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Words by Rogerzilla at yACF, artistry by Mega10/Phil Norman.

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These are the Fixie FAQs !

The original content was derived from specific and dedicated postings of the fixed wheel community of the old UK Cycling Plus Forum and the Velo Fixe section of yACF. The curator of this site hangs out on yACF these days, so that's a good starting point.

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The assorted authors don't offer any guarantees as to the veracity of any of the answers here. Nothing here should be taken as a recommendation of any sort, and most of it is personal opinion. It's a wiki, remember, so there's no overall editorial control or responsibility.

Having said that, we did the best we could :-)

The FAQs:

Answers: 1 Riding

Q1.1 What is fixed?

A1 In the context of a bicycle, it is where the rear sprocket is "fixed" to the hub, with no freewheel mechanism. Thus, as the cranks revolve, so does the rear wheel - and vice versa.

A2 The pedal crank assembly is directly linked to the rear wheel and cogs without the ability to freewheel, if the wheel moves so do the pedals.

Q1.2 What is the difference between "fixed gear" and "fixed wheel"?

A1 A fixed gear is a singlespeed. A singlespeed has only one gear but also has a freewheel. A fixed wheel bike has no freewheel. These terms have pretty much fallen out of use and "fixed" is used almost exclusively to refer to fixed wheel bikes, while fixed gear bikes are called singlespeeds.

A2 Singlespeed to me is a bike with a single gear and a freewheel. Popular with the mountain biking fraternity.

A3 I thought a fixed wheel was where the cranks were directly attached to the axle as in a penny farthing???? fixed gear as per A1.1

A4 The words gear and wheel, just a different way of saying it.

A5 A4 is incorrect. A1 & 2 have explained it properly.

A6 "Fixed gear" is the normal US term; "fixed wheel" is the British term.

Q1.3 What happens if you stop pedalling ?

A1 Try it and see!

A2 Depending on rpm, bike will either give you a gentle reminder not to (stop) or will hurl you over the bars (but see Q.1.3).

A3 Best not to (stop).

A4 You soon get reminded and hopefully regain control.

A5 You get to experience a power slide...

A6 You kangaroo-jump down the road until you remember to pedal again. You don't usually get thrown off.

Q1.4 How do I stop my @r5e bouncing up and down when going downhill?

A1 Pull you stomach in and relax your hips.

A2 Lower your seat

A3 Breath out, concentrate on relaxed legs from the ankles up.

A4 Brace yourself on the bars/hoods, perch on the saddle nose and disconnect your legs from your brain.

A5 Practice, my tip is to move back on the saddle, hold the bars firmly, relax your hips and think/concentrate moving your feet in circles and moving your feet out of the way of the rising pedal.

A6 You bounce because the pedals are spinning faster than you're pedalling. Try to accelerate the bike by pedalling faster.

A7 Cultivate a state of mind where your legs are detached from your mind. The more you're thinking about stopping your arse bouncing, the more likely it is to happen. Some people refer to this as 'letting the legs go gumbly'.

Q1.5 Are fixies better or worse for your knees than geared bikes ?

A 1 Received wisdom is that "worse", but consensus on this Forum seems to have consistently been that it is between neutral and beneficial.

A 2 I actually have less knee trouble now than on gears so again it’s personal, I would say fit two brakes and avoid using your legs to slow down from high speed.

A3 It's worth building up slowly to give some time for your joints and muscles to adjust - if it hurts back off a bit. You might find some new aches from your hamstrings from the new pedal action, allow time for things to settle down. Heavy leg brakers might be asking more from their bodies.

A4 In rolling terrain you're in and out of the saddle a lot more on a fixie than you are on a geared bike (where the tendency is to change gear and grind). That seems to be beneficial: the knees get worked more naturally, perhaps, and you shift around a fair bit so the loading isn't so repetitive.

Q1.6 How do I do a trackstand ?

A 1 Follow link Fixed riding techniques

A 2 Although still learning, once I have my pedals in a 3 o'clock / 9 o'clock position, I have found it helpful to concentrate on keeping more weight through the rearward pedal than the front one. Particularly when you're on an incline as the above link suggests.

Q1.7 How do I learn to ride backwards ?

A1 Not sure if anyone else offered an Answer! I suspect I tried over 40 years ago: I don't recall succeeding. If I had, I'd probably have run away and joined the Circus.

