bike people - question

Re: bike people - question

Richard Fox — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:50:18 GMT

Its the Bottom Brackets for me - just been through my GXP on my winter bike in 6 months - I will be replacing with a Hope stainless :)

Re: bike people - question

Simon Neuhoff — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:34:10 GMT

Chap on my old commute had a Shimano Alfine hub with a Gates belt and mechanical discs. Probably the best solution to maintance free riding I've seen - whilst keeping the versatility of gears.

Re: bike people - question

Rob Loxley — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:45:49 GMT

I went down the hub gear route for my commuting bike, with disc brakes, and it has been a solid, low maintenance joy!

Re: bike people - question

Simon Neuhoff — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:48:00 GMT

There are ways around it if you don't have the horizontal dropouts. You might get lucky with a "Magic Ratio" (see Sheldon Brown for more on this) or you can buy half links from velosolo which might do the trick.

From my experience with a singlespeed mountain bike with horizontal dropouts the chain tension is crucial - even a little too slack will cause it to unship suddenly and violently which results in an equally sudden and violent smashing of the "tackle" on the stem. Perhaps there is more leeway on a road bike as it isn't bouncing around as much but I for one would get that tension just right before taking to the streets.

Re: bike people - question

Richard Fox — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:23:15 GMT

Sorry yes - a pulley-type chain tensioner on a fixed gear can lead to transmission lock up sorry I was thinking single speed not fixie sorry for the cr@p info there :)

Re: bike people - question

Simon Neuhoff — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 11:54:05 GMT

[quote user="Richard Fox"]

This is also a Fixie article by Sheldon:

http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed-conversion.html

And you can get bolt on chain tensioners:

[/quote]

Richard I am quite certain that you can't use a chain tensioner with fixed gear. Fine for singlespeed, but not a fixed hub.

Re: bike people - question

David Mills — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:56:32 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]

I would fancy my road bike at 7kg fully geared up is no heavier than most fixies.

[/quote]

Granted, though the incidence of buckled wheels, chipped frames and bent forks commuting through London for a couple of years on a decent £1K bike wears the patience somewhat. And on a 20 minute commute with 9 sets of lights, the time spent in one gear is high. Do think fixies have their place - and their hop-on hop-off usability is attractive. Not about to do the London-Brighton and back on one though, as a mate punished himself through at the weekend.

Pics will be forthcoming. Just choosing the respray and spacer ring colours (Italian flag) now.

Re: bike people - question

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:07:01 GMT

[quote user="David Mills"]

Mr Atkinson, you've obviously never experienced the lightness of being that comes from central London + fixie bike vs fannying around with gears and the like on some heavy monstrosity.

[/quote]

I would fancy my road bike at 7kg fully geared up is no heavier than most fixies.

But here is a fixie tale from many years ago, in the time before time itself began when I was mere strip of a lad, I went touring with a friend who insisted on riding a fixed wheel as it was his way of training for the racing season, he kept up with me most of the time except up and down on the steepest of hills but he made it up all of them bar one. There was at the time a youth hostel in Wales which was at the end of a road which was famous for being the only metalled 50% (one in one in old money) climb in Britain. My friend and I had anticipated it with trepidation and discussed whether we would be able to ride up it. He said, 'there's cyclists and people who ride bikes and cyclists don't get off and walk'. We duly got to the bottom of the climb and he took one look at it on his fixie and said, 'I'll settle for riding a bike', promptly getting off. I dropped into my lowest gear and struggled to the half-way mark before I finally succumbed and virtually fell off because I just couldn't maintain enough momentum to balance and being so steep I just couldn't get going again. It was actually more scary coming down it the next day.

Re: bike people - question

Richard Fox — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 09:42:22 GMT

This is also a Fixie article by Sheldon:

http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed-conversion.html

And you can get bolt on chain tensioners:

Re: bike people - question

Simon Neuhoff — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 09:10:37 GMT

At the risk of teaching you to suck eggs - before embarking make sure the frame is suitable. The most important thing is to achieve correct chain tension - this is best done with sliding (ie horizontal or semi horizontal) drop-outs - the rear facing track type ones are ideal, forward will do in a pinch. Also worth checking that you don't have any toe overlap - not such a big issue on a regular bikes but on a fixie this is more serious. I toyed with the idea of a fixie conversion at one point and even sourced an old frame from the skip but the toe overlap was so severe I binned the idea -at least temporarily.

