Off-Road Fixed Gear Setup, Revisited -- Part I by Matt Chester
Well, here we go again. I'm here to revisit my thoughts on setting up a fixed gear bicycle for off-road usage. It's been a while since I last wrote on this topic, and now I have a few more years of experience (and hopefully of wisdom as well).
This is a two-parter: this first part will cover some basics regarding your frame, fit issues, gearing choices, and crank length. The second part, appearing in the next issue of 63xc.com, will concentrate on the more empirical, nuts-and-bolts territory of component selection.
Fixed gear off-road is gaining converts, mostly from the singlespeed MTB world. Its growing popularity shows, albeit in a small way, how everything is cyclic (no pun intended). You see the same cycles in politics, music, design, and other areas. Everything is impermanent. As cyclists, we are just following trails that were opened up long ago by other riders, riders who didn't have access to the myriad of component choices that we do now.
Before getting started, I thought I might say a few words about the fixed gear 'attitude'.
While exploring earlier, simpler forms of cycling, you should always remember the Fixer's Mantra: 'Calm down.' Really. Riding a fixie off-road is pretty daunting at first, and you'll need a new set of skills to ride successfully. (By 'successfully' I mean: 'without hurting yourself'.) Stripping things to the bare essentials certainly makes them 'simpler'. It doesn't necessarily make them 'easier' or even 'better'. It takes patience and repetitive practice to bring an ethos of 'doing more with less' to fruition.
So why bother to acquire those new skills?
Fixers will tell you that a fix is more efficient than a geared bike. Well, that's true--up to a point. The fix certainly scores high in foul weather or icy conditions. As an everyday offroad machine, however, its simple setup often works out less than ideal from a performance perspective.
So what? I'm not worried about performance. My own love of fixing comes from the fact that I like to cycle, and a quiet, basic machine appeals to me. My good memories of cycling have little to do with equipment and everything to do with experience. Ride your bike to ride your bike. Do it because you want to. If you approach riding with a relaxed, light disposition rather than with an aggressive mindset, you'll really enjoy yourself. If you enjoy yourself, you'll stick with it. Sticking with it is good.
Simple enough?
Frame notes
I assume that readers of this site are already familiar with the basic points of singlespeed and fixed gear setup, in particular the ways that the need to tension the chain impacts on frame choice. (If not, you can find a nice primer in the sidebar.) I'll take the opportunity to repeat, however, that no fixer can use chain tensioners like the Surly Singleator, Soulcraft Convert, Paul Melvin, or dummy derailleurs which are common in the singlespeed world. If you set up an external tensioner on your fix and try to apply backpressure to the pedals, tension in the bottom run of chain will force the thing out of the chainline. The result will be a broken tensioner and often a bent derailleur hanger... or worse. So, no tensioners! OK? You can still use track ends/horizontal dropouts, eccentric bottom brackets (EBBs), or eccentric hubs.
Now, let's discuss fixed-gear specific aspects of frame design.
1. Seat tube angle and saddle position I built my freewheeled singlespeed 'cross bike with a steep seat tube--75 degrees, believe it or not. I really enjoyed riding it. I loved the quick transition between seated and standing climbing and, once my hamstrings were used to the position, I thought I'd never ride a slacker seat tube angle.
But when I made the full-time change to fixed off-road, I found that my 'cross bike made descending hard. Since there was no way to get behind the saddle, I had to stay seated, putting my weight as far back as possible and pedalling all the way. Descents on gnarly terrain made me feel like a ski jumper, making panicky stabs at my front brake as I hung over the front wheel and tried to keep the whole flailing mess together. High speed fireroad descents, where clipping out and 'coasting' were impossible, would find me bunched forward on the bike, weighting my hands excessively while trying to maintain a non-freakish-looking level of blurry high-RPM spinning.
When I built myself a new frame, I utilized a more traditional 73 degree seat angle. The difference was marked. I'm no star on a bike, but I was much more comfortable with more weight on my rear end and a lower center of gravity. Nor did I notice any ill effects on climbing, leg speed, or whatever. The new position was different, but suited to a broader range of situations. Now, seat tube angle is one of the grayer aspects of frame dimensioning, as many external variables can affect the relationship between your saddle and your pedals-- seatpost layback, saddle position, position of foot on pedal... My advice is to err on the side of slack. Keep your seat back and set the bars a bit higher than on your coasting bike. I'll return to this point when I talk about fit later on.
2. Bottom bracket height Bottom bracket height is more of an issue for fixers than coasties. This has less to do with handling characteristics than with pedal clearance, a quality which is also affected by crank length, pedal choice, and tire choice. However, while these last three are easily changeable according to the rider's preference, BB height relates to the frame design and can't easily be changed.
In practice, it's hard to reach a fair measure of BB height, because it can be affected by tire choice. Most framebuilders prefer to talk about 'drop'. This term denotes the vertical distance between the bottom bracket center and a line passing between the hub centers. A traditional real world 700c road bike (a Rivendell, say, or a classic British tourer) would have a drop of around 80mm. A real roughstuff 700c cyclocross bike would have much less drop, say 60-65mm. Since the 'cross bike will likely be set up with larger, taller, knobblier tires, the bottom bracket will gain even more height. A higher BB gives more pedaling clearance, which is advantageous in a cyclocross race where aggressive cornering and rough terrain are all part of the hour's worth of extreme effort.
Fixers ride off-road without being able to 'ratchet' the cranks or to hold our feet in the '3 and 9' position when coasting through rough bits, so lots of pedal clearance seems like a good idea. But, guess what? Even on a frame with an insanely small drop--perhaps even a negative one, like on a 26" wheeler with a BB above the hub center--you'll still strike a pedal sometimes. That's just reality.
The point is: don't give in to fear. Just get out and ride a lot! The real trick to getting through obstacles on a fixie is your own ability. Practice. That's it. The standard ranges of drop on existing off-road bikes are more than adequate.
I myself ride a bike with 70mm of drop and a 700 x 35c tire. (70mm is pretty normal--for a road-specific machine.) Of course, I use 165mm cranks despite my 6'2 height. But we'll talk more about cranks later.
3. Chainstay length Chainstay length is subjected to incessant analysis. 'Shorter chainstays are better for climbing!' crows the internet discussion forum sage. Utter nonsense! No single aspect of frame design will enable you to predict a bike's handling characteristics. (If that were really the case, my job would be much easier.) In the real world, all aspects of frame design work in concert with one another. Adjust one, and the others are affected.
Why am I wailing on the oft-repeated myth of the 'short chainstay?' Because there's more to building a good off-road fix than lopping the chainstays wicked short. Here are the things that I've learned from experience.
The first is that you are seated on a fixed gear. A lot. On rough terrain. Any frame design which tucks the rear wheel underneath you is likely to produce an uncomfortable ride.
The second is even more important--to me, at least. You will find that the shorter the chainstay, more difficult it is to keep the rear of the bike tracking straight while pedaling at some ungodly RPM down a mountain pass.
It is possible to combine a longish rear end with good climbing. The old guys knew this already. I have learned, too.
4. Frame overview So, let's review. Based on points 1-3, it seems that a stable, conservative, somewhat traditional, commonsense frame design is best. It's no longer the 1980s! There's no reason to take things to the extreme and then declare 'it's better because--' Nope. If you look back to the days when almost everyone rode the dirt on a fixed gear, or even just back to the early days of mountain biking when adventure, self-sufficiency, and fun were the order of the day--well, that's the way it was. Keep it basic and simple! We've been locked into our own 'it's better because--' phase for too long. Turn off the computer, put down the magazine, and go ride. It's your only hope!
Fit
If you continue riding fixed gear both on and off-road, you will soon discover that many bike industry's innovations have been well-meaning and indirect attempts to sidestep the crucial issue of fit.
A low ratio fixed gear--especially a rigid one--gives you nowhere to hide. If you take a freewheeled bike on a long ride and your back/hamstrings/neck/whatever start stiffening, no problem! Stand up on the pedals and stretch when descending, right? That moment just doesn't occur on a fixie. Technical descending? You're seated or hovering (depending on the grade) the whole way as you pedal. High speed descending? You're usually weighting your hands while sitting forward on your saddle and spinning like crazy. Twisty quick singletrack? Keep that body low while, yes, pedaling! I could go on. The simple fact is: a fix denies you opportunities to unweight your backside, legs, or hands. Suspension forks, rear suspension, suspension seatposts, squishy gloves, gel saddles, inline top mount brake levers, etc. have all been developed for the comfort of the gearie off-road crowd. We're riding fixiess in the dirt! What chance in hell do we have?
Plenty, actually. Just deal with the basics.
Fit is important, and dialing in your cockpit length and bar height is crucial. I don't want to generalize too much about what works, because everyone is different--but there is a general goal for all to reach. It starts with a relatively high bar position, higher than you might use on a gearie XC MTB or cyclocross bike.
But be careful how you set those bars. Jacking your bars up blindly does little good. Since the headtube angle on bicycle frames is more acute than 90 degrees, raising the bars brings them closer to you, effectively shortening your cockpit. A too-short cockpit can be just as uncomfortable over long distances as a saddle that is set excessively higher than your handlebars.
Optimize your cockpit length in concert with your handlebar height. You should aim to ride very 'light' on the bike, yet still be able to climb with power and descend with confidence. When I talk about being 'light on the bike' I mean: very little pressure on your hands when riding the flats, no undue pressure on your backside and sensitive bits, very little shrugging or bunching in your shoulders, and no undue strain on your neck. Your position should be as relaxed as possible, so that you are draping yourself over the bike like a piece of cloth. If you are relaxed, you will experience less fatigue over the course of a ride, and be better able to react to the situations that arise. Smooth steering input and finite adjustments in position are much easier when you aren't operating in a state of tension.
Having worked with a lot of setups over the last few years, I've come to feel that very, very few people are sitting as comfortably as they could be. Achieving a good riding position, especially on a stock frame, involves time, patience, a little trial and error--and an open mind!
When setting bikes up for customers, I've often specced longer-than-usual effective top tubes and unusual stem dimensions. This is especially true when working with non- standard handlebar configurations--moustache bars, North Road bars, Jones bars, drops especially. Sometimes the resulting machine is far from the customer's idea of 'normal', but my experience has been that functional setups of this kind pay huge dividends in reduced fatigue and improved concentration.
I'm aware that my advice may sound hopelessly general. The truth is, we're adaptable creatures! We can get used to anything over time--check the Mike Ferrentino anecdote in the sidebar. We humans differ so much dimensionally--even before we factor in our preconceived 'preferences'--that there's just no plug-n-chug way to express good bike fit.
Shut up and ride, right?
Gearing
No aspect of riding a fixed gear, on- or off-road, has been argued over as much as gear selection. Except for maybe crank length. So here are my thoughts on both topics. I don't expect them to quell the discussion.
What's best? 'It depends.' Always. If you feel the need to ask for a definite answer--don't. Ever. Just like bike fit, we're all different, and the external variables are numerous. They include topography, surface, windiness (of the terrain, not your internals) and on and on...
So let's talk about gearing. If you are not already familiar with the measurement of 'gear inches,' read about them in the sidebar. Let's also simplify things by looking solely at steep, hilly terrain with little flat. Think of Southern California, or the Cascades.
Most singlespeeders run a gear in the 42-55" range. Freewheel gears at the low end of that range are great in our theoretical terrain, since they allow the singlespeeder to coast the downhills. But as soon as you change over to a fixed cog, a low-40s gear really isn't great at all. It will make any extended descent into a miserable experience.
Singlespeeders have always pondered one question: 'What gear will get me over these hills without grenading myself?' Fixers have a second question to worry about: 'What gear will get me over this hill and down the other side without grenading myself?' The fact is that the downhills can be just as challenging as the uphills.
There are two possible responses to these contradictory demands. The first is to wear your lockring wrench down to nubs and round off all your 5mm allen keys by incessantly changing chainrings and cog looking for that one angelic gear, the one that is 'right' all the time!
The other approach is to bolt on what you've got, ride it, and deal with the consequences.