A2 That’s one I ‘d like to learn too.

A3 I learned to ride backwards when I was 12 year old. I played a game called 'bicycle football', basically it is played with two people in each side and you kick a ball about with your bike. The bikes are fixed wheel and you ride backwards and forwards with them. Riding backwards just requires the fixed wheel, then pedal backwards. All you need is a bit balance. No problems really. Try it (not on a busy road). It is good fun. To see what the game and bikes looks like check out this picture (http://www.rvweil.de/rb2_2.jpg)

Q1.8 How do you "bunny hop" on fixed?

A1 Same way you do on any other machine: weight the front and then bounce it back up. Just don't stop pedalling.

A2 The two things that make it difficult compared to normal hops are getting the pedals in the right place and pedalling in the air. That makes it sound much harder than it really is!

One way to practice is on a quiet bit of road, get some speed up and wait for your pedals to get to horizontal and do a little hop. Keep your legs flexible and you shouldn't have to worry too much about the pedalling in the air thing cos the hop will be small. It might take a while to get both wheels leaving the ground and going the same height.

Keep practicing these and watch the hops get bigger! Then you can start seeing how to do it when the pedals aren't in the right place etc etc.

One good thing about fixies is that they are light so they are quite easy to get into the air

A3 Tis true - that you can jump a fix, however, I suspect purists might not treat it as a bunnyhop, as I understand that to mean a lifting of the front wheel, then a weight transfer to pull the back wheel slightly after the front.

My technique probably dictates clipless pedals as a minimum, and I've not tried without. I tend to be rolling along, and then as the pedals hit about 10am/4am point, kick hard with the leg in the power stroke and pull up with the leg that is on the recovery stroke, whilst jumping upward at the same time, and pulling on the bars. It sounds harder than it actually is, and just needs a bit of practice.

Q1.9 What's a sensible gear ratio for on-road fixie riding?

A1 It depends! IMO, normal would be 66"-75", perhaps down to 60" in winter, or up to 80" in summer depending on terrain and distance.

A2 65” to 75” depending on how hilly it is and how strong you are, I ride 68” most of the time.

A3 Conventional wisdom is 68-72 for summer, 63-65 for winter, but it depends on terrain, strength and weight.

A4 48 x 18 (if you have a track chainring) or the equivalent 42 x 16 (if you're converting a geared road bike) give about a 70 inch gear and are good for general riding. You can (just) get up a 1 in 6 hill, and you can get to over 30mph downhill without needing turbine legs.

Q1.10 What's a sensible gear ratio for off-road fixie riding?

A1 It depends! For me, in The Cotswolds, 53" works.

A2 Not sure, that’s a question for Fixed Phil. Poss 55-65”

A3 Have a look at www.63xc.com. Conventional wisdom is mid 50s.

A4 63xc was originally named from some received wisdom that 63" was the One True Gear. It's not, but it's not a bad place to start for a mixed on/off road gear without crazy hills.

Q1.11 Am I too old to ride fixed ?

A1 I don't know: how old are you?

A2 Depends...probably best not to start doing so if over insert your age and want to do more than the 20-30 miles gentle pottering about that I do.

A3 Standard medical advice applies if you’re over 40 and starting any new physical activity, i.e. start off gently and build up gradually.

A4 There doesn’t seem to be any upper age limit in practice as long as you can still cycle and push the bike up the steepest hills. However, the older you are the longer it will take to get used to it and for your body to acclimatise.

A5 Riding centuries and more on fixed aged around 60 shouldn’t present any problems if properly paced and you’ve built up the basic fitness.

A6 I don’t see why not, its still a bike its up to you how hard you ride it, always check with your doc if unsure.

A7 No

Q1.12 what happens if my chain comes off ?

A1 It varies. if it's because you have worn components, you may be lucky and it'll happen as you put power in at low speeds. If it's caused by poor chainline or a slack chain, it'll happen at high revs and probably when you are descending with a great deal of both kinetic and potential energy.

If the chain comes off at the back and goes outboard, the bike should start to freewheel and you are safe. If it goes inboard it'll most likely jam between the sprocket and the spokes. The wheel will lock up and if you are going fast enough the odds are that something will break - either the chain, the frame or you. If you are lucky you'll just rip the tyre to pieces in a huge skid. It'll most likely rip the heads off some spokes too. This is why many riders don't use a lockring - the sprocket has a chance of unscrewing and spinning off the hub before serious damage is done. It's also why long-distance fixie riders often carry a spare tyre.

