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Building a Fixie - HELP!

stiggersstiggers
edited September 2014 in General
Inspired by my TT build and Matt's Elsie, I've picked up a Raleigh Pursuit from Milton dump for a fiver which I think has fixie potential.

Obviously I need to strip it, but can anyone offer advice? I'm not going to spend much and not that bothered how it looks at this stage, just looking for a usable training aid.

Will attempt to upload a piccie here:

Comments

  • stiggersstiggers
    Ok, failed miserably with the photo......you'll just have to take my word for it!!
  • tducketttduckett
    Road bikes can be turned into fixed, but....

    the frame will need slotted dropouts or horizontal dropouts so that you can adjust chain tension. Probably will have if its an older Raleigh, more modern frames tend to have vertical dropouts with no for/aft adjustment.

    If it has an old screw on block you can just take it off and a fixed sprocket will fit on the same threads but watch the chain line, you may have to space it out to keep the chain straight. It will help if you use the inner ring on the chainset. If its got a cassette with freehub buy some cheap track wheels instead ( this might be a good idea anyway and will help with chain line) you can get a pair for £100, probably less.

    Best to keep both brakes on the bike. Also road frames have slightly lower bottom bracket height above the floor than track bikes and some road going fixed so beware of pedal strike when cornering.

    Depending what chainset you have will depend on what sprocket you need but aim somewhere around 68 gear inches to start with. Lots of gear charts on the interweb.

    Good luck!
  • Cycling WeaklyCycling Weakly
    I still have this Miche track chainset for sale which would put the chain in the right position for use with a fixed sprocket on a rear hub. If you're interested, just let me know.

    Mark F
  • stiggersstiggers
    Wow! Thanks guys. I'll have to re-read that a few more times before I understand it. Watch this space for more question!
  • geoffggeoffg
    Tim and Stiggers.Whites produce a cam hub for fixed wheel which means you don't need slotted dropouts as there is sufficient movement in cam to adjust chain tension so any frame can be used. http://sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html
    everything you need to ever know here stiggers.
  • tweirtweir
    I have funnily enough just finished building one! I done the same thing of getting it from a dump and building up. How do you add photos on this forum and I'll show you the transformation!!
  • mattssmattss
    Tom, get your picture uploaded to a photo sharing / storage site like Flickr, then you will get a link to share the photo.
    Copy and paste the "http://.........jpg" into the pop up box which appears when you click on the img button above the comments box
  • stiggersstiggers
    Oh yes, photos are good, my pea sized brain processes them easier!!
  • stiggersstiggers
    edited September 2014
    imageIMG_1404" alt="" />

    Only took me an hour to load!!
  • tweirtweir
    edited September 2014
    Cheers Matt. Hopefully this works! If they do appear heres the photos of what it was like when I picked it up.
  • tweirtweir
    1
  • stiggersstiggers
    edited September 2014
    Nice! How many gear inches you got there?

    Interesting you took the rear brake lever off. Doesn't that feel odd 'riding on the hood'?
  • tweirtweir
    Theres a 48 tooth chain ring and a 16 sprocket, I didn't really choose these its just what everything came with, I may have to change the ratios though, the hills at uni in Swansea are quite big! And yeah I didn't put it on as I didn't see the point in having a brake on the fixed rear wheel, although I may put it on and use the single freewheel side of the wheel if I don't get on with riding fixed!

    It doesn't feel weird as such just having one, as the levers are in a completely different position to my other road bikes so it feels weird and I don't think I'd ride on the hoods anyway, although I do only use it to bike to uni so not any serious cycling!
  • tducketttduckett
    well done, looks nice. Good chainline too!

    make sure you get some foot retention if you are riding fixed with no back brake. Some of those powerstrap things will do if its just for knocking about on.
  • tweirtweir
    Thanks. Oh yeah thats on my to do list!! I ran out of time when I was back home.
  • JonathanSJonathanS
    I think I recognise those wheels - nice job. Once you go fixed you never go back...
  • stiggersstiggers
    I've decided that I really don't need another bike, nor do I have the time or space, so would anyone would like to take the Raleigh away for the £5 that I paid for it? It's in exactly the same state as the photo. Collect from Barrington.
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