Like I said earlier, 'simple' doesn't necessarily mean 'easy.' There is no 'right' gear. There are 'acceptable' gears... and that's about it. Singlespeeders are either incredibly overgeared or laughably undergeared depending on their spot on the map at a particular moment. The same goes for fixers. The fact that you have to pedal speedily on the way down means you should try and be a little more optimistic on what sort of gear you can push going up. Get stronger! Folks coming from a singlespeed MTB background will usually go for a bigger gear than they have ridden before. A good example is my pal Rudi (also a contributor to 63xc.com), who rides a great deal of hilly terrain in southern Arizona including lots of 100 mile and 24hr races. He's usually on the podium of the singlespeed class and often times on the overall classification podium as well. Rudi generally ran 'normal' ratios in his freewheeling days but opted for a 38x18 gear on his fixed gear sled--resulting in a ~54" gear depending on the tires he was running. The Team Hugh Jass guys in Virginia have been running bigger ratios on their fixies than most johnny-come-lately single speeders for the better part of a decade.
Rudi and I have talked a lot about gearing over the years and the conclusion we've come to is that you definitely want to gear up a little for the sake of downhilling, but not so much so that you make it difficult to accelerate on the way up. You're certain to find yourself grossly undergeared for the flats or downhills, so learn to spin, don't be in such a damn hurry, and be happy about it. The XC ski superstar of yore Gunde Svan had a great quote when talking about classic skiing (kicking and gliding rather than skating). He said: 'You must hurry slowly.' If you want to go faster when riding a 50-something-inch gear on 10 miles of flat pavement--calm down, relax your body, pick up your knees, and smile. You'll go faster, but try not to think about it!
I ride a slightly higher gear myself, a 36x16. With my skinny tires, that puts me on about 61". Why? Well, I ride one bike for everything and I find this to be the best compromise. Do I have to walk sometimes? Yep. Remember, even if you're riding one gear you always have another gear. Your 24" gear. Two feet. Remember the mantra: 'Calm down.' There's no harm in walking sometimes. Pushing doesn't make you a wuss or weakling, and your ego shouldn't depend on getting up Hill X without putting a foot down. Have fun!
So, what gear should you run? 'It depends.' Yeah, I'm helpful.
Crank length
Crank length 'depends' too. Freewheeling singlespeeders have often opted for longer cranks, usually 180mm ones, in order to gain a little more leverage when reefing up the steeps. That's fine, especially when you're coasting through the techy terrain and down the hills. Fixed gear riding is a bit more complex, since you're pedaling everywhere.
Along with many other off-road fixers, I favor shorter cranks. They seem to be advantageous in a broad range of situations. Wes Williams (of Willits Brand fame) got me started on this years ago, even when I was riding a freewheel. For my formative years of onespeeding off-road, I rode and recommended 180mm or longer cranks for reasons of mechanical advantage. Wes scoffed at that and gave me a quick lesson distilling what he'd learned from riding fixed gears off-road for the better part of twenty years. Steep, difficult climbing is definitely part of the single gear experience--but why not get that little bit stronger and push shorter cranks that will serve your needs much better for high RPM pedalling on the flats and downhill? I find it less of a challenge to climb with short cranks than to spin at 150+ RPM with 180mm cranks. Short cranks also give you additional pedal clearance and reduce the likelihood of toe overlap, which may be important to shorter riders on 700c/29" wheeled bikes.
After talking to Wes, I sold off my 180mm Ritcheys and bolted on some 170mm Mavics. I've never gone back. These days I ride 165mm Sugino XD cranks, despite being a gangly 6'2". (Not really a traditional setup, as I mentioned before.) Sure, I lose some leverage, no question. But I can get round that with a more aggressive approach to climbing. You want to stay on top of the gear as best you can with leg speed. Gears and crank length don't result in speed--leg speed results in speed. In a tight spot where you lose all your momentum, well, you've got to toughen up and turn that gear over with a shorter lever. There's no free lunch.
You are still the most important component on the bike and it is up to you to decide what choice will provide the best usage over a broad range of circumstances. For me, shorter cranks are the ticket. Others I'm sure will raise a chorus of disagreement. Again, helpful huh?
One aside: Sheldon Brown has developed a method for describing gears which he calls 'gain ratio'. It incorporates both gear ratio and crank length. By introducing crank length as a variable, leverage is now incorporated in comparing how 'easy' or 'hard' a gear is--a quality omitted from the standard gear inch measure. Sheldon's system is simple and smart! There's a link in the sidebar.
Wrap up
So that concludes Part I, in all its anecdotal vagueness. In Part II, I'll get a little more in depth about mechanical setup, with notes about cranks, bottom brackets, chainrings, cogs, lockrings (or not), chains, rear hubs, pedals, brakes, saddles, and tire choice.
Thanks for reading and I'll talk to you next issue!
Off-Road Fixed Gear Setup, Revisited -- Part II by Matt Chester
Yes, I'm back, with another tedious article all about setting up your offroad fixed gear. In the first part, I covered frames, fit, gearing, and crank length. In this second part, I aim to get a little more specific with my thoughts on componentry. Please note: I'm not sponsored or supported by any of the companies mentioned here. I pay for my own stuff and my recommendations come from my own experience and those of my customers and friends. Here goes...
Drivetrain
We already covered gearing and crank length. Now let's look at the parts needed to make up a fixed gear drivetrain.
Cranks and bottom bracket
For many years, offroaders of all kinds used square-taper, cold-forged aluminum cranks. They were utilitarian, do-it-all entities which shared a standard 110mm spider: you could bolt them onto a road, cyclocross, touring, or mountain bike, and still be sure of finding the ring (or rings) you needed.
Although 110mm rings are still readily available, crank choices have become a bit limited. So what gives?
Splined bottom brackets and weight freak-out, that's what. Cranks are on the list of components marked down for 'improvements'.
Splines have a theoretical advantage over square tapers--they let you take your cranks on and off as much as you like. Besides, you can claim your new big-spindled BB is X% stiffer! Unfortunately, there's a matching practical disadvantage--to cram a huge splined spindle into a standard BB shell, the maker must use small bearings which wear quickly under load.
To get around this problem, the manufacturers introduced more proprietary stuff. The Shimano XTR and XT groupsets now have hollow BB spindles permanently fused to the driveside crank. The spindle passes through two bearing cups that screw into each side of the BB shell. Freed from the size limits imposed by the BB shell, the bearings can be made outsize. Proponents of the ISIS standard are now pushing a similar design. As we'll see later, these new arrangements are not necessarily ideal in fixed gear applications.
Those makers who haven't moved to splines tend to be pushing 'compact drive'. The reasoning behind the various 4-bolt (Shimano designs) and 5-bolt (traditional 'compact drive') patterns is less convoluted than that of the splined guys. Smaller spiders allow smaller rings, and smaller rings mean weight savings--plus increased sales in a stagnant market, of course. Compact drive became very popular very quickly. Does it make a difference? Nope. Well, actually, it does. The smaller rings wear faster. There are also a number of spiderless crank options with corresponding proprietary chainrings. I would avoid this stuff. I've seen people with older XTR cranks get painted into a corner on chainring supply -- sourcing obsolete kit is expensive and frustrating. BMX-compatible stuff is a different story, of course, but excessive weight and rotten Q- factor (see sidebar) makes them a less-than-excellent choice unless you're into extremely long (>185mm) cranks.
So, what to do? I advise all my customers to choose a good square-taper BB like a Shimano UN-73, or a Phil Wood for those a little more cash. Next, pick a decent cold- forged aluminum crank, ideally one with a standard (110mm) spider. Although you'll be limited to a 34t chainring (or 33t, if you have the money for custom parts) the ready availability of big track cogs will give you all the flexibility you need. A 34x22 setup is plenty low enough to ride offroad.
110mm cranks are getting thin on the ground, but there are a few good options. The Sugino XD is an excellent choice: well-made, inexpensive, and sporting a relatively low Q-factor. Square-taper RaceFace Turbine LPs are great too, if you can find 'em. Cheap Taiwanese stuff can surprise you -- Dimension makes a good cyclocross or tandem crank -- and a few downhill/freeride specialists like RooX have products that are worth checking out.
Chainrings
Picking a chainring for a singlespeed or fix is pretty simple. Your wants list is: no ramps, no pins, tall teeth, and enough material to keep the ring laterally stiff. The last point is especially important when you're running a large ring on a small spider. There are numerous great choices here.
If you like aluminum, downhill and freeride chainrings are the best value. I favour Blackspire. Not only is the price reasonable and the quality excellent, but the company offers a wide range of sizes and spider patterns. They also make a range of singlespeed chainrings under the Mono Veloce brand. Other good choices include DH rings from FSA, Azonic, RaceFace, and a slew of similar companies.
Thinner, more XC-oriented chainrings from companies like Salsa and Spot can also work well, while budget options include rings from Vuelta, Avitar, and even the 'universal' BMX chainrings you see from time to time. (The life span of the latter usually isn't that great, though.)
But I favour another rings made from another material. After all, we all know steel is real. When Surly brought out their wonderful stainless steel chainrings in 2004, I was fortunate enough to get some of the first batch, and I've ridden them exclusively ever since. A good stainless steel ring will outlast its aluminum equivalent many times over, making it a great choice for high-stress single-ring applications. Remarkably, Surly rings cost about the same as comparable aluminum offerings. I really can't think of a compelling reason not to run them, provided you can find the size and spider configuration you need. At the time of writing availability is a little spotty, but that will change later in 2005.
Track cogs
The resurgence of fixed gear has bought a lot of quality track cogs onto the market. Companies like Euro-Asia Imports (EAI) produce lightweight alloy models, and I've had good luck with them. But, at least in offroad applications, the 'steel is still real' mantra applies to sprockets just as much as chainrings.
Good steel cogs are available from EAI, Phil Wood, Soma (in true Nigel Tufnell fashion, they go up to 23) and a few others. Rumour has it that Surly now have a new and improved track cog on the market. US riders on a budget should keep an eye open for NOS Suntours, while sharp-eyed Brits may turn up a TD Cross or even a Villiers in a shop with old stock. Personally, I ride nothing but steel EAI cogs, and I've had zero problems over a number of years. They wear amazingly well, too.
The feature to look out for on a track cog is a nice wide shoulder. This gives ample thread engagement on the hub, and in flip-flop contexts it will better match the cog's chainline to that of the freewheel.
Buying a track cog is not a time to be thrifty. Inexpensive stamped cogs can be trouble as far as the longevity of your hub threads, and that's just false economy. Spend a little more and you won't be let down!
Lockrings and alternatives
Traditional fixed gear setups involve two separate components, a cog and a lockring. The cog screws on to the hub body conventionally, but the lockring mounts on a left-hand thread, slightly smaller than the cog thread and just outboard of it. When the lockring is screwed into place, it presses against the cog. Since the two components are threaded in different directions, the tendency of the cog to unscrew under reverse pedal pressure is cancelled out.
Assuming that your hub is equipped with the appropriate threading, you can source a lockring from a variety of makers. Obviously, the best choice is always the one provided by your hub manufacturer, but offerings from Surly, Shimano, Euro-Asia and others are all worth consideration. Since lockring threadings tend to vary slightly between manufacturers, it is worth checking to find the best match for your hub.
Of course, there are alternatives to the traditional setup. A couple of years ago, Jason Millington wrote a seminal article on this very site explaining how to retrofit a sprocket to the bolt drillings on a disc brake hub. Since then, companies like Boone, Spicer, Endless, and others have bought commercial offerings to market. Level Components recently took this ingenuity to its logical conclusion by developing a fixed hub with bolt- on, as opposed to thread-on, sprockets. The LeVeL hub allows easy sprocket swaps with just a TorX driver. An excellent idea!
I still run a traditional cog-and-lockring setup, but new ideas are worth considering if you're starting from scratch. Just make sure you keep some spares!
The no-lockring kludge
There's no substitute for a real fixed gear hub. I'm poor and I ponied up for one. You should too!
However, if you have a singlespeed hub threaded for freewheel only -- no stepped reverse thread for a lockring -- you can still use it on your fixed gear, if you don't mind a kludge. Here's the drill.