If the chain comes off at the front and goes in board the the transmission will lock as the chain gets tangled, but will then come off at the back - hopefully falling outboard. Unless it jams between the chainset and the frame, in which case you skid. If it goes outboard at the front, the same will happen unless you're unlucky enough fo it to be picked up by the pedal. If that happens then either the chain or frame will probably break.

So, all in all, it's worth avoiding a chain unshipping

Sort out your chainline and keep a good tension and it'll never happen

A2 Here's one example: http://furious-cycling.fotopic.net/p26128378.html ...it all ended well :)

A3 There is a tale of a Swindon RC rider whose chain unshipped at Newport velodrome...and it took him 4 laps (1km) to come to a stop. Of course, you'd have a brake on the road so it wouldn't be quite as embarrassing.

Q1.13 Are there any special things to look out for when riding fixed ?

A1 The obvious one is don't stop pedallin'. If you straighten your leg at the bottom of the stroke you'll be tossed like a caber skywards.

A2 Be careful when cornering aggressively. If the pedal strikes the ground it will temporarily lift the rear wheel, a corkscrew motion will be imparted to the bike and rider combination, you'll end up on your back with grazes on your elbows and the bike will land on top knocking the wind out of you and making it hurt to laugh for the next few days.

A3 Be careful to tuck your shoelaces into your socks. If you're wearing jeans roll them up and if you're wearing a skirt or a sari tuck them into your knickers. It's very embarrassing having your skirt caught in the chain and slowly coming to a stop accompanied by the sound of ripping material.

A4 Don't get your laces caught in the transmission. :(

A5 Slow down well in advance of stopping. This is the point where inexperienced fixers will think about braking, positioning, junctions etc - and stop pedalling, thus getting lifted out of the seat. Plus you need to get a foot off your pedal and stop with a pedal arm raised to pedal off again.

A6 On-road, beware of riding alongside kerbs. A pedal striking the kerb can throw you off. Off-road, don't get trapped riding down a narrow rut. You'll be grounding the pedal on both sides, then falling-off comically.

A7 Off-road don't panic of you do pedal strike - stuff moves out of the way, your pedal moves past the obstacle, you get through things when you don't expect to. Unless you don't, that is.

A8 If riding in a group, especially a slow or inexperienced group, be careful when going up a hill. A fixie rider will know they have to "attack" the hill to maintain momentum. A geared cyclist will want to change down. Either of these is potentially dangerous, simultaneously they can be alarmingly so. As you get out of the saddle and accelerate, the bike in front seems to reverse back into you. By this stage it's often too late! The solution to this problem is when a hill approaches shoulder your way to the front, get to the top first, and see how long you can stay in front on the downhill. Don't expect to be liked by the geared riders for this. It puzzles them to have their world turned upside down.

Q1.14 I find it hard to stop with my feet in the right place to restart

A1 When you're stopped with one foot on the ground, apply the front brake, push the bars forward and lift the clipped-in foot. This unweights the back of the bike and lets you turn the cranks to the correct starting position

Q1.15 How fast can I pedal?

A1 How fast do you want to pedal? Most people are entirely comfortable at 120-130RPM. Above this sort of speed (depending on your gear ratio) you're probably descending and relying on gravity to make you go faster. How fast you can pedal, and therefore how fast you go, is mostly about how much you can relax and let your feet go. 200RPM is a kind of holy grail for some people, 150+ should be achievable by most people. With a typical road gear, this gives you mid-30s in MPH (See http://www21.brinkster.com/lrcc/index.asp?page=gearcalc_n for one example of a gear calculator).

Q1.16 insert question here?

Answers: 2 Transmission

Q2.1 How do I calculate gear size in inches ?

A 1 It's the convention to describe the gear ratio on fixie in inches. This is the equivalent size wheel you'd be turning if it was ungeared, ie directly pedalling the wheel like on an Ordinary ("Penny Farthing")

So a 68" fixed is like pedalling a 68" wheel. It's calculated by the actual wheel size X no of chainring teeth/no of sprocket teeth. It's a convention also that "actual wheel size" is taken to be 27" for 700C wheels even though it isn't quite; a skinny 700 x 20c tyre has a "rolling diameter" of only 26"! Otherwise you have to worry about tyre size too.

