Single Speed Road

[jartzt]

Having been stung by the joy of a flip flop fixie/free single speed road bike with brakes, I intend to build a thing of beauty.

I am seeking ideas, council, coaching on:

Frame: Wrestling with track specific design (120mm spacing, horizontal drop outs) or traditional road design (130mm spacing, White Eno hub). Non negotiable: I will not run a chain tensioner.

Single Speed/Track Hubs: White Industries, Paul Components, Phil Wood, Kings?

Cranks: Record track, Dura Ace track, White Industries (can you get a bigger ring for their crank)?

[saab2000]

You could get a road frame built, but with track spacing. Then you will simulate the same position you have on your standard road bikes.

On my Surly single speed I went budget-oriented and used an older D/A low-profile crank with a 42. Also, I went with Salsa Delgado wheels.

I persnonally would go for the Campagnolo track crank as I think it is very attractive.

King makes some really neato single speed hubs. They are cassettes. They are pretty spendy, but that might not be an obstacle here. But they are really loud. That for me is one of the biggest negatives of King hubs. For me cycling is about silence and the shrill shreaking of the King hubs when coasting is just horrible.

I would strongy consider the Phil Wood hubs for a single-speed application.

[Len J]

for three main reasons:

1.) It had Road geometry unlike many of the Pista bikes which have steep STA's

2.) It was made for bigger tires and fenders.

3.) It was reasonably priced

I figured if I really liked fixie riding, I'd eventually get a custom once I knew what I really wanted (after I'd ridden the fixie for awile).

My Gunnar is a bad weather, ride in anything bike. Tires are 700X27 Roly Poly. Wheels are 32 spoke Open Pros laced to Phil Wood hubs with a flip flop in the back. BB Is Phil, Cranks are 165's old Dura Ace. I got the steel fork BTW.

I figure eventually, I'll order a custom and move the parts over and sell the Gunnar.....but in the mean time, it's the perfect solution for my needs.

Len

[aLexis]

I vote for a Colorado III with 120 spacing, track ends, custom geometry, and fixed gear. I am off to work right now or I would write more on geometry considerations - obviously strict track angles are not practical, but you also may not want geometry identical to your road bike...

[Smiley]

Check out my Kogswell G 58 cause it had everything you want and I wanted . Would only do one thing different , find a carbon road fork for a bit more Plush up-front . A C-III would be a sublime choice but a costly one IF the bike was to be used for bad weather duty , a terrible shame with those fine thin tubes .
Oh yeah , I used a Kogswell rear hub at $ 40 not bad , laced it to Salsa Delgado rims front and back . Used Conti gator skin 28 mm wide tires .

[zank]

I am building a SS mtb for myself using the ENO crank and hub. You can get an ENO chainring in 32, 34, 38, or 44 tooth. I am really excited about the project. The bike will be super-clean (internal rear brake routing!) and I can use vertical drops without going with an EBB (lugged BB!)

My opinion is if you are building a road frame from the ground up for fixed or SS, go with 120 mm rear and track fork ends. This allows the use of a track crank and hub for best chainline and low Q-factor. If you are converting a road or mountain frame with vertical drops, ENO is a great solution. I will post a report of how the ENO works after I get some time on it.

Good luck!

[zank]

One other thing came to mind. Level Components makes a fantastic hub. I love their system for attaching the cog and/or freewheel. No more threading on cogs! Check it out...

http://www.levelcomponents.com/

[NicaDog]

I just built up a CSI frame I had hanging in my garage for ahwile into a fixie.

Put a white industires ENO hub (flip flop with ability to tension chain due to offset of center of axle from dropout bolts). It's great, runs nice, but I have to admit I haven't even switched over to the non-fixed side yet. Running fixed is such a blast - though you do have to get used to it a bit.


Enjoy the purity of fixed gears!

David

[Fixed]

I 2nd Saab and NicaDog, I think you'll never use the freewheel side once you get fixed.It is great fun in the city to be fixed.

[jartzt]

I appreciate the feedback. It appears the White Industries Eric Eccentric Eno Flip/Flip is a great option to use with bikes that have vertical drops (vs. buying/building a bike with hortizontal slots).

As for the fixie suggestions, I have owned a Specialized Langster for a little more than a year. I ride it fixed most of the time and enjoy the simplicity and elegance of it (even though I spent $430 to purchase it brand new last year -- I noticed that Specialized, based on the demand for them last year, raised the price to $699 this year for the EXACT spec).

I ride my Langster a lot on club rides, some rally's (like the almost century yesterday with rollers and a sustained 8-12mph headwind for the entire distance), and even a crit or two (in freewheel mode -- it has front and rear brakes).