1. Clean the hub and cog threads completely. You'll need to eliminate any trace of grease or oil, so this is a job for acetone or other nasty solvents. 2. Put a bit of #242 blue Loctite or similar on the hub threads. Don't use the red variety, and don't get too excessive! 3. Install your cog as tight as you can with a good chainwhip. Get someone to help you. 4. Ride up the steepest hill near your abode. Mash those cranks! You might even drag your front brake a bit. 5. Somehow get home without putting any reverse pressure on your pedals. Ride carefully! 6. Allow the Loctite to set for a few hours, or however long it says on the bottle.
That's it! That cog is on there now! Some people screw on an old school bottom bracket lockring for added insurance, but I don't believe it adds anything to the Loctite.
I rode a setup like this as a messenger day in and day out for years. However, neither I nor 63xc.com assume any responsibility if this setup goes awry for you. The threadlocker/track cog cobble is definitely using parts outside of their intended use. You've been warned. Hub notes
In the last few years, there has been a great outpouring of 130mm and 135mm fixed gear hubs onto the market, many of them suitable for offroad usage. Good choices include hubs from Phil Wood, Paul Components, Surly, Kogswell, Goldtec, the aforementioned Level Components, and others. They are all nicely made and do the job well. I ride Phils myself (and most likely always will) but there are plenty of alternatives, even for those on a tight budget.
Chain
Chains are pretty well undertood these days. See the sidebar for excellent chain primers from Sheldon Brown and Greg Goode. But I do want to shed some light on a long- running discussion. 1/8" or 3/32": which is better?
My preference is for 3/32", for the following reasons.
Wide choice of components It was once the case that track cogs were 1/8", but these days 3/32" cogs are available in all sizes. Build a 3/32" drivetrain and you have access to the widest possible range of chainring sizes and drillings, not just the 144mm BCD stuff favoured in the track world. And, in an emergency, you can always put a 1/8" chain onto your 3/32" chainring and cog. The reverse definitely isn't true.
Better lateral flex Since it was developed for gearies, 3/32" chain deflects better than 1/8". That might not sound important in one-gear applications but -- believe me -- it can be important if you're riding a lightweight, flexible frame at high RPM on rough terrain.
Stronger Over the last 30 years, manufacturers have concentrated their development efforts on making the narrow chains required for geared bikes. Features like bushingless assembly, beveled sideplates, and high pin pressure are all pretty much 3/32" specific.
I run a SRAM PC-48, the most basic Sachs 8spd offering, without any problems. I reckon to replace it maybe two or three times a year. To get the most out of the chain, I clean it regularly (a Powerlink comes in handy here) but I don't spend money on it. It seems silly to spend lots of money on a part that, by design, is supposed to be replaced regularly. Keep it simple and somewhat on the cheap!
Chainline Chainline is the nitty gritty. Sheldon Brown's definition of chainline is as follows:
[Chainline] refers to how straight the chain runs between the front and rear sprockets. Ideally, both sprockets should be in the same plane, so that there is no sideward motion or stress to the chain. This constitutes 'perfect chainline'.
I can't overstress the importance of good chainline. Get it right--that is, within a couple of millimeters--and you'll be rewarded with improved chainwear and smoother pedalling, besides reducing the risk of chainlaunch. Check the sidebar for Sheldon Brown's handy chainline resources, which include a quick tutorial on measuring chainline, some good ballpark chainline figures, and exact measurements of some common components.
I'm going to take you, step by step, through setting the chainline on a fix. I'll use my own bike as an example. I'm assuming that most 63xc.com readers are riding a 130mm or 135mm rear hub and a mountain triple crank. Riders with road cranks -- double or triple - - should find that my system works for them, too.
You'll need:
A metric ruler in millimeter increments Metric vernier calipers in millimeters (optional, but good to have anyway) Decent eyesight Basic math skills or passable calculator usage skills A straight frame--or is that too optimistic?
Before we start, I'll draw your attention to one of the Facts of Fixer Life: there is no good way of tuning the chainline at the rear hub. The bad ways are i. fooling with the axle spacing and the wheel dish and ii. adding spacers under the cog. Avoid them. You want a symmetrically-built wheel for optimum strength, and you don't want aluminium spacers under the cog--they'll slip the first time you apply reverse pressure.
1. Install your cog and torque everything down properly. I'm using a 135mm Phil Wood Kiss Off doublefixed and a steel 3/32 EAI track cog.
2. Divide your rear hub spacing by two. So, if you are running a 135mm hub, like me, your value is 67.5mm. If you are running a 130mm hub, your value is 65mm.
3. Measure from the outside face of your cog to the place where the hub contacts the dropout -- technically, the end of the driveside spindle on a modern bolt-on hub. My value is 15mm. 4. If you have verniers, measure the thickness of the toothed portion of your cog. (If you don't have verniers, check Sheldon's page or make an estimate.) Divide this number by two for the centerline of your cog. I get a value of 1mm.
5. Add the values you got in steps (3) and (4). This number gives you the distance from the inner dropout face on the drive side to the centerline of your track cog. I get a value of 16mm: 15 + 1 = 16
6. Subtract the step (5) value from the step (2) value. I get 51.5mm (67.5 - 16 = 51.5). This is your rear chainline, a fixed, un-tweakable number. To achieve good chainline, you must replicate this figure as closely as possible with your crank/chainring/bottom bracket combo up front.
7. Read through Sheldon's guidelines to get a general idea of what you need to do. In my case, I've decided to mount my chainring to the outer position on the crank and to use a 113mm BB, the one recommended by the manufacturer. If I were running a bashguard, I might select a wider BB--maybe a 118mm--and move my ring to the middle position. If I were running a road double, I'd need a much wider BB spindle -- say a 122.5mm -- to get my ring to line up.
8. Install your bottom bracket, chainring, and drive side crank arm. Cinch them up good and tight, like you aren't planning on taking them off. Once that's done, take your metric ruler and butt it up against the seat tube of your bike, holding it perpendicular to your chainring. You're measuring the distance from the outside edge of your seat tube to the centerline of the ring. This is best done with your bike in a workstand. I get a value of 36mm.
9. Take your calipers and measure the diameter of your seat tube. Divide this number by two to get the tube radius. I get a value of 15.875mm (31.8 / 2 = 15.875)
10. Add the values you got in steps (8) and (9) to get your front chainline. I get a value of 51.875mm (36 + 15.875 = 51.875)
11. Compare your front (step 10) and rear (step 6) chainlines. Mine are pretty darn close (51.5mm vs. 51.875mm). I'm done!
I know my frame is straight within a millimeter or two, so I think I'm OK. If you are off by more than a couple of millimeters, you can tune your front chainline by any of the following means:
Swap the BB. Reconsider the cranks. Mine are well-used, so they sit pretty far onto the BB tapers. If I were starting over with a new crankset, I might try a 110mm spindle. Adjust your BB. If you're lucky enough to have a Phil Wood or RaceFace BB, you can make small tweaks to your front chainline by shifting the BB unit in its shell. Add freewheel/BB spacers under the fixed cup of your bottom bracket to shift it outward. Add spacers between the chainring and the crank spider. Some shops sell appropriate spacers. I'm not a fan of this one, which is likely to compromise the seating of your ring.
I'm afraid I don't know any chainring kludges for the newer outboard bearing two-piece crank/BB setups, although some have a modicum of adjustability built-in. Still, the outer position on the mountain versions should be pretty good for any 135mm SS/fixed specific hub, provided it has a chainline in the range 51--55mm.
Rocket science
The kludges listed above will enable you to dial in any standard setup. We're not building the Mars lander here, after all. But, if you want to get things absolutely perfect, you can carry out the following high-level checks:
Check frame alignment with a frame alignment gauge. Measure your BB shell width and check to make sure your seat tube is exactly centered on the shell (this can throw off a frame alignment gauge). Find a framebuilder who has a frame table and get him/her to measure your frame. We framebuilders love it when you show us how incredibly fastidious and knowledgeable you are. Really. (Barf.)
So that's it--a dozen steps to dial in your chainline! Isn't it great that riding a fixed gear is so simple? (Sighing and rolling eyes.)
One last note: DO NOT EYEBALL YOUR CHAINLINE RANDOMLY. Do your homework. Learn how chainline works. Know your crank specs, BB choices, and cog dimensions.
There is one handy rule of thumb, though. Take a squint at your transmission from the front. If you've done it right, your chainring should look outboard of your rear cog.
You'll see!
Pedals Unless your riding is restricted to soft-pedaling to the local Quickie Mart for a Pepsi, you'll need to attach your feet to the bike. The choices are:
Clips and straps Toe clips and straps have their adherents, both on and offroad. However, I feel they're less than ideal for fixed usage offroad. One-speeders tend to do a lot of mounting and dismounting, and loose toestraps may compromise your climbing, or impair your confidence when you're spinning down a rough track at insane RPM. You may be able to improve matters by using the noses of old steel toe clips to fashion toe-flips for the backside of your pedal. Good shoe choice is critical too. So is practice. About a decade should do it!
Power Grips Power Grips (see sidebar) are large burly straps mounted diagonally across platform pedals. They were designed for riders wary of going clipless. To get in or out, twist your foot slightly and slide accordingly. To lock your foot down, turn your foot square on to the pedal. Done. Genius! Although they're an improvement over clips and straps, Power Grips aren't perfect. They take a while to set up, and it's hard to readjust them if you switch between different riding shoes. If you have large feet (say, over size Euro 45), you may find that you need the XL Power Grips to get in them properly. The XLs are long enough to ride with the biggest winter boots too!
Clipless Clipless pedals first reached the market en masse in the early 90s. Since then, they've come to the fore in most cycling disciplines except track racing. Although I'm temperamentally resistant to proprietary technology, I have to admit that clipless pedals are a godsend for fixing in the rough. The downside is the addition of another mechanical part, albeit a very reliable one. I suppose you might also complain about the need to wear a specific combination of shoes and cleats, but the reality is that Power Grips and toeclips are also pretty shoe-dependent, too.
All things considered, my recomendation is a platform clipless pedal--another gift from the downhill/freeride market. The flat surface lets you ride short errands around town in street shoes. The large body makes hill starts easy. And finally, you have the benefit of a very solid connection to the bike when snapped in. The larger pedal body may cost you some clearance, but I feel the tradeoff is worthwhile. Pedals of this type are available from Time, Crank Bros, Shimano, Wellgo, and a few others.
Time ATACs are my own favourite. I've used them for nearly a decade with no problems. They provide ample float, run on a simple mechanism with few moving parts and no annoying adjusters, have cleats that wear in nicely, and they're useable in mud and snow- -which is not the case with all clipless designs! If you decide to go clipless, you may find the following handy.
Remember your shoes! Keep them with your helmet or something else you know is necessary. If you forget both, well, get it together, maaaan! If you're new to clipless--practice! Practice getting into your pedals and practice getting out. Just like driving a standard shift car or operating a computer, it will all become second nature. Place your cleats carefuly and fasten them tightly. Losing a cleat is pretty unfun. Don't skimp on shoes. The only thing worse than losing a cleat is breaking the sole of a cheap MTB shoe. High quality shoes like Sidis aren't cheap, but long lifespan makes them a great value. I ride everywhere and I've never gotten less than six years out of a pair of Sidis.
Brakes
If you follow the newsgroups, you'll know that it's not unheard of for a road fixer to ride brakeless. Offroad, however, you need a brake, period.
The following assumes that, like most fixers, you're using only a front brake. That changes your perspective. Technique counts for a lot in braking a fix, and tire traction is often more important than raw braking power.
In the interest of brevity, I'll skip the more unusual choices: centerpulls, roller cams, and U-brakes. That leaves us...
Sidepulls (aka road brakes)
Sidepulls have two big advantages: they're really simple and they look great. Cable routing is a breeze and adjustment is very easy too. Braking power is more than adequate- -especially with dual pivot designs. Unfortunately, most sidepulls limit your tire size to 40c, so they're only practical if you're riding an old road frame or if you've had a fork specially buit for them. For historical reasons, sidepulls built for big tires are designated 'standard reach'. The recent resurgence of common sense in the bike industry has brought many good standard reach brakes onto the market: Shimano, Tektro, and Kogswell are all worth considering.