So a fixie with 700C wheels with a 42 chainring and a 17 tooth sprocket would have a nominal 67" gear. Some people use actual wheel/tyre size, which gives a slightly smaller no. of inches.

Crank length will also affect the overall leverage, so a very short crank will feel like a bigger gear, but that's not usually considered important for the usual range of crank lengths (165-170).

Good calculator for fixed here

or Sheldon Brown's, which is more useful for multigears

Q2.2 What's OLN ?

A1 "Over Lock Nut" measurement of the axle should be equal to the distance between the inner faces of your drop outs

A2 MTB frames are usually 135 OLN. Current road is 130mm, older road tends to be 126 or 120 (older). Can also be 110. You can often spring a friendly steel frame one size either way, Aluminium is less accommodating, which isn't to say it hasn't been done. See below.

Q2.3 Do I need a lockring ?

A1 It depends. For normal road riding the sprocket gets torqued down sufficiently quickly that you can get away without one. Some riders prefer not to use to allow the sprocket to undo if the chain jams. However, if you skid-stop a lot or ride off-road it may be a Good Idea to use a lockring.

If you use a Miche carrier-type sprocket you will need a lockring.

A2. In almost every circumstance I would advise "yes" rather than "no". The only exception is if you are some monstrous great hulk of a thing (or Phil ) who can torque down your sprocket so tightly that He-Man couldn't get it off even with the help of the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. If you are not, get a lockring, because the loose sprocket experience is not a pleasant one. It's not as if they're terribly expensive.

A3 Depends on riding style and terrain, not necessary on the track or flat terrain but in hilly areas the rear sprocket could unwind if braking with your legs.

A4 I think that if the sprocket did come off - your main problem would be that you couldn't use the pedals to slow down.

So don't take your brakes off the bike !

A5 If you peruse these answers v diligently you will see that this is "a matter of opinion"! Mine being that if you do up the sprocket REALLY tight (think quality chain whip and an 18" bar then unless you are VERY strong, will not unscrew. None of my many such conversions ever have (but then I am a 9st weakling!). While again a matter of opinion, I also use an old b/b lock ring as a ....lockring screwed up TIGHT against the sprocket. I know that the thread is the same and technically can unscrew together but the principle seems to work for e.g. headsets (altho’ obviously the force different).

Opinion only (but with a dash of experience).

"but I think that if the sprocket did come off - your main problem would be that you couldn't use the pedals to slow down."

I think that if it came off not being able to use the pedals to slow down would be amongst the least of your problems! Indeed I rather suspect that the bike would come to an abrupt halt before you could even think about slowing down. E.G. as the rear triangle collapsed!

A6 If the sprocket is off the wheel - the wheel will still be going round ?

Can't see the rear triangle collapsing - but then again - I'm not going to volunteer to test my theory..... ;-)

A7 The sprocket will still be "on" the axle and the chain will wrap around that and either rip the spokes out or pull the wheel forcefully into the seat tube. I think! Like you, I'm not about to try it. I just sort of assume that more of a disaster than simply unshipping a chain. I may well be wrong.

A8 If it undoes you might, if you are unlucky, strip the hub threads, but if it does undo and the chain unships it's not anything like as bad as losing the chain with a lockring fitted. Because the sprocket's not being forced round by the wheel you just freewheel to a halt.

A9 An ordinary screw on freewheel type hub works fine with a screw on fixed sprocket with an old adjustable bottom bracket lock ring. I've used this on my converted fixie for about 2000 miles with no problems. Just make sure the sprocket is on really tight before you put the lock ring on, and then make sure that it is as tight up to the sprocket as you can possibly get it. After each of your first couple of rides tighten both again to take up any slack that might have appeared and from then on just check for play developing as part of your regular pre-ride safety check routine. (You do have one don't you?...). I've never had to retighten mine at all.

A10 I choose not to run lockrings on my fixies just so that the sprocket will undo if it jams. I've never, ever had one undo unintentionally.

A11 I don't use lockrings now, nor a back brake. Too much fuss.

A12 I had my sprocket unscrew once this year when the crank jammed against the chainstay (it's a long story to do with a broken pedal.) Anyway, the thing unscrewed - breaking the lockring in the process - and I just coasted to a stop, wondering what the hell had happenned. No fuss, no damage: just screw it back on and pedal onwards.