The ride I did yesterday, now called the Shiner Bash, has been a tradition starting in Austin, TX as the G.A.S.P. (Greater Austin to Shiner Pedal) for many years. The ride now starts in Austin, San Antonio, and Houston and ends near the Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, TX. It's about 85 miles point to point (you can get a bus back or leave a car down there the day before). Tons of people and lots of fun, the ride concludes with bbq, beer, and great music. If you are in Texas in May you should try to make the ride. (http://www.shinerbash.com/home.html)

[Dr. Doofus]

gunnar

everyone likes

their dog

fixed

[aLexis]

I appreciate the feedback. It appears the White Industries Eric Eccentric Eno Flip/Flip is a great option to use with bikes that have vertical drops (vs. buying/building a bike with hortizontal slots).

As for the fixie suggestions, I have owned a Specialized Langster for a little more than a year. I ride it fixed most of the time and enjoy the simplicity and elegance of it (even though I spent $430 to purchase it brand new last year -- I noticed that Specialized, based on the demand for them last year, raised the price to $699 this year for the EXACT spec).

I ride my Langster a lot on club rides, some rally's (like the almost century yesterday with rollers and a sustained 8-12mph headwind for the entire distance), and even a crit or two (in freewheel mode -- it has front and rear brakes).

The ride I did yesterday, now called the Shiner Bash, has been a tradition starting in Austin, TX as the G.A.S.P. (Greater Austin to Shiner Pedal) for many years. The ride now starts in Austin, San Antonio, and Houston and ends near the Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, TX. It's about 85 miles point to point (you can get a bus back or leave a car down there the day before). Tons of people and lots of fun, the ride concludes with bbq, beer, and great music. If you are in Texas in May you should try to make the ride. (http://www.shinerbash.com/home.html)

I am green with envy. The Shiner ride was my favorite Austin ride - too bad the wind didn't cooperate yesterday. It is also a great ride to do on a ss.

[Vancouverdave]

I'm (slowly) building my own SS frame and it will be a geometric clone of a Gunnar. Buy the Gunnar; ridiculously good value, great design, tons of tire clearance. I have sold a few ENO hubs and they are a quality product but probably more hassle than they're worth for adjusting chain vs. brakes to get everything right. Start with horizontal frame ends if you have a choice, that way any old threaded hub will work.

[Fixed]

If its not fixed it must be broken.

[Smiley]

120 mm drop outs that are really nice and Looong ( 4 cm ) . Fixed on both sides of the hub cause there's no other way :banana:

[fg165]

I've been running fixed and brakeless now for ten years. Prior to that I was Cat 2 roadie. Every scar I carry today from cycling was awarded on a geared bike with brakes - go figure!

I tried the road conversion route once. IMHO - one too many pedal strikes for my taste.

[Marron]

I would second the caution about the Eno. I borrowed one for a day and thought is was more than a little annoying. If you're going to go fixed you can always find a comination of chainring, cog and half-link, if necessary, to use a conventional fixed hub in vertical dropouts. Fixmeup.com makes it a bit easier. (So does a lifetime's collection of chainrings, cogs and half-links ; ). )

[vandeda]

I tried the road conversion route once. IMHO - one too many pedal strikes for my taste.

<insert perplexed look on dan's face>

Ummmm .... I don't get it ... too many pedal strikes? Whatcha mean here?

Dan

[fg165]

<insert perplexed look on dan's face>

Ummmm .... I don't get it ... too many pedal strikes? Whatcha mean here?

Dan

Road bike geometry dictates a lower BB height than traditional track bikes (fixed crank-arm rotation) enhancing pedal to ground/surface contact when cornering.

I hope this helps.---Jerry

[vandeda]

Road bike geometry dictates a lower BB height than traditional track bikes (fixed crank-arm rotation) enhancing pedal to ground/surface contact when cornering.

I hope this helps.---Jerry

Ahhhhhhhhhhh ... thanks Jerry. I fully understand now. I'm converting my Centurion road bike to single speed/fixed, and I was worried that there was some fundamental problem/drawback that I was missing. But ... I can live with that since this bike is a commuter that I'm converting to single speed/fixed because once the Vanilla arrives, it'll be my winter/bad weather commuter, so i want to get rid of the derailleurs and gears because the bike will be easier to clean and maintain from the road salt and grime. And that was a run-on sentence if I do say so myself :D

Thanks again Jerry!!!!
dan

[fg165]

Hey Dan----

Here ya go.


http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html

http://www.sentient-entity.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/fixedgear.html

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/wheels/

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/resources/gearchart.jpg

http://graveltech.com/osr//


*my personal favorite site AND the webmaster, Greg, owns a custom Serotta FG!

http://oldskooltrack.com/

[Fixed]

165 cranks seem to be what most fixed riders use B.B. drop and the kind of pedals make a difference ,I use longer cranks but I use Crank bros. pedals and Sidi mt. bike shoes I have to do alot of walking in my job as a messenger.I hope that helps a little.