Cantilevers
Cantilevers, once the brake of choice in the mountainbike world, are still going strong among the touring and cyclocross fraternities, and they're popular with niche sections of the MTB community--myself included. How come? Well, traditional low-profile cantis are inexpensive, endlessly adjustable, and work well with all kinds of levers, allowing you to set up your bike with any bar you fancy. Avoid the newer designs being pushed in the cyclocross world--the fiddly 'wide profiles' and the ones that use short-lived V-brake pads. True canti pads have an excellently long working life, especially in foul conditions. I've ridden many wet events where I've had working brakes the whole way while many of my brethren riding newer discs or Vs were metal-to- metal due to worn away pads. That's no good!
The disadvantage of cantis is, as everyone knows, tricky setup. I have two pieces of advice.
First, set your straddle wire low. If you set it high, you're sacrificing some power. No need to take this to the extreme, but the oft quoted '90 degree straddle' advice is bogus.
Second, don't set the spring tension on your brake arms too high. The return spring has no effect on braking performance, and a high setting will only give you more work to do with the lever. Do you want your hand strength used for slowing the bike, or overcoming your return springs?
The other adjustment--getting the shoes square on to the rim, with a little toe-in--is a knack, but it doesn't take long to learn. Once the brake is dialed in, keeping it that way needs only an occasional twist on the barrel adjuster that you've hopefully had the foresight to install.
I've always ridden either DiaCompe 986s or basic Shimano models coupled with a mid- range Shimano road brake lever. That's it. Dirt cheap and functional!
If you follow my guidelines, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the amount of power and modulation you get out of a 'retro' set of cantis!
V-brakes
V-brakes replaced cantis as the MTB designer's brake of choice, and are claimed to offer all kinds of advantages. I, however, am not convinced.
For starters, I can't stand the thin, short-lived brake pads, Especially the cartridge ones. Nor do I like the 'parallel push' designs which are intended to ensure that the pad hits the rim square-on. Once they've worn a little, all those little pivots develop play and howl unmercifully, especially in the wet. Not fun. Plus, V-brakes pull more cable than cantilevers and sidepulls. This isn't a problem for conventional MTB setups--modern flat- bar levers are designed for V-brake usage--but it makes life difficult for those of us who favour non-standard bars offroad. If you plan to mix V-brakes with drop bars or moustache bars, you have a couple of options. One is called a TravelAgent, a brake noodle with a built-in concentric pulley. These are not great. Trust me. A better option is to use the DiaCompe 287-V lever which has built-in barrel adjusters and ships with special brake noodles.
Have I nothing positive to say for the V-brake? Well, I will admit that the better-designed models, like those from Avid, work well. And, in the right conditions, the extra power can pay dividends -- tho' you'll need a dry trail and big, high-traction tires to really feel the benefit over properly set up cantilevers.
Disc brakes
Discs brakes are taking over from V-brakes. How come?
Set up properly, discs can work incredibly well. They have the most powerful braking action, making them a good choice if your bike has big enough tires to make use of it. They also sidestep many of the problems of rim brakes--they work well in the wet, they don't eat rim (or tire) sidewalls, they don't overheat the rim and blow the tire on long descents, and they work even if the wheel is way out of true--which may be a point in their favour if you taco out in the wilds!
On the other hand, they require tight tolerances to work at their best, which means maladjustment and warped/bent rotors can be difficult. Pads often don't last long in the wet, and sometimes it's hard to find replacements out in the sticks--though that situation is changing as the industry continues to pour development budgets into disc technology.
A more serious objection is the interaction between discs and frame. The reaction force from a disc brake on a steep downhill is extremely powerful, and frames need to be designed accordingly when running one in the rear. In the early days, when poor disc mount design and rear stay choice sometimes led to broken frames, it was considered impossible to build a rigid MTB fork with a disc mount. Times change!
If you decide on discs, choose a mechanical (cable actuated) setup over a complex hydraulic system. Avid have managed to leverage their V-brake experience into equally simple and functional cable disc brakes, and that's definitely the way to go--easy to set up, easy to adjust, and very few pitfalls.
One last point--when you work on your disc, take care. Brake rotors are sharp! Given the tighter tolerances of disc systems, it's wise to read your owner's manual carefully, and to avoid leaving fingerprints or cleaning solvents on the rotor itself.
Saddle It's still unusual to ride a fixed gear in the dirt, and you'll likely find that you need to rethink your standard setup in order to get the best ride.
My suggestion is that you pick a saddle with a dished profile, a bit taller at the nose and rear than the middle. My Cinelli Unicanitor has a pronounced dish, a trait it shares with many classic road saddles and with the old WTB SST mountain bike seats. A dished saddle allows you to sit back on the rear third of the seat without crushing your privates. It also helps when you turn your saddle slightly nose-up.
Crazy? Just hear me out.
Climbing on a fixed gear is not that big a deal. Whether you mash those pedals standing or sitting, either you're fit enough to enjoy the climb or you're not. The real challenge comes when the terrain points down and your RPM goes up.
When you pedal fast, you tend to shift forward on the seat. If you ride with a nose-down saddle, the only way to hold yourself in place is by pushing back with your arms. This creates tension in your neck and shoulders and messes up your bike handling, to say nothing of your enjoyment.
A nose-up saddle holds you gently in position on the downhills. Of course, it will feel a bit weird at first, and you may need to lower your saddle to get used to it. That's OK. You can slowly raise the saddle as you adapt.
Stick with it, and you'll be amazed at how much more comfortable it makes the bike. Check out the pro setups and you'll see the same thing more often than not. Everyone is different, but nose up is the ticket in my book!
Tire choice
Picking a front tire is easy. You need something that works well in mud, sand, dust or whatever conditions predominate in your area, that will take a lot of braking force, and that helps you to change direction easily.
Rear tires are harder.
Single speed MTBers trash rear tires. Road fixers, too. You'd expect offroad fixing to be blue murder on rear tires, and, sure enough, it is. So you need a high-end racing tire with maximum grip, right?
Wrong! Almost across the board, the racy tires last about as well as a pat of butter in a heated skillet. This is true for mountain, road, and cyclocross types. Instead, go cheap and commuter-y. Look for something inexpensive that will provide a modicum of grip in whatever conditions prevail locally. Nothing fancy, now. Make sure it weighs a good bit, and look for a low thread count. Extra points if it's free of fruity colors. I'm into Kenda Kross Supremes--the Redline tire--on both ends of my 'crossy bike. Long lasting, squishy, knobby, and blacker than Johnny Cash's jeans. Perfect!
Wrap up
Bored yet? Great! (I wasn't waiting for your answer--sorry.) In the two parts of this series, I've covered just about everything I know about setting up an off-road fix. Now go and find what works for you! Concentrate on fit, seating position, chainline, and having fun.
Riding a fix is meant to be a simplification. Ride your bike to ride your bike. It doesn't need to be explained in detail! Instead, do it for yourself. That way, the positive feeling you get from riding will transfer to others when they see you and talk to you.
That's a good thing.
Fixed Gear 101 by Greg Goode
This is a set of introductory lessons on handling your first fixed-gear bike. No matter what style you ride, track, street, or offroad, these pointers will help.
These instructions unavoidably display the New York City background of my fixed-gear riding. NYC has its own fixed-gear bicycle culture. Messengers dart through Manhattan on their brakeless street-fixes, national-level track racers compete at Kissena Velodrome in Queens, road racers crank up their cadence on fixed training rides off season, and "Old Skool" track riders cruise the streets and gather in Central Park to muse about the beauties of their sport. The cycling culture in other locales will differ, but I hope you'll find the basic techniques helpful no matter where you ride.
Safety Measures--Part One of Fixed Gear 101 by Greg Goode
Always wear a helmet. I always do, even though my Campagnolo cycling cap looks much cooler. Some of my best bike buddies never wear helmets. But then, I also have two friends whose lives were saved by wearing helmets. Another bike buddy would always say before the rides he'd lead: "Wear your helmet, but don't use it!"
If you have enough bike shops to choose from, find a shop where they are knowledgeable and comfortable about fixed-gear bikes. If you are not a mechanic, then have a mechanic check your bike out and sign off on it before you start.
Make sure that the rear hub has been made as back-pedal-safe as possible. On a fixed- gear hub, a strong steel lockring is a must.
Make sure that your chain is strong, because your chain is essential to both your drive- train and your ability to stop. There are strong track chains by Izumi and HKK, and strong BMX chains by KMC. Your chain isn't the place to skimp on dollars or save weight!
Choose a safe place to practice these techniques! Places like parks or empty parking lots are great. When in doubt, follow the roller-bladers and skateboarders who wear the baggy pants. They know the best spots.
Look farther down the road than you would with a freewheel bike. Especially when riding brakeless, your stopping distance is longer. Use peripheral vision and train your mind to be receptive to what's out to the sides, up to 180-200 degrees. You'll also be able to develop a sense for what's behind you, guided partly by sound, partly by intuition.
Warm up and stretch before your rides, and before trying any of the techniques, especially if they require new muscle movements. This is to maximize your skill as well as to help prevent injury. I have had injuries merely from not being flexible enough. Stretching yields greater flexibility, and warming up makes it easier to stretch.
Equipment--Part Two of Fixed Gear 101 by Greg Goode
Start with a bike whose frame fits you well, not too large and not too small. It's best if it has rearward-facing horizontal dropouts--'track ends'. You find track ends on track bikes, singlespeed mountain bikes, and on 'street-fixed' bikes. Street-fixeds have become common over the last couple of years. They are affordable fixed-gear bikes that look like track racers, but have a heavier and more relaxed frame and drillings for a front and perhaps a rear brake. As of this writing (June 2002), street-fixed bikes are being made by Surly, Bianchi, KHS, Gunnar, Urban Cycles and Fuji, although not all of these are appropriate for offroad use. To enable you to back-pedal hard without loosening the cog, you'll need a proper fixed- gear hub with a steel lockring.
You'll probably change your setup once you gain some basic skills. But the following suggestions should shorten your ramp-up time.
Clips and straps, not clipless pedals These allow you to use the backs of the pedals for balancing drills while you're learning. I use double straps.
Shoes with flat rubber soles and no cleats While you're learning, it's good if you can quickly slide into the clips and back out without sticking. I have found soccer shoes and skateboarding shoes ideal for this purpose. Don't use running or basketball shoes, as the sole is too knobby for quick entry and exit. They may also be too bulky to fit smoothly into the toeclips.
Front brake A back brake is optional, a front brake is mandatory--not just for safety, but also because it is required by law in most countries. If you live in an area where legislation allows you to ride brakeless, then the first step is a front-brake-only setup. I myself wanted to go brakeless, but I was cautious. I kept the front brake on for an entire year while I learned. Then I took it off and never used it again.
Low gear Choose a gear that's low enough to get you up the hills, but not so low that you lose control on the way down. Gearing is a personal matter, of course, but something in the high 60s or low 70s is usually considered a good choice to learn with. Here are some likely chainring/cog combinations on a 700c bike, with the resulting gear expressed in inches. 26" wheelers should check the sidebar for further pointers.
48x19 = 68.2" 48x18 = 72.0" 46x18 = 69.0" 46x17 = 73.1" 44x17 = 69.9" 44x16 = 74.3"
Riding the Undersides of the Pedals--Part Three of Fixed Gear 101 by Greg Goode
Dismounting and trackstands are easier to learn if you are not clipped in. You will fall less. It helps if you can ride the undersides of the pedals, leaving the clips facing the ground. The clips might scrape the ground if your bottom bracket is low and your cranks are long. On a true track bike, this won't be an issue--these bikes are built to keep your pedals off the ground. If your clips do scrape while approaching the ground, try bending them into a flatter position.
The Handlebar Mount--Part Four of Fixed Gear 101 by Greg Goode
Of course you can mount a fixed any way you like. But most people riding fixed don't use the traditional mount, where you swing the leg up and back over the saddle. Instead, they use the much cooler handlebar mount. They sweep their leg in a quick movement up in front, over the handlebars and back down to the pedal on the opposite side. This method is faster and smoother than the traditional mounting method. It evolved on track bikes, where the bars are a good deal lower than the saddle--and there are no brake cables to foul you up!
The entire mount takes about a half a second. The steps take much more time to read and grok! I've assumed mounting from the left (L) of the bike. If you mount from the right (R), then just switch the Ls and Rs.
It's good to practice rocking the bike. This is not absolutely necessary, so you can skip the next section if you wish. But if you get it down, rocking will help make your mounts and dismounts much smoother and faster.