A13 You can feel the slack in the drivetrain if it goes loose. I wouldn't worry about a lockring for the moment.

A14 I use a second smaller sprocket as a lockring on my freewheel conversion. It's easier to tighten and release with a chainwhip than using a bottom bracket lockring (unless you've got a really good c-spanner for your bottom brackets). I also use two brakes and I can see advantages to not using a lockring as has been pointed out.

A15 I think unscrewing sprockets should be part of the fixie experience - like a badge of honour! I didn't use a lockring for a long while - I bought a track bike without one fitted and no amount of back-pedalling effort would get it to shift. A drop of loctite is pretty effective if you're worried. Mind you, I've switched to Miche sprockets and use lockrings now.

A16 I'm with Fixed Phil on this one. I no longer run a lock ring on my fixies, as I had a very nasty near thing when a chain unshipped and jammed 'twixt (locked) sprocket and hub. Managed to skid to a halt on the bare rim after the tire had exploded. I've never had a sprocket come off since I stopped using lock rings, and I do use leg braking.

A17 Get a wheel that can use a lockring, not worth the pain of locking your wheel up and killing yourself in the road. Best case is that you just skid, worst case is that it happens on a bend and catapults you off the bike and you are run over by a truck

A18 The lockring issue is only a concern if you aren't using a rear brake I would suggest that you fit the rear brake if it isn't there already and you shouldn't have a problem as you will reduce the need for leg braking.

In my own experience having ridden a 'no lockring' set-up for a while I didn't have a problem but the implications of failure are pretty horrible.

I now ride a different rig based on a track frame with a lock ring and front brake only which also gives me a few concerns but only when I forget not to brake going round corners!

Q2.4 What is "chainline" and why is it important ?

A1 the chain should run as straight as possible between chainring and rear sprocket and is usually adjusted by altering the bottom bracket width. It is important to avoid the chain flying off but also improves the quietness of fixed.

A2 It's the distance that the chainring and sprocket are offset from the midline of the bike. Also used eg "good chainline" to indicate that the sprocket and chainring are lined up. Which they should be, if the chainline's bad the risk of the chain unshipping at high revs is greater.

A3 Full-bushing chains need spot-on chainline. Bushingless chains, such as any intended for indexed shifting or the cheap SRAM PC-1, are a bit less fussy and will tolerate 1-2mm of error.

Q2.5 How can I adjust my chainline ?

A1 See above, alter bottom bracket width/size.

A2 A given hub will give a certain chainline for the sprocket; adjustment can be made eg by turning the sprocket over. The chainline for the BB can be adjusted either by changing the BB, shimming it out or using a BB with an adjustable position.

Q2.6 How tight should my chain be ?

A1 Not tight as a bar, nor visibly slack. Common starting point is 1/2" deflection half way along top run of the chain. This is of course impacted upon by fact that tension is often not constant throughout a complete revolution of the cranks. Therefore a compromise: if varies between less than 1/4" and more than 3/4" (I'm guestimating here), then one or more of the drive train components is not fit for the task.

A2 Approx 5mm or 1/4 “ deflection at the tightest point, when checking do it with the chainwheel in different positions as few are perfectly round and with it ok at one point it may bind and be too tight at another.

A3 As tight as you can get it without it binding, Tight is best. Decent components and a good chainline should let you get no play at all in the transmission and no binding. Better to have a little play (up to 1/2 inch) rather than binding but too much play risks the chain unshipping at high revs.

A4 You can often smooth out some of the binding by tweaking the chainring bolts - back them off slightly with the chain at at its tightest and reseat the chainwheel backwards a bit. Tighten.

A5 You should not be able to see any slack from the side, although many of the bikes on FGG break this rule badly. To be absolutely sure, try to pull the chain off the sprocket and chainring, but watch those fingers.

Q2.7 What's a half-link ?

A1 3/32 half link

SJS do 1/8 half links too.

Hubjub do a whole chain of 1/8 half links, from The Shadow Conspiracy. It may be a bit prone to stretch though.

A2 As FWN's answer. It's a chainlink that is effecively only 1/2 the length of a normal one and lets you make small changes in chain length. Useful if you are playing with magic gears or if you have short horizontal dropouts and can't move the wheel enough to get the chain tight.

A3 You can also try here

I've had several of these from Charlie the Bike-Monger - and no problems at all. Though not in the picture, mine came with the bar in place, ready for my chaintool to push in.

