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How to Convert a Road Bike to a Fixie

How to Convert a Road Bike to a Fixie
Written by Cobie Brown
Last Update: August 16, 2023

Fixie or Single Speed Bikes take your biking experience back to the old days when you got on your first bike. In case, you want simple, light-weight, low-maintenance bikes, a single speed bike is the technique forward. In recent years, single speed biking has won reputation, and that has created a brand-new trend of single speed makers, however, what are the great single speed bikes on the market these days?

In case you’ve been cycling for some time, chances are you’ve some antique components, or perhaps even an unused bike, accumulating dirt within the shed or storage. In case you’re not going to donate it to charity, withstand the temptation to sell it for scrap or drop it on the selloff. As an alternative, supply your old bike and bits a new agreement of existence with the help of using them to make a single speed mechanism.

Why Goes Road Bikes to Fixie/Single Speed Bike?

It does not just require that can make you need to adopt the single speed life. There are several motives why you are probably taking into consideration running a Fixie or Single Speed Bike.

You might just have an antique frame gathering dust behind the shed that you would really like to arise and running as affordable as possible with a touch help from a single speed conversion package, or, simply fancy constructing a ‘cool fixie’ for easy spins to the coffee shop. Driving single speed is easier, more reliable, gets you fit and shows you approach that can help with riding mechanisms.

By means of the very simple nature of a lack of transferring parts a fixie or single speed bike can make the appropriate winter bike or everyday commuter. As long as you don’t live inside the highlands of Scotland or every other mountainous region, the lack of gears can make renovation a pushover and decrease walking costs via minimizing wear on luxurious derailleurs and cassettes.

What Makes a Dedicated Singlespeed/Fixed Frame Different?

What Makes a Dedicated Singlespeed/Fixed Frame Different

  • Frame construction of single speed and fixed gear bikes though not many are different than bikes that use multiple gear system. These differences are as follows:
  • In case of single speed and fixed gear bikes, the backside wheel is positioned horizontally on the slot.
  • Some frames feature bracket. The brackets have rotating sleeves that rotate to create tension in the chain.
  • The frame also feature 110 mm shorter axle instead of regular 110 mm axle.

How to Convert a Road Bike to a Fixie

How to Convert a Road Bike to a Fixie

  • Detach both chainrings from the chainset.
  • Detach gear cables and front side derailleur
  • Attach a single-speed ring to the inner position of the chainset.
  • Remove cassette from backside wheel and attach a conversion kit to convert the bike to singlespeed bike
  • Position the derailleur below the cog placement
  • Let the chain run over the chain tensioner.
  • Examine the chain line while staying backside of the bike and ensure that the path of the chain line is straight or it runs straightly from the sprocket to the chainring.
  • Run a test ride for your just converted single-speed bike and enjoy the ride.

Flexibility, reliability, safety, affordability, durability, and low maintenance charges should be the important supports to look for when purchasing a fixie or a single speed bike. Most bikes of this type are made for everyday use and fit for medium to short distances.

About the author

Cobie Brown

Born and grew up in Colorado, I chose to work in the field of what I liked most, biking. I’ve been working as a full time mechanic in the cycling industry for over 13 years. I started BMXing when I was just a 6-year-old kid and got hooked from the very first day. Then I started riding and not a single day went by since then that I didn’t touch my bike.

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