Rocking The Bike
Rocking is a side-to-side motion that makes your mounts and dismounts smoother and more fluid. To rock the bike, stand to the L side of the bike. Orient your body so that your R hip is square on to the bike (or at a 45 degree angle). Hold the L handlebar in your L hand, and the stem in your R hand. Let your L hand go. With your R hand on the stem as a guide, let the bike fall about 10 or 15 degrees away from you, towards the bike's R. Now, with your R hand, gently throw the bike back towards your L hand, which will catch the bike's L handlebar. The handlebars and stem (saddle and everything else too) will sway L-to-R and R-to-L through an arc of maybe 15-20 degrees. Practice this gentle toss-and-catch movement back and forth, catching the stem with your R hand and handlebar with your L.
You'll use the rocking-toward motion in mounts, and the rocking-away motion in dismounts.
NOTE: The best spot to grab the L handlebar is on the 'flat', between the stem and the beginning of the curve. This grip makes it easier to keep the front wheel straight as you push the bike to the R.
Mounting The Bike
1. Holding the bike by the handlebar and saddle, lift the rear wheel off the ground. Give the L pedal a gentle kick to rotate the pedals until they are at 3o'clock/9o'clock, the R pedal towards the front wheel and the L pedal towards the rear wheel. Place the rear wheel back on the ground, and re-grip the bike, with your L hand on the L handlebar and your R hand on the stem.
2. Keep that grip with your hands, and orient your R hip towards the top tube. There should be about 8-12 inches between your belly button and the handlebars.
3. Let your L hand go and let the bike sway away from you, guided by your R hand on the stem.
4. Toss the bike back towards you with your R hand, and at the same time raise your R leg up and swing it over the handlebars. As your leg passes over to the right, the bike passes under to the L.
5. At the instant that your L hand catches the bars, your R foot reaches the R pedal. (Clip in if you like, but it might be safer to save it until you've practiced dismounting.)
6. Place your weight on the R pedal, using it to lever your butt into the saddle. Push forward with the R pedal and catch the L pedal with your L foot.
7. Congratulations, you've just mounted your fixed! Time for a quick victory circuit. Now you need the next section, which is all about dismounting.
The Handlebar Dismount--Part Five of Fixed Gear 101 by Greg Goode
The basic handlebar dismount is the reverse of the handlebar mount. You straddle the bike, then pass it away from you while bringing your leg up, over, and toward you. Here are the steps in greater detail:
1. Riding the undersides of the pedals, come to a complete stop. Finish with the pedals in a comfortable 3o'clock/9o'clock position, the R pedal towards the front wheel and the L pedal towards the rear wheel. Step off the L pedal, then the R. You are now straddling the bike.
2. Grab the L handlebar with your L hand and allow the bike to lean slightly to the L.
3. Using a gentle thrust, pass the bike from the L to the R, so as to catch the stem in your R hand. At the same time, raise your R leg up, forwards and to the L, passing it over the handlebars and back down towards the L leg. The bike passes under to the R as your leg passes over to the L. (When I do this dismount, my left hand actually meets my leg over the bike and slaps the inside of my thigh.) Half a snap later, your R hand catches the stem and your R foot is back on the ground.
Kicking In--Part Six of Fixed Gear 101 by Greg Goode
You may have experience kicking in to your pedals on a freewheel bike, but it's a bit different on a fixed. Clipping in is usually done while the pedals are in motion. First pedal, then clip in.
Some riders do the reverse. That is, they clip into one of the pedals while standing over the bike, and clip in to the other pedal as soon as their butt hits the saddle. This is the preferred style for track racers. Sometimes they even clip into both pedals before getting started - if they go from a standing start with a helper to hold them up. But while in learning mode, if you clip in before moving, you'll generate some comical, zero-MPH tip-overs. Even you will laugh!
It's best to kick in once you're in motion. Getting the wheels in motion before you kick in gives you scope for lots more moves.
If you're using clips and straps, stand your bike up and look at the pedals as the clips hang towards the ground. If your pedal was made for toeclips, then it may have a small flange or nib extending up and towards the front of the bike. This is to assist your kick into the pedals. You'll still be able to kick in even if your pedals don't have flanges, but it will be a bit harder to gain purchase.
To kick in:
1. Mount the bike and begin riding slowly on the undersides of the pedals.
2. Wait till the R pedal has passed the top of its stroke.
3. When the pedal is at about 1o'clock, hover your R foot above the pedal, gliding above it and with it.
4. As the pedal reaches 4o'clock, lightly brush backwards on the flange or edge of the pedal. This will kick the pedal up and around.
5. When the pedal is properly oriented, quickly thrust your foot forward and into the clip. At first, you'll probably miss it. No problem--just wait for the next rotation. This is why a safe parking lot is advisable for practice!
6. When you've clipped in your R foot, go for the L.
I would advise you to leave the straps quite loose while you're learning. You need to make it easy to get in and get out of the toeclips. Personally, I crank hard on the straps only when I'm riding in very light traffic, like on an early Sunday morning. The other times, like on city streets during the day, I keep the straps tight enough to be able to pull upwards, but loose enough to unclip on a dime at a chaotic traffic light.
Pedaling Technique--Part Seven of Fixed Gear 101 by Greg Goode
On a fixed gear, pedaling is everything. You can never STOP pedaling, so you might as well do it right! Pedaling supplies power, acceleration, deceleration, stopping, and balance. These functions are the basics of your fixed-gear riding, and to perform them well you need spin, power and smoothness.
The techniques we will use are Arc Drills, One-Legged Drills, Cadence Drills, and Hill Repeats. These are proven ways to increase your speed, power and smoothness.
What is Spin? Turning the pedals quickly. Some riders pedal over 200rpm (that's over 3 pedal revolutions per second), especially in the burst of a sprint or down a safe hill. Normal cadence, which is fine for everyday riding, is between 90 and 120rpm. If you encounter a safe downhill that you know doesn't have an obstacle or stop light at the bottom, then you can ride it out, which might require more than 120rpm. But even if your pedals never have to rotate at a great rate, the ability of your legs to push greater speeds will give you greater control at any rpm.
What is Power? Applying greater force to the pedals. This is a factor in all forms of cycling!
What is Smoothness? Applying force to the pedals at all points of their motion. This is a key factor both to spin and to the overall force that gets transferred to the pedals. Smooth pedaling is circular pedaling. During uneven, unsmooth pedaling, you mostly push down. That is, you apply force only in the downstroke. This means that the you push forward and down with the legs, and let the pedals carry the legs back and up to the top of the stroke. At higher cadences, this kind of unsmooth pedaling can be seen and felt. The body may rock from side to side, the torso bob back and forth, or the butt bounce up and down on the saddle.
During smooth pedaling, you transmit force to the pedal throughout its motion. With the aid of toeclips or clipless pedals, you can push backwards across the bottom of the pedal stroke and pull upwards at the back of the stroke. Extraneous motion is reduced, allowing more power to the pedals. This makes for greater overall efficiency and speed.
To Practice Use your bike in a safe area like an empty parking lot on a Sunday morning, or use rollers, or a stationary bike with a computer timer and cadence counter. Please remember to warm up and stretch! After these drills, even the first time, your pedaling will feel smoother and stronger, and your legs will feel much more control and "at one" with the pedals. You will definitely feel the difference!
On several of these exercises, it helps to find a cassette tape or CD of music that revs you up. Listen to it as you practice. I found several tapes of Cuban "charanga" music which inspired me, as its rhythm cadence is congruent with the cadence I'm shooting for.
Arc Drills
Arc drills are easier with your toeclips tight, or with clipless pedals. Their purpose is to develop greater smoothness and power. One of the key technical ingredients to good riding is a smooth, circular spin. This means applying a more even force to all angles around the 360-degree arc. Of course the degree of force applied to the pedals will not be perfectly equal at all angles, but we can improve the evenness of the stroke. Arc drills help. Proceed as follows: 1. Mentally divide the circle of your pedal stroke into quarters. For each foot, concentrate on the arc described by:
Arc 1: Forward and down--the main arc pedaled by most riders
Arc 2: Scraping across the bottom--as if you are scraping mud from your shoes by pushing down and back
Arc 3: Up in back--pulling up against the clips
Arc 4: Gliding across the top--transition between pulling up and pushing down
Arc drills are part concentration exercise. Really try to visualize each arc, and to feel it in your legs.
2. Practice pedaling, applying force only in Arc 2, letting your legs slightly relax in the other arcs. Of course the legs will still apply some pressure all around, but your effort should focus on bringing awareness and greater power to Arc 2.
3. Try to keep this up for the period of an entire song on your tape, or a 3-minute period. Rest for a few minutes.
4. Now ride applying force to Arc 3 for three minutes. Rest for a few minutes.
5. Repeat with Arc 4. Arc 1 doesn't need its own practice, because it's the arc normally used in pedaling.
6. You can extend from 3 minutes to 5 minutes. Also, if you find one of the arcs particularly spastic, uncoordinated and hard to apply force to, then give this arc more attention as you practice.
One legged drills
One legged drills are easier after Arc Drills, and with tight toeclips or clipless pedals. Their purpose is to achieve greater smoothness and power and evenness in movement from leg to leg.
Remove one foot from the clips, and pedal with the other foot. The lack of countering force will encourage the pedaling leg to describe a more perfect circle. Try to keep this up for the entire 3-minute period or throughout the song on your tape player. Then rest and try the other leg. Repeat 5 times for each leg. Cadence drills
Cadence drills improve speed and smoothness. A cadence counter is recommended - I've always found a stationary bike with computerized controls best for these, even if it's not a fixed!
1. Warm up for 10 minutes.
2. After warming up, pedal faster and faster. Try to hold a 90rpm cadence for one minute.
3. Move up to 120 for one minute.
4. Rest at a comfortable cadence for 30 seconds.
5. Accelerate slowly and smoothly to the greatest rpm that you can achieve. This acceleration between a comfortable pace and your top rpm should not be a burst, but should take 20-30 seconds to achieve. NOTE: If you feel your butt start to bounce up and down in the saddle, try concentrating on arc 3 or 4 or visualize pedaling in a perfect circle. If this doesn't work, lower your rpm until your motion is smoother, and then increase your rpm more gradually. If you can be smooth only at relatively low rpm, you need more arc drills!
6. Try to hold the top rpm for 10 seconds. If you have a cadence counter, make a mental note of the cadence.
7. Then try to control the deceleration smoothly back to a comfortable cadence. If you are on a freewheel machine, try to resist the impulse to relax into a coast after your exhausting high-rpm sprint.
8. Repeat this 5 times for this session, allowing several minutes between your accelerations to top-rpm. How long to wait? Until your breathing and hear-rate return to a normal rate for riding comfortably. As you work with this exercise, shoot for higher and higher top rpms for your 10 second plateau. If you'd like, try to hold that cadence for 15 or 20 seconds.
Hill Repeats
Hill repeats build power. Look for a route that takes you up a challenging hill, around, and back to your starting point. If you can't find such a route, then use any hill that lets you double back to descend. Depending on your overall fitness, repeat 5 or 10 times. Allow enough time between ascents so that your breathing and heart-rate return to normal (for normal riding patterns) before ascending again.
Riding Downhill--Part Eight of Fixed Gear 101 by Greg Goode
In this section, you'll learn new ways to control the speed of your bike. While you're learning, use them in conjunction with your brake--and take it easy.
Fixers divide hills into two classes: those with obstructions, and those without. Obstructions can include traffic intersections, stop signs, obstacles such as oil, sand, logs or pot holes, blind spots, and other dangers.
Obstructed hills
On an obstructed hill, you must "control your roll." There are two main methods:
Slalom Slaloming is the system used by skiers and rollerbladers. As you carve your turns back and forth, concentrate on digging the front wheel into the ground. This easy method actually has remarkable slowing power, and you will find it convenient when you are tired. But it is advisable only if you have enough free space for the side-to-side slalom movement. You will need about the width of one traffic lane on the road. Rare, but it happens.
Backpedaling Backpedaling is the classic fixed gear braking technique. As you descend, you resist the forward motion of the pedals. One leg pushes back and down on the rear pedal as it rises up and forward, while the other leg pulls up on the front pedal as it rotates forward and down. If you're approaching a red light, a stop sign or cross traffic, you might end up going at about a walking pace.