A4 Alan's BMX have 1/8" half links. So do Billys.

A5 I tried a 3/32 half link from sjs and it was useless with a sram pc58 - the side plates were way bigger on the 1/2 link and it just didn't fit properly.

Waste of time.

Q2.8 Which chains can/can't I use with a fixed transmission ?

A1 As long as you have sorted out 3/32 vs 1/8 compatibiltity (see FAQ) the only issue is that 9 and 10 speed 3/32 chain doesn't often fit track sprockets. 6,7 or 8 speed is OK. There's no benefit in paying extra as long as the quality is OK.

Avoid cheapo 1/8 intended for hub gears, and avoid Halford's own make.

Q2.9 Is 1/8 better than 3/32 ?

A1 Matter of opinion. Mine is that yes, if all 3 component parts of the drive train are 1/8th; better not to mix i.e. all 3/32, rather than any one part 1/8th.

A2 In my opinion yes, “but what do I know”

A3 Better ? No, but 1/8 plated track chains are very bling. 3/32 works just as well and the chains are cheaper.

A4 1/8 lasts a LOT longer. If you're going to be different by riding fixed, why not be properly different and have a thicker chain too? The chains can be very cheap; I use £5 SRAM PC-1 chains intended for BMX and utility bikes.

Q2.10 Can I use mix and match 1/8 and 3/32 drive components ?

A1 You can use 3/32 components with 3/32 chain or 1/8th chain. You can use 1/8 components with a 1/8 chain. The downside of a 1/8th chain on 3/32th components may be that it is noisier.

A2 Yes and no, you can use an 1/8th chain on 3/32 sprockets and chainwheel but not vice versa.

Q2.11 Do I need a "track" chainset ?

A1 No I still have a Shimano double on one of my fixed hacks just using the one ring.

Q2.12 Is it better to have a small chainring and small sprocket combination, or a big chainring/big sprocket combination ?

A1 On a modern frame (especially a compact), small/small. On a more "classic", bigger, frame (say >22") big/big. Aesthetically, that is!

A2 Personal choice again.

A3 Big/big gives you lower chain tension and therefore less transmission loss. Also less wear. Small/small lets you make profound gear changes by turning the wheel over. Most frames will cope with up to a 4 tooth difference and that's a bigger % if the sprockets are small.

A4 There is less choice in large sprockets needed for big-big. Good ones above about 16t also tend to be more expensive than good small ones like Shimano DA.

Q2.13 Can I set up a fixed/freewheel drive?

A1 Fixed/free drives were made in the 1980s. The switch from one to the other was made using a gear lever thingie. They never really caught on as the risk of spontaneous change was too high. and they were designed for a 5-speed screw-on freewheel hub.

The better option is a double-sided fixed hub with a single freewheel screwed onto one side.

Q2.14 Can I use a fixed wheel with a rear disc brake?

A1 Yes. Unless you can source a disc-specific fixed hub, you'll have to use a single speed disc hub (there are several eg On-One) and dispense with a lockring.

And you'll need a frame with sliding disc mounts since you can't use a chain tensioner and (at time of writing) there's no disc-compatible eccentric hub.

A2 The On-One and others are freehub-type SS hubs, and so difficult/impossible to fix (the Surly Fixxer works with Shimano multispeed cassettes only IIRC)

For a disc fixed, you need a non-cassette SS disc hub with a standard thread. Surly make one and doubtless others too.

Q2.15 Can I use a q/r with a fixed hub ?

A1 Zum they do say yea, zum say nay. On balance, if a strong (steel?) skewer and an average strength rider, yes. If Titanium drop outs, best not (IMO). Belive not allowed on track.

A2 Some people do, my dad used to, I use bolts that come with my hubs.

A3 Yes, if the hub has a hollow axle. Goldtec does, for example. If you remove the bolts, the internally-threaded axle will take a qr skewer.

There's some debate about whether it's a good thing: as long as the qr tightens down OK, doesn't slip and is off high enough quality not to snap it should be OK. There may be no great benefit as it doesn't take long to undo a couple of allen bolts

Q2.16 How far will my wheel move if I change the sprocket size ?

A1 Each change of 1 tooth in sprocket (or chainring) will require the back wheel to move 1/8 inch.

