep, aero and ideally carbon. There doesn't seem to be anything like this in 120mm or 126 options hence why i'm thinking of 130mm.

Cheers

Which forum do I have to post this in for it not to be moved?

Yes i'm sure the question has been posted before but theres more to it than that. I'm not asking how to convert an old frame but what the best option would be for me.

======
Hi Guys. I've recently got into single speed bikes and have a mongoose maurice to get me through the winter.

Next year i'm hoping to build up a nicer and more expensive single speed. I'm not converting something I already have, so will be purchasing new parts. Just looking to see what the options are really and the pro's and cons. This will be my main bike for training. Hills and everything.

I think I have the following three options;

1) Track frame with single speed flip hub.
Pros: Easy to get correct chain tension
Cons: Pay premium for track frame. Lack of expensive single speed clincher wheels

2) Old steel frame with horizontal drops
Pros: Loads to choose from and pretty cheap.
Cons: Lack of new wheels with 126mm spacing. Difficult to get correct gear and chain tension.May need 1 tooth bigger/smaller to achieve tension.

3) Old steel frame with horizontal drops cold set to accept modern 130 spaced wheels
Pros: Can purchas brand new wheels. Loads of frames to choose from
Cons: Difficult to get correct gear and chain tension.May need 1 tooth bigger/smaller to achieve tension.

==========================
I'm thinking of going with option 3 because i can run nice wheels and have loads to choose from. Also, I will be able to get a nice frame and not have to pay a premium. i.e. cinellig vigoreli frame costs about £500 when I could get somthing else just as nice for about £250.

I understand I can also cold set a frame to take 120mm fixed/single speed wheels but this doesn't appeal.

This will be the fist single speed i've done. Am I on the right lines? Is option 3 a good one?

Thanks in advance.

I think you're getting yourself worked up for nothing over the dropout spacing, a few mm either way doesn't really make any difference. Also the wheels, it is not a problem to find a builder who will make you a decent pair of wheels with single speed hubs and clincher wheels, if that is what you want.

Get yourself a decent frame first, one that you like with either track or horizontal road dropouts and worry about everything else later.

Utfs

Thanks for the helpful reply yoav.

Tried the search but didn't seem to be ewt like this. Cheers for the helpful reply though.

Perhaps i was a bit harsh
newb
tl;dr yr post
This should be more helpful http://surlybikes.com/blog/post/some_answers_to_just_about_any_bike_forum_post_ive_ever_read

My suggestion, for what it's worth, would be to buy a nice frame from the classifieds here and build that up. FWIW, a 4mm change in rear spacing is nothing much - a lot of frames will be out a couple of mil either side anyway (ideally symmetrically, but not always).

If you want a singlespeed, I'd just buy one of those vestigial-derailleur things (singulator?) and not mess about with "magic" gearing.

No, what you are asking has been asked a thousand times before.
READ the forum!
You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake!
You were already warned.
If you post this again I will ban you!
Do You Understand?

Come on that's not fair hippy and theres no need to be rude.

My question hasn't been asked before. What other person wants carbon clinchers on there single speed! Exactly.

Come on that's not fair hippy and theres no need to be rude.

snowflake playing with fire

...What other person wants carbon clinchers on there single speed! Exactly.

There is a reason for that.

Been asking a lot of questions, so sorry for yet another...

I've got a frame and various peripheral bits and pieces, but mainly now I need wheels and bottom bracket.

I know the frame has 126mm rear spacing, and Varno's said he can provide wheelsets that will fit but...

In terms of getting a decent chainline, do I buy wheels first then find a suitable bottom bracket or is it more complicated than that?

Single speed wheels are built on centre so you can turn around for each side to be used. A spacing of 3mm per side is simple mate..

V

Been asking a lot of questions, so sorry for yet another...

I've got a frame and various peripheral bits and pieces, but mainly now I need wheels and bottom bracket.

I know the frame has 126mm rear spacing, and Varno's said he can provide wheelsets that will fit but...

In terms of getting a decent chainline, do I buy wheels first then find a suitable bottom bracket or is it more complicated than that?

Thanks Varno. Still unsure about chainlines, BBs and wheels though. WHat do I look for in the specs for BBs and wheels to get a decent chainline?

Thanks Varno. Still unsure about chainlines, BBs and wheels though. WHat do I look for in the specs for BBs and wheels to get a decent chainline?

http://sheldonbrown.com/chainline.html

http://sheldonbrown.com/chainline.html
That'd be perfect if it was written in idiot.

Just to make sure I'm as big an idiot as I think I am...

There's no way then to get a measurement from the wheel specs (as to how far from the rear cog sits from the midline of the bike) and a measurement from the bottom bracket specs (as to how wide it is) combined with a measurement from the crankset (as to how much it adds to the width of the bottom bracket) to know whether a certain combination of wheel, bb and crankset will give a straight chainline?