Unobstructed hills
Unobstructed hills are rare. When you find one, use the opportunity to sprint! Get to know your top rpm and the hills that you can handle. Remember the cadence drills, which give you the ability to handle high rpm. If you find yourself 'spinning out' frequently, reconsider your choice of gear.
Slowing and Stopping--Part Nine of Fixed Gear 101 by Greg Goode Slowing
There are several ways to slow down. You can use the Slalom and Backpedal methods, covered in the previous section. You can also pseudocoast. This is where you release the forward pressure of your legs, letting them go "gumby." Without the application of forward or backward pressure, the natural weight of your legs will drag against the pedals and slow you down. Pseudocoasting is a good method to use when you have a lot of slowing distance, or when your legs are tired.
Stopping
There are several stopping methods.
Slowing to a stop This is the one I use the most. It's smooth and deceptively simple. You keep on backpedalling, until eventually you drift to a stop! You can use this method either seated or standing, though standing will give you more leverage. It doesn't look impressive, since your body isn't visibly doing anything special. But it's the smoothest method and the one easiest on your knees. Your legs just learn what speed to use in order to cover a certain distance in a certain amount of time. Other stopping methods do look trick with their unexpected and abrupt movements, but they can create knee problems with overuse.
Skipping In a skip stop you unweight the rear wheel, stop its rotation, then push it back onto the ground to scrub speed. A full stop may require several repetitions. Use the clips/clipless to pull your body off the saddle and up. Coordinate your movements so that by the time the wheel is unweighted--it may even come off the ground about an inch--the pedals are horizontal. At this point, kick back on the pedals to stop the motion of the wheel. This involves abruptly pulling up on the front pedal while you push down on the rear. You will probably find it easier to use the same foot forward as you use in trackstands. Coming to a full stop will take several pedal rotations, since your bike and body are still moving forward. As you let the pedals rotate forwards for the next kick, you can wait for one complete revolution, or one-half revolution if you're comfortable kicking back on the pedals with the feet positioned the opposite way. Repeat the process, keeping your butt off the saddle, until you come to a complete stop.
Skidding Skidding is like skipping, but without as much unweighting of the rear wheel. You stand on the pedals and wait until they almost reach the horizontal position that is comfortable for you. Then jerk with a backwards motion while unweighting the rear wheel, but do not let the wheel come off the ground. The tire will skid. There are two slight variations on this technique. In the first, you skid repeatedly, letting the pedals rotate back into position, much as in the skip. In the other variation, you try to hold the skid until you come to a stop. It takes skill to unweight the rear wheel without bringing it up off the ground. This method is hard on the hub, the lockring, the back tire, and the knees--more of a showoff move or emergency fallback than an everyday staple. Nevertheless, urban bicycle messengers hold skidding competitions. With careful weighting, they can draw out the skid for hundreds of feet.
Balance Drills--Part Ten of Fixed Gear 101 by Greg Goode
More drills for the empty parking lot! Balance drills will open your balance and help you to learn trackstands (next section). Do them unclipped, or at least with the toestraps loose. You will find your balance stronger on one side than the other. When you do the following exercises, which side do you tip over on most of the time? That's your weaker side. You'll probably always have a weaker and a stronger side. But with practice, both sides will improve. Here are several things that should help that happen:
Ride as slowly as you can Ride as slowly as you can without actually stopping. Racers in velodromes doing matched sprints will often do this. You will find yourself using the backpedaling pressure to control both speed and, to a lesser extent, balance.
Ride in very small circles Ride in small circles, both clockwise and counterclockwise. Sometimes the front wheel will seem like it's at right angles to the frame! Backpedaling pressure helps here too.
Hover before dismounting When you intend to stop, bring the pedals to a complete halt at the 3 o'clock - 9 o'clock positions, and stay upright as long as you can. Try it standing on the pedals as well as seated. Comfort with this will help a great deal staying in the pedals at traffic lights and at ultra-low speeds.
Ride with no hands You can use markings on the parking lot, or even set up empty plastic water bottles as markers. Try different combinations: any which direction across the lot large and small circles both directions slaloms figure eights--an old skaters' warmup, which improves both left and right sides.
Trackstands--Part Eleven of Fixed Gear 101 by Greg Goode
To trackstand is to balance on the bike while stationary. The pedals are at 3 and 9 o'clock and the front wheel is canted towards the front foot. Trackstands give you balance both left-to-right and front-to-back. Trackstands look cool. And they're useful. On the street, a trackstand at a red light keeps you on the bike, feet in the pedals, ready to hit it when the light turns green. But don't be distracted by the gawks of pedestrians who think they're seeing something impossible!
In the velodrome, trackstands help you win sprints. In matched sprint competitions, racers use trackstands to get in back of each other. "In back??!! Aren't they supposed to be in front to win the race?" Well, at the finish line, yes. But before that point, being behind of the other racer can be an advantage. Only the finish counts, even if the race takes a long time. So if you can force the other rider ahead of you, you'll be able to save energy riding in their draft, and then burst around the last quarter lap in a great sprint finish!
Preparation
All the balance drills you've been doing will help with trackstands. Also, before you start practicing, it helps to choose a direction. For most riders, a trackstand is easier to learn on one side than the other. Trackstands can be assisted by a slight incline, such as the slope of the velodrome, or the rise in the crown of the road as you ride on the edge. My own riding, for example, is mostly along the right sides of New York City streets. I encounter inclines on the crown of the road which slope up and to the left. So I learned trackstanding first to the left (Figure A). Riders in the UK or the velodrome might find it easier to learn trackstanding at first to the right ( Figure B).
Which foot first? Comfort is another important factor in choosing a direction. Which is your "leading foot"? The "lead foot" moves to the front when you ride a skateboard or wind up to kick a football. Some folks find it easier to learn trackstanding with the lead foot forward, even if the slope in the crown of the road would dictate otherwise. You can learn to trackstand on both sides, without canting the front wheel, without hands, and regardless of the slope. But, while learning, it makes sense to concentrate your efforts.
The Steps
1. Decide on a direction. Ask your body which foot likes to lead, consult Figures A and B, try a few things and make a decision. The following steps assume the L foot forward direction, as in Figure A, but you can swap 'em easily.
2. Find a place in your practice parking lot that has a gentle slope in the proper direction. The slope should be of just a few degrees, like the crown of a paved road.
3. Make sure you're not clipped in. Ride toward the slope. Find a line of approach that puts the slope uphill to your left.
4. Stop when your L foot is forward, R foot to the rear with the front wheel turned 30-45 degrees to the L. The pedal angle will be horizontal, or perhaps the front will be slightly above the rear pedal, approaching a 10 o'clock - 4 o'clock angle.
5. This step is easier to do standing on the pedals than seated. With the front foot, push gently uphill against the slope for a few seconds, then release the pressure and let yourself roll back down a few inches. Repeat this several times until you feel the back and forth trajectory becoming more solid and stable. You will notice that because the front wheel is at an angle, your motion is side-to-side as well as forward and backward. This movement in both dimensions is where your stability comes from.
NOTE: On flat ground, and partly on this gentle slope, the backward motion is accomplished by pressing down on the rear pedal. Freewheel riders supply the backwards resistance with their brake(s).
6. Concentrate on getting the forward and backward roll of the front wheel as slow and stable as possible. You shouldn't need more than 12 inches of trajectory. And the better your balance becomes, the shorter this distance can comfortably be. You can try it seated, but standing is easier at first. Looking into the middle distance is actually better for your balance. But at first, since you're still getting the angles and positions down, it's almost impossible to resist looking down at the front tire!
7. As you rock back and forth seeking a slow and stable motion, you will start to notice a point along the trajectory where you feel very well balanced. This is the "sweet spot," a place of peace and equilibrium. At first it feels like a very small and delicate place. But as you practice, it starts to open up and become easier to reach. You'll be able to stay longer and longer. This is your trackstand. 8. Play around. You can help open up the sweet spot by approaching the slope with your front pedal a bit higher or a bit lower. Try it seated. Try to hit it also on flat ground. Every once in a while, try the trackstand on the opposite side. You'll feel shaky and uncoordinated on that side, which will make you appreciate you nice it is to do on the side you're accustomed to!
Trackstand Tips
As you gain experience in landing in the sweet spot and losing it, you will see that you usually fall away from it in the same direction, either to the L or R. Use this information to compensate by bringing your body closer to the opposite side as you stand up and turn the front wheel.
It's easier to practice standing than seated, because you can move your bike underneath your body more easily.
As you rock back and forth and your bike moves, your pedals will need to be re-adjusted to find the 3-9 position.
You can also practice your trackstand by meditation and visualization. Put yourself into it while sitting on a couch, lying in bed, or even while walking down the street.
If you feel like you're losing balance and concentration but would still like to practice in the same session, then ride around for a bit. Try the balance drills. And after 10-15 minutes or so, give the trackstand another try.
If you manage to hold your trackstand for an uncommonly long time, let that be it for a while. Don't push it for an hour or so. Go do some other riding. Let this one incubate and settle into your body. Next time you give it a try, your body will find it a bit more comfortable!
Dance skaters say, "There are no mistakes, only moves." You can use this attitude. If you feel yourself losing the trackstand, make a stylish move out of it. Right before wiping out, whip your front wheel in a direction that will keep you on the bike, and ride coolly away. "Yeah, I planned that."
Every time you're out, do one or two last trackstands right before you get off the bike for the day. This is what will imprint in your body until next time out.
Emergency Stops--Part Twelve of Fixed Gear 101 by Greg Goode
What if your brakes fail, your chain breaks or pops off, you get something caught in the chain, or your pedals get out of control on a downhill? What can you do? There are several techniques. They aren't pleasant to use, but they are better than the alternative!
Lean the bike over Try to remove your feet from the clips and lean the bike to the side. Plant your foot on the ground and do a one-half Fred Flintstone. One associate of mine got his shoelace caught in the chainring and had to lean the bike over to where his knee scraped the ground. He stopped finally, and learned to tuck the laces firmly into his shoes!
Skid to a powerslide This is a prolonged skid where you also whip the tail of the bike around so that the bike faces sideways. If your forward foot is the L foot, you'll probably find it more comfortable to whip the rear of the bike to the R, and vice versa. The powerslide redirects your forward motion sideways and brings you to a quicker halt. It's the same movement as you might have done as a kid with your dirt bike, MTB or BMX. You might have even seen skateboarders doing brakeless powerslides.
Ride into the shoulder of the road This will soften the blow. You'll wipe out into dirt or bushes, or even something harder. But it's probably still better than riding into a busy intersection at high speed. If there's a curb at the shoulder of the road, then you might have to bunnyhop the bike. To do this, do a wheelie to get the front wheel up and over, then immediately, unweight the rear wheel and pull up as explained in the section on Skip and Skid stops.
Foot into the seatstays You might have done this on your bike as a kid. Using your dominant foot or your more limber leg, unclip and bring the foot up and back. Plant it in the gap where the rear wheel goes through the seatstays. Ideally, it will be your shoe and not your ankle that'll lodge into the space, providing a brake to the rear tire.
Glove against the front wheel Use this one with caution, since it can make you flip forwards. But people have done this successfully. Press the palm of your gloved hand onto the tire in front of the fork (not in back of it!) and press down or squeeze with your hand. Try not to lean too far forward.
If your chain breaks or pops off...... unclip from the R pedal, swing your leg over the saddle and drag the foot on the L side of the bike like kids do. Or take your butt off the saddle, sit on the top tube with one haunch, and do a Fred Flintstone with the other foot. Or use a combination, a one-footed Fred while leaning the bike to the side.
Fixed Gear 101: Tips and links
See the movie Quicksilver. Find a mentor who really knows this stuff. Ask the mechanics and staff at your local shop. Sometimes they are closet fixed riders! Visit the closest velodrome. Take a trip to a large city such as San Francisco, New York, or Philadelphia, where there are lots of folks who ride fixed on the street.
More from Greg
On the meditative feeling of fixed gear: No Brakes -- Or, Zen on Wheels http://nonduality.com/900gg.htm
On track riders on the street: OldSkoolTrack.com http://www.oldskooltrack.com
Hubs for Fixed-gear Bicycles
There are four ways you can go, as far as hubs are concerned. You can use a track hub, a flip-flop hub, a freewheel hub, or a cassette hub.