A2 Isn't it roughly 1/4"? Pair of chainlinks = 1". Therefore one tooth is 1/2" difference in chainlength. But the difference is accommodated by both the top and bottom run of chain, so 1/4". But the chainring and sprocket are not parallel, so a change in the sprocket size has a smaller effect on the axle position. It's kind of the difference between the adjacent side of a triangle and the hypotenuse in trigonometry terms.

Someone with some maths skills please step up :)

A3 Isn't it 1/2 per tooth change ? The pitch is 1/2 inch, and one tooth is one chainlink difference in length, not 2. That makes it 1/8" per tooth.

Q2.17 What's a "magic gear combination" ?

A1 It's one solution to fixing a frame with vertical dropouts. Since you can't use a chain tensioner you have to get the chain tension perfect by matching the chain length to the length of the chainstays. That can be done by choosing the correct sprocket and chainset combination: adding or taking out a link changes effective chainlength by 1/2", and changing either the sprocket or chainring by 1 tooth changes it by 1/8". So you ought to be able to get the chain to the right length to +/- 1/8", which is pretty good. You can do it by trial-and-error, or use the FixMeUp! magic gear calculator

The drawback is chain stretch. If it does, there's no way to take up the slack. But "stretch" is really wear and if it's big you may need a new chain anyway. For small-scale tensioning purposes, some people file the dropouts a bit to allow a little axle repositioning.

Q2.18 What's a "phantom sprocket" ?

A1 It's an extra sprocket that's not fastened directly to anything and is held in place just by the chain. It sits between the fixed sprocket and the chainring and its purpose is to tension the chain by forcing the top and bottom apart.

Personally I wouldn't trust one at 200 rpm.

Q2.19 How do lockrings fit onto fixed hubs ?

A1 Bona fide fixed hubs have two threads. The main thread is right-handed and it is this that the sprocket screws onto. The threaded profile is stepped and the outer part of the the thread is a smaller diameter and left-hand threaded. It is this that the lockring screws onto. So the assembly procedure is: screw on the sprocket clockwise, and tighten it down with a chainwhip (or using the chain and pedals). Screw on the lockring anticlockwise and tighten it down using a lockring spanner. If you don't have one you can bodge it using a hammer and drift - but this won't improve the lockring :)

After you've ridden a short while, the sprocket may have bedded down and it may be worth tightening-up the lockring

To remove, remember to undo the lockring clockwise and the sprocket anticlockwise.

Q2.20 Can I attach a fixed sprocket to a disc mount ?

A1 Yes, described at 63xc.com

Q2.21 Can I use a Shimano Cassette lockring on the Surly Fixxer or will I have to buy a track specific one?

A1 The Surly Fixxer is a replacement kit of axle, bearings, spacers and some other bits that let you convert some (not all - check) Shimano cassette hubs to fixed.

AFAIK it takes a standard track sprocket and lockring. Not a cassette lockring.

Q2.22 I'm going to get a single ring chainset - Does it need to be 165 mm?

A1 No more so than it has to be for road. Track chainsets are traditionally 165, but Campag at least are available in 170. If you go for other types, the crank length can vary hugely. I have a 140 single chainset on my MTB

If you want a specific different crank length, it might be better to chose an ordinary road chainset and just fit one ring

Q2.23 What are the main practical differences between high & low flange hubs ?

A1 Aesthetics. It's argued that large-flange make stiffer wheels, but the effect of spokes type and tension is likely to be greater. If you want 4-cross wheels then large flange may lead to extreme spoke angles.

A2 The real reason is lost in the mists of time, bike lore and posing, but it was really just so that broken spokes could be changed without removing the sprocket. Works for "track size" sprockets up to about 16T - for big road sizes you'll still have to get out the chainwhip.

Q2.24 What is a flip-flop hub ?

A1 I it take to mean fixed on one side and freewheel on the other. But it then the BETD/Goldtec site talks about being able to put a sprocket on each side of a flip-flop hub and how said sprockets are held on with a lockring, which sounds more like fixed-fixed to me

A2 Goldtec hubs and the rear is fixed-fixed, you're right. But this just means that you can set it up any way you like. Fixed-fixed, fixed-free, or even free-free. Having the lockring thread doen't mean you have to use it!

Flip-flop just means that the wheel can be turned over and used on the other side.