Finally - post pics for us bike geeks to admire when you're done.

Re: bike people - question

David Mills — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 23:59:28 GMT

Mr Atkinson, you've obviously never experienced the lightness of being that comes from central London + fixie bike vs fannying around with gears and the like on some heavy monstrosity.

Mr Neuhoff, yes I have seen the off-the-peg ones around, but this is a much loved much used much battered Coppi racer that I think I would enjoy tinkering with as long as it didn't cost too pretty a penny, and final product would be ideal for the odd commute through the gravel and potholes of south London.

Fixies may be faddish, but they are lovely.

Re: bike people - question

Simon Neuhoff — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:31:44 GMT

Back on topic..... ;-)

if you don't fancy converting the bike yourself there are now a number of off-the-peg fixie bikes out there such as the Specialized Langster and the Charge Plug, both for around £350.

Re: bike people - question

Julian Earl — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:18:13 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]

[quote user="Julian Earl"]

I like fixed gears. They make a good winter bike and improve your pedalling style and cadence. They also make you work hard going up and down hills when trying to keep up with your mates on gears. Oh yes, and on the flat as well!

But yes, I do still have "only 8" on my RR bike, and my MTB, and my TT bike. The ten on my newest are a faff when the cable stretches a teeny-weeny bit and I end up constantly fiddling with the adjuster. OTOH, I don't think I'd fancy doing a 100 mile sportive on a fixed gear!

[/quote]

Points taken but perhaps we need a new thread here: 'advice needed on trimming dérailleur gears'.

[/quote]

Hmmm, trying to think of a decent reply... this'll do:

Re: bike people - question

Simon Neuhoff — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:12:57 GMT

I've done single speed conversions on MTBs but never a fixie conversion. However most people seem to source their bits from one of two places:

http://www.velosolo.co.uk/

http://www.charliethebikemonger.com/

and they have some advice sections too I believe. More research could be done at:

http://www.lfgss.com/

Re: bike people - question

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:14:58 GMT

[quote user="Julian Earl"]

[/quote]

Points taken but perhaps we need a new thread here: 'advice needed on trimming dérailleur gears'.

Re: bike people - question

Julian Earl — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:30:02 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]

Why would you want to bother? I've always wondered why anyone other than a track racer would want a fixed wheel. If you really don't want to change gear stick it in one and leave it, at least you'll have a freewheel and 2 brakes! It seems to me it's just a fad.

Julian: when did you last get a new bike if you've still got 7/8 sprockets?

[/quote]

I refer you to Mr Mills:

[quote user="David Mills"]

Anyone any experience of turning an old road bike into a fixie? Financial, ease of task etc. appreciated.

[/quote]

Re: bike people - question

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:17:56 GMT

Julian: when did you last get a new bike if you've still got 7/8 sprockets?

Re: bike people - question

Julian Earl — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:21:23 GMT

In principle it is easy. As long as the drop-out width is suitable for your hub, then everything should slot in fine. You do need to ensure that chain alignment is correct because most frames nowadays are set up for 7, 8, etc. sprockets. One particular pproblem can be that with non-vertical drop-outs you can repeatedly pull the wheel over as you accelerate. Clamping the hub very tightly indeed works but be careful not to crush anything - it can be done, just don't ask me how I know.

Re: bike people - question

Colin Thomson — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 21:38:42 GMT

I've done a mountain bike to a singlespeed. Pretty easy if you've got the right bits. You're frame won't have sliding dropouts so you'll need something to tension the chain, and a fixed hub (can you lock freewheeling hubs? ) - which probably means a new rear wheel.

I seem to recall one of the problems is that you tend to put a lot more pressure through the drivechain, so you're better with the right sort of front ring, rear cog (both with deeper cut teeth and no shifting ramps) and chain.

[Edit]

Sheldon Brown has a step by step on it - http://sheldonbrown.com/deakins/how-to-fixed-conversion.html

[/Edit]

Colin