Track Hubs
The best set-up for a road fixed-gear is to build up a new rear wheel, using either a track hub or a flip-flop hub.
Track hubs have a stepped thread. The main thread that the sprocket screws onto is the same as that of a normal freewheel hub. Outboard of this, is another threaded secton of slightly smaller diameter. This thread is a left (reverse) thread, and a special lock ring screws onto it. After you screw the sprocket on in the normal manner, and tighten it down securely, the lock ring screws down so that it presses against the outer surface of the sprocket. If the sprocket should start to loosen up, it will try to turn the lock ring counter clockwise...but that only tightens the lockring. As a result, the sprocket cannot be unscrewed by the chain, no matter how hard you fight the pedals.
Fixed-Gear (Track) Hub Lockring Threading (Left-hand thread): English/ISO 1.29" x 24 TPI Campagnolo/Phil Wood 1.32" x 24 TPI Old French 33 mm x 1.0 mm White Industries has come up with a terrific new solution to the problem of vertical dropouts and fixed-gear/singlespeed. They have introduced a bolt-on hub with offset bolts that allow 15 mm of adjustment even in a frame with vertical dropouts! For more details, click here!
Flip-flop Hubs
lip-flop, or double-sided hubs are threaded on both sides. Usually one side has a track- type threading, (with lockring) and the other side is threaded for a single-speed standard freewheel. It is possible to find them with track threading on both sides, but not easily.
The usual way to use a flip-flop hub is to have a fixed gear on one side, and a single speed freewheel on the other. Ideally, the freewheel sprocket would be one or two teeth larger than the fixed sprocket.
You would ride with the fixed gear most of the time (I hope!) and save the freewheel for longer rides, or for getting you home when you are tired. Having the freewheel a bit larger than the fixed sprocket gives you a lower gear when you are using the freewheel. This makes it easier to climb. Since you can coast when you are using the freewheel, the lower gear is no disadvantage on the descents.
Single-speed freewheels are commonly used on BMX bicycles, most shops that deal in BMX parts should stock them. The common size used for BMX is 16 tooth, other sizes may be hard to find, especially for 3/32 chain.
If you are going to use a flip-flop hub with a freewheel, you should have two brakes on the bicycle.
Note, there are two types of hubs called "flip-flop":
• Fixed/free, this is the type I speak of above, with a "track" side and a freewheel side. • BMX type...BMX flip-flop hubs have two different freewheel threads, a standard one on one side, and a special smaller-diameter freewheel thread on the other, designed to work with special small freewheels (14, 15 teeth.) These are now quite rare, but if you are calling around looking for "flip-flop" hubs, make sure you get the right kind.
Conventional Freewheel-type Hubs
he cheapest way to convert a multi-speed bicycle into a fixed gear is to use the original rear hub, assuming that it is made for a conventional threaded freewheel. A fixed sprocket will thread right on, but there is no provision for a left threaded lock ring. If you go this route, it is a good idea to use LocTite or a similar thread adhesive. You can use an old lock ring from a British-threaded bottom bracket as an additional safety measure, it is the same thread.
Although you can just screw on the sprocket and put everything together, the chain line will probably be incorrect. If you go this route, you will usually need to re-arrange spacers on the axle to correct the chain line, then re-dish the wheel so that everything will track correctly.
I should mention that there are those who say you shouldn't use a lockring. This theory is based on the fact that if the chain should come off the chainwheel and get caught, a sprocket without a lockring will just unscrew, rather than locking up the rear wheel.
My feeling is that it is better to use a lockring so that you can rely on being able to slow the bike down with your feet, especially if you ride with only one brake.
If you don't use a proper track hub with a lockring, you really should have two hand brakes. If not, a front brake failure followed by a sudden extra effort at "resisting" could break the sprocket loose at the worst possible time, and you'd be toast!
Cassette Hubs
It is also possible to convert a Shimano cassette Freehub ® for fixed-gear use. Quality Bicycle Products makes the "Sub 11.0 Hub Converter", an adapter that replaces the Shimano Freehub body with a rigid aluminum block that is threaded for a fixed sprocket and lock ring. Your dealer can order one of these for you from Quality, the top parts distributor in the U.S.
The Quality part number is HU9020. Expect to pay $70-80, plus sprocket and lockring.
This device is mainly intended for use with disk wheels and the like. Although it works with most Shimano cassette Freehubs, it is expensive enough that it doesn't generally make sense unless you already have a very good wheel that you don't have any use for as a multispeed. Bruce Ingle, a fellow member of the Charles River Wheelmen used a Shimano cassette hub, which he immobilized by brazing the ratchet mechanism together.
I've been experimenting with a similar approach, but it's too soon to tell how it will work out.
Frames for Fixed-Gear Conversion
Road Bikes t is very desirable that a frame for fixed-gear use have "horizontal" rear dropouts: that is, the slots in the frame that hold the rear axle should run in a more-or-less horizontal direction. This allows you to move the axle back and forth as needed to adjust chain tension. This makes things much easier than if you try to convert a newer bike with vertical dropouts.
The most desirable bikes for fixed-gear conversion are 1970's road bikes. These usually have horizontal dropouts, and usually don't have unsightly shift-lever bosses. Frames of this era also tended to have more generous tire clearance than newer sport bikes, providing more versatility in the choice of tires, and the use of fenders.
Three Speeds
ld three-speeds can also make quite satisfactory fixed gear bikes, particularly English ones. The rear triangle is already just about perfect for a track hub, they usually have 110 mm spacing. The better English 3-speeds had pretty nice riding frames, and can be very pleasant bikes for not a lot of money.
If you replace the 590 mm (26 x 1 3/8") wheels with 622 (700C) wheels, the bottom bracket gets raised a useful amount, providing good ground clearance. Using the larger wheels also allows you to install a better, shorter-reach brake caliper.
One Speeds
ne-speed bikes are very easy to convert, since they usually already have 110 mm spacing. Unfortunately, most adult-sized one-speed bikes are not very good performers, and tend to be too heavy and sluggish for enjoyable fixed-gear riding. Some of the better-quality cruisers work OK as fixed gears, but watch out for low bottom brackets.
One of my favorite bikes is my 1916 Mead Ranger. This was originally built as a coaster brake bike with 28 inch single-tube tires on wood rims. It was wheelless when I bought it at a flea market, so I set it up with some nice quality '70s vintage 630 mm (27") wheels and modern tires. It's surprisingly pleasant to ride.
Mountain Bikes
fixed-gear mountain bike may be the ultimate in heavy-duty urban transport, and, if you are adventurous enough, you can even take it to the woods. Mountain bikes tend to have adequate ground clearance, although most, alas, have vertical dropouts.
I have an old Bridgestone CB-3 set up for nasty winter conditions, with a 28/15. This gives a nice low gear, a 3.63 gain ratio (49" / 3.88 m) which will take me as fast as I care to go when the streets are snowy. A fixed gear this low makes the brake almost un-necessary: such a low gear lets me slow the bike down qickly by resisting, especially considering that it can't go very fast. I have set up a couple of mountain bikes with flip-flop hubs, so that I get a fixed gear on one side and two different freewheel gears on the other. This is done with a double chainwheel and a two-speed freewheel. (The freewheel is actually an old 5- or 6-speed freewheel with 3 of the sprockets replaced by spacers.
In front, I have a 42/52 double, which I use with a 19 tooth fixed and a 20/30 freewheel. This gives 3 usable combinations:
Meter Gain Inches s 52/19 Fixed 5.45 71.2 5.70 General road use 52/20 Free 4.90 64.1 5.13 Road...when I'm tired, or hilly areas. 42/30 Free 2.64 34.4 2.75 Off-road.
The 52/30 and 42/20 combinations are not usable due to chain length. I change gears manually...yes, I have to stop to do it, so I don't do it that often.
Bruce Ingle, a fellow member of the Charles River Wheelmen, has gone me one better, and made a triple-fixed mountain bike. He used a Shimano cassette hub, which he immobilized by brazing the ratchet mechanism together. I am a bit nervous as to the long- term prospects for this hub, in particular the connection between the freehub body and the hub shell, but I think I will have to copy his setup. He's got:
Gain Inches Meters 48/20 Fixed 4.65 62.4 4.99 42/26 Fixed 3.13 42 3.36 36/32 Fixed 2.18 29.3 2.34
Vertical Dropouts
ost newer bikes (made since the late-1980's) have "vertical" rear dropouts, where the wheel slides upward as you install it. These are a problem when you want to dispense with a derailer, because you need some way to regulate chain tension.
Horizontal Dropout Horizontal Dropout Semi-Vertical Dropout Vertical Dropout Campagnolo 1010 Short
Track Fork End With Hanger Without Hanger Raleigh 3-speed Not a dropout!
You CanNOT use any sort of pulley type chain tensioner on a fixed gear bike!
You cannot use a derailer on a fixed gear bike, even as a chain tensioner, because when you resist the rotation of the pedals, you would bend the derailer. This presents a problem if you want to use a frame with vertical dropouts as a fixed gear, because there's no easy way to adjust the chain tension. This is also true of chain tensioners sold for singlespeed coasting bikes, such as the Surly Singleator.
Even the chain tensioners used for downhill mountain bike racing are not strong enough to withstand the stress of resisting the pedals. These tensioners have to clamp on to the chain stay, which is more or less round. There is no way to make one that would be secure, short of installing some sort of brazed-on fitting.
White Industries ENO Eccentric Hub
White Industries has come up with a terrific new solution to the problem of vertical dropouts and fixed-gear/singlespeed. They have introduced a bolt-on hub with offset bolts that allow 15 mm of adjustment even in a frame with vertical dropouts! This is far- and-away the best solution to the problem of fixed-gear/singlespeed with vertical dropouts.
For more details, click here! Before the development of the White Industries eccentric hub, I used to recommend a bunch of different work-arounds for vertical dropouts. If the White Industries hub is too expensive for you, these options are still available, though by comparison with the White Industries solution, they're all basically kludges:
Fortunately, most "vertical" dropouts are not exactly vertical, they usually have a bit of a slant to them. As a result, it is sometimes possible to use this type of frame. To make it work, you may have to play games with chainwheel sizes. One of my fixed-gear bicycles is based on a Cannondale touring frame. It happens that there is just enough adjustment to make it work with my preferred 42/15 combination. If the chainstays were a bit different in length, I could replace the 42 with a 41 or 43.
Adding or subtracting a link in the chain will move the axle 1/2". Changing either sprocket size by one tooth is the equivalent of moving the axle 1/8" (4 mm). Thus, if I wanted a 5.75 gain ratio (75" / 6 meter gear), I might first try a 42/15, this gives a gain ratio of 5.77 (75.6" / 6.05 m gear). If the chain was too loose, I could take up 1/8" (4 mm) of axle movement by replacing the 42 with a 43. This 43/15 combination would raise my gain ratio to 5.91 (77.4" / 6.19 m). Alternately, I could get the same axle position with a 42/16 --5.41 (70.9" / 5.67 m).
If I was not happy with these choices, I could add a link to the chain and switch to a 45/17 --5.45 (71.5" / 5.72 m) If I added two links to the chain, I could get the same axle position with a 48/18 --5.49 (72.0" / 5.76 m)
Another possibility would be to do a little bit of filing at the back of the dropout to let the axle move back just a bit. It is also possible to grind or file a flat on each end of the axle to allow a bit more adjustment, like this:
I used a more drastic solution: on my Bianchi Osprey. I cut the rear axle short so that it didsn't protrude past the surfaces of the locknuts. Thus, only the quick-release skewer went through the dropouts. Since the skewer is quite a bit thinner than the actual axle, this gives me considerably more adjustment room.
If the skewer is properly tightened, the axle is held in place by the friction of the locknuts being pressed against the inside of the dropouts. If this were not the case, horizontal dropouts would not be usable, since the forward pull on the chain creates a larger force against the axle than supporting the rider's weight does. Just to be on the safe side, I carried a spare skewer along with my spare tube.
I rode that setup for a couple of years with no problems, but later got a deal on a Bianchi B.a.S.S. purpose-built singlespeed frame that fits me better, is notably lighter and has horizontal track-type fork ends, so I'm no longer using that setup.
Eric House has prepared a whole web site devoted to the problem of finding sprocket combinations that will work with vertical dropouts. He has developed charts and Java applets that show the options available for particular chainstay lengths. Check him out at: http://www.peak.org/~fixin/. He is also supplying hubs with special eccentric axles to facilitate fine tuning chain tension.
It can be difficult or impossible to use a frame with vertical dropouts with a flip-flop hub.
Hub/Frame Spacing Frames built originally to be used with 5-speed freewheels usually have 120 mm spacing between the rear dropouts. Fixed gear hubs are commonly avaialable in this spacing, although they are more commonly found in the narrower, 110 mm spacing which is standard for track hubs. If you are using a newer frame, with wider spacing, you may want to replace the axle. You may want to replace the axle in any case, because fixed gear hubs generally come only with solid axles, not quick relase.
Drive Train
1/8" or 3/32" Chain?
any track bicycles use a wider chain than is common on multi-speed bicycles. Derailer- type chain has a nominal internal width of 3/32". Single-speed bicycles, including most track bicycles, use the wider 1/8" size. You can buy fixed-gear sprockets in both sizes.
(Some people mistakenly refer to the width as "pitch", speaking of "road pitch" or "track pitch". This is a malapropism. The pitch is the distance between the rollers, and all modern bicycle chain has the same pitch, 1/2"/12.7 mm.)
I generally prefer using the 3/32" (derailer) size. The 1/8" size is slighty heavier, but doesn't seem to perform any better in my experience.
For the true retro fan, another option is 1" x 3/16" chain. This used to be common on track bikes. This requires special sprockets with only half as many teeth as standard 1/2" pitch sprockets. Serious old-time trackies used "block" chain, which had no rollers. This is no longer available. Roller chain is still sometimes findable in this size.
Even more obscure is the 10 mm pitch chain promoted by Shimano a few years back. The idea was to save weight by making everything littler. An idea whose time never came.
Chainline
erailer bikes can work fairly well even with the chain running at a considerable angle, but this should not be done with a fixed-gear setup. It is quite important to get the chain line just right.
I usually check the chainline by installing the hub in the bike, with no chain installed. By placing my head just in front of the chain wheel, I can sight along the chainwheel and see back to the rear hub, to see if the chainwheel lines up exactly with the rear sprocket. If it doesn't, I re-arrange spacers or change the bottom bracket axle as necessary.
Usually, on a bike that came with double chainwheels, the inner chainwheel will be more in line with the rear sprocket. If you wish to make the bike a pure fixed gear, you can buy a set of shorter "stack bolts" (the 5 bolts that hold the chainwheel(s) to the crank spider). You may find it easier to locate these in a shop that deals in BMX bikes. There is more detailed information on chainline in my Bicycle Glossary's Chainline Entry
and even more in my Chainline Article
Chain Tension
he chain tension on a fixed gear is quite critical, and is regulated by moving the rear axle back and forth in the fork ends. If the chain is too tight, the drive train will bind, perhaps only at one angle of the pedals (chainwheels are not usually perfectly concentric). It should be tight as it can be without binding. If the chain is too loose, it can fall off, which is quite dangerous on a fixed gear.
Set the rear axle so that the chain pulls taut at the tightest part of the cranks' rotation. One at a time, loosen up each of the stack bolts, and tighten it back just finger tight. Spin the crank slowly and watch for the chain to get to its tightest point. Strike the taut chain lightly with a convenient tool to make the chain ring move a bit on its spider. Then rotate the crank some more, finding the new tightest spot, and repeat as necessary.
This takes a little bit of your hands learning how hard to hit the chain, and how loose to set the stack bolts, but it is really quite easy to learn.
Tighten up the stack bolts a bit and re-check. Tighten the stack bolts in a regular pattern, like the lug nuts on a car wheel. My standard pattern is to start by tightening the bolt opposite the crank, then move clockwise 2 bolts (144 degrees), tighten that one, clockwise 2 more, and so on. Never tighten two neighboring bolts in a row. You may prefer to go counterclockwise, but try to get in the habit of always starting at the same place and always going the same way. This reduces the chances of accidentally missing a bolt.
Once you have the chainrings centered and secured, adjust the position of the rear axle to make the chain as nearly tight as possible without binding. Notice how freely the drive train turns when the chain is too loose. That is how freely it should turn when you are done, but with as little chain droop as possible.
Chainline
This refers to how straight the chain runs between the front and rear sprockets. Ideally, both sprockets should be in the same plane, so that there is no sideward motion or stress to the chain. This constitutes "perfect chainline".
In the case of derailer geared bicycles, the chainline is not perfect in most gears. The worse the chainline, the worse the mechanical efficienty of the drive train.
"Correct" chainline for a derailer system is a matter of opinion, and depends on the intended use of the bicycle. There are two "simple" answers to the question of what constitutes proper chainline: 1. One view is that the middle of the cluster should line up with the middle chainring (or half-way between the two, in the case of a double. 2. From the parts manufacturers' point of view, the chainline depends on the diameter of the seat tube where the front derailer mounts. For fatter seat tubes where the front derailer is farther to the right, derailer manufacturers want the chainline to be farther to the right also, because their main priority is shifting performance, and their front derailers have an optimal chainline with respect to the edge of the seat tube. This is particularly a concern in the case of bicycles with indexed front shifting.
From the rider's point of view, chainline is partly dependent on how you are going to use your gears. For instance, consider a road triple vs a mountainbike triple:
• With a road triple, you mostly use the two bigger rings, the granny is only occasionally used, and only with the larger rear sprockets. For a road triple, having the cranks close-in is good, because it increases the usability of the big ring. • With a mountain bike, the small ring is used much more often, and must often be used with fairly small sprockets to avoid having to shift the front under load. For mountain bikes, a more outboard chainwheel position is often preferable.
Chainline Measurement-Front
Chainline is measured from the centerline of the frame to the center of the chain.
You can measure the front chainline directly with a simple ruler. Simply hold the ruler against the seat tube or down tube and measure the distance to the middle of the chainring teeth. In the case of triple chainwheel sets, measure to the middle chainring. In the case of doubles, measure to the halfway point between the two rings.
Chainline Measurement-Rear
To measure rear chainline, the easiest way is to measure the distance from the inside of the rear fork end (or the outside of the axle locknut) to the middle of the sprocket. Double this, subtract it from the over-lock-nut dimension of the hub (or the frame spacing , which should be the same), then divide the result in half, and you have the rear chainline.
For fixed-gear or other single-speed hubs, see below for a chart of different hubs and sprockets. With this chart you can calculate the rear chainline by simple addition.
Chainline Specs
Application Dimension Notes
Shimano spec, measured to the midpoint between the Road Double 43.5 rings. with typical 5 mm chainring spacing, this puts the inner at 41 mm, the outer at 46 mm.
Road Triple 45 Shimano spec, measured to the middle ring.
Shimano spec, measured to the middle ring. 47.5 preferred, but for frames with oversized seat MTB Triple 47.5-50 mm tubes, the longer dimension may be needed, because the fat tube places the derailer mechanism farther to the right.
Track/Coaster Brake Older bikes with 110 spacing would be on the Traditional smaller end of this range 40.5-42 mm One-Speed Newer bikes with 120 mm spacing normally use 42 Most internal mm gear hubs
Singlespeed 52 mm Wider chainline need for chainstay clearance on MTB MTBs. 54 mm Rohloff This is close to the chainline of the outer ring of a (58 mm w/13 Speedhub typical MTB triple tooth)
White Industries ENO hubs use this chainline, which Singlespeed lines up with the middle position of a typical MTB MTB 47.5 mm triple. It's also fairly close to the outer position of a Alternate typical "road" double.
Fixed Sprockets and Single Freewheels
I have measured a selection of track sprockets, single freewheels and hubs with respect to chainline (units are millimeters.) The "Chainline" column is the distance from them mounting shoulder to the center line of the sprocket teeth.
To figure the actual chainline for a given combination, add the number from the "chainline" column of the sprocket or freewheel to the corrresponding "chainline" column of the hub chosen.
(If you can provide dimensions for additional models, please send the info to me!)
Fixed (Track) Sprockets Chainline Nominal Measured Total Thread Model/Type (From Width width thickness Thickness Shoulder) Campagnolo 3/32" 7.0 2.0 8.0 7.8 Campagnolo 1/8" 6.5 3.0 8.0 7.2 E.A.I. 3/32" 7.13 2.2 8.23 8.05 E.A.I. 1/8" 6.73 3.02 8.24 8.05 Miche Quick 3/32" 5.85/5.15 1.9 7.72 7.3 Change Splined Miche Quick 1/8" 5.85/5.15 3.0 7.72 7.3 Change Splined Shimano Dura- 3/32" 6.49 2.11 7.55 7.55 Ace Shimano Dura- 1/8" 7.05 3.05 8.58 7.7 Ace Soma 3/32" 6.37 1.86 7.3 7.3 Soma 1/8" 6.9 3.00 8.4 6.9 Sugino Gigas 1/8" 7.0 3.0 8.5 7.5 Sun Tour 3/32" 6.22 2.26 7.35 7.35 Superbe Sun Tour 1/8" 6.93 3.05 8.46 7.5 Superbe Surly 3/32 5.28 2.05 6.31 6.31 Surly 1/8" 5.07 2.7 6.42 6.42
Single Speed Freewheels Chainline Model/Type Nominal Width Measured width (From Shoulder) ACS 3/32" 7.96 2.16 Shimano 3/32" 7.89 2.08 Shimano 1/8" 8.67 3.0 Tristar 1/8" 7.71 2.96 White Industries 3/32" 8.73 2.17
Single Speed and Fixed Gear Hubs Chainline OLD Model/Type Track/MTB Adjustable?* Center to Left Side Right Side Drillings Spacing Shoulder Campagnolo 28, 32, small flange Track 120 Yes 36 Plain Fixed 36 2002 Campagnolo 28, 32, C-Record Track 120 Yes 35.9 Plain Fixed 36 Large flange 120, Gold Tec Track 130, Yes 39.5 Fixed Fixed 32, 36 135 I.R.O. Track 120 No 36.0 Fixed/Free 32 Kogswell MTB 135 No 45.3 Fixed Fixed 32 28, 32, Miche Track 120 Yes 36.3 Plain Fixed 36 On-One Full MTB 135 No 43.3 Plain Free 32, 36 Monty 120, Phil Wood 28, 32, Track 126, No 36.75 Plain/Fixed/Free Fixed Track 36 130 Phil Wood MTB 135 No 45.35 Plain/Free Fixed/Free 32, 36 K.I.S.S. Off Shimano 28, 32, Dura-Ace Track 120 Yes 35.3 Fixed 36 7700 Shimano 28, 32, Dura-Ace Track 120 Yes 35.3 Fixed 36 7700 Small Flange Shimano Dura-Ace 28, 32, Track 120 Yes 35.4 Fixed 7600 Large 36 Flange Sovos Track 112 Yes 33.5 Free Fixed 36 28, 32, Spot MTB 135 No 47.25 Plain Free 36 Surly Track Track 120 Yes 36.22 Free Fixed 32 Surly 1 x 1 MTB 135 Yes 46.5 Free Fixed/Free Drillings 28, 32, Suzue Basic Track 117-120 Yes 34.74 Free Fixed 36 Suzue 28, 32, Promax Track 120 Yes 35.0 Free Fixed 36 (cartridge) Suzue 28, 32, Track 120 Yes 35.0 Fixed Fixed Promax NJS 36 Van Dessell MTB 135 No 45.9 Free Fixed 32 White 126, 28, 32, Industries Track/MTB 130, No 39.1 Free Fixed 36 ENO 135
Thanks to John Dacey and Marten Gerritsen for some of these data.
"Adjustable" means that the hubs use conventional threaded axles, so you can increase the OLD spacing by removing the locknuts and adding spacer washers.
If you add equal thicknesses to both sides, the chainline is unaffected, since it's measured from the middle outward.
If you add more spacers to one side, you can change the chainline, but if you do this with a double-sided hub, you will render it unusable on one side or the other, since you'll be increasing the chainline on one side while decreasing it on the other.