A3 I'm sure I read somewhere that flip-flop specifically referred to a hub with fixed threads on one side and a freewheel thread on the other. Maybe it's just one of those terms that isn't really well defined. Or maybe I'm just plain wrong :)

A4 think it usually used to be taken to be fixed on one side, freewheel on the other. But the usage in the US seems to ver towards Charlotte's.

In t'old days you'd have a 5 speed screw-on block on one side and fixed on the other. That did require more threads than you'd get on a double fixed so there was a market for such things. With the passing of screw-on blocks and people changng form one to the other in the winter they've fallen out of favour. See Q2.25

Like Charlotte says, fixed-fixed is more flexible these days as it'll easily take one or two single freewheels

Q2.25 Do I need a double sided fixed hub to have a fixie & a free wheel ?

A1 You can certainly do it that way. Just spin a freewheel onto one side of a double fixed hub. The old Maillards used to be made in a fixed/free configuration with threads on one side for a 5-speed block that would also take a SS freewheel.

Q2.26 Do I need lock rings on both sides ?

A1 a lockring on the freewheel side would be pointless. It's not going to unscrew anyway. Whether you need one on the fixed side is a matter for debate. See 1 Q2.3"

Q2.27 JIS vs ISO square-taper bottom brackets ?

A1 You need to match the taper to the chainset. The angle of taper is the same but a JIS crank will slide too far onto an ISO BB and give a 2-3mm narrower chainline, and vice-versa. Ideally get the BB and cranks from the same manufacturer, or at least don't mix,n'match European and Far East (though some European stuff such as Stronglight is sometimes JIS)

Q2.28 insert question here?

Q2.29 insert question here?

Answers: 3 How to

Q3.1 What exactly do I need to do to convert my old geared bike to a fixie ?

A1 A fixed rear wheel/hub and the correct size bottom bracket for correct chainline and an 1/8th chain if using 1/8th sprockets. The rest is just aesthetics.

Q3.2 My frame's got vertical dropouts. How do I "fix" it ?

A1 You can't use a chain tensioner so you've got to get the chain length to match the distance between the BB and the hub

A2 Big question! Eno hub. If a courageous pioneer (edit by FP: IMHO suicidal. Don't), chain tensioner. Magic chain length/gear.

Swap it for a different frame.

A3 With either a magic gear combination or an eccentric hub White Eno or eccentric bottom bracket.

A4 or if you are extra-brave, a phantom sprocket

A5 I've had great success with a half link chain. I think the original version is by The Shadow Conspiracy but Wiggle sell a cheaper clone too, search for Reluctant Half Link Chain. Both of these chains are 1/8" though.

ANS: 3/32 half links are now fairly easily found, the folk at speedgoat.com usually have them and are happy to pop a couple into a reasonably spendy parcel, as I've found.

Since most people will be using a less than stellar frame for a FG project, some filing of the dropouts is permissible, providing it's carefully done.

Using a half link will generally mean you need to find about 1.5mm movement (fore or aft) in the dropout.

File carefully, and if the chain is too short resist the temptation to jam it in by stretching really tight - this will destroy either hub or bottom bracket bearings really quickly, followed by permanent chainring damage, thence chain and sprocket.

Q3.3 Can I use hubs with a different OLN than the frame ?

A1 Yes, in some circumstances. 130 OLN wheels will fit a 126 frame. And vice versa. Add/remove spacers if possible/necessary. 120 wheels in 126 frame: maybe, if axle long enough for spacers. 120 in 130: pushing it! 110 in 135: not IMO. Other combinations by appointment only!

A2 Some hubs can be respaced by adding spacers/nuts to the existing or a longer axle. Balance both sides to keep the wheel central. You might also try swapping your chaintugs to the inside of the drop-out if your tug/drop-out combination allows.

A3 Some frames can be respaced by bending them (coldsetting is the posh term), but avoid bending aluminium/alloy frames or the more exotic steels (853?). Or carbon (!).

A4 It’s better to space out the axle or get the frame re-set, “ok if it’s steel”

A5 A few mm either way can be accommodated in a steel frame. Eg 126 OLN works in a 120 or 135 frame, though getting the wheel in/out is more fiddly for obvious reasons. I guess that 120 and 126 are probably compatible too. I wouldn't go more off-OLN than that

Q3.4 Can I use a wheel with a threaded hub designed for a multispeed freewheel ?

A1 Yes. Just remove the freewheel and thread on the sprocket. You'll need to move the spacers around on the axle to get a usable chainline, and that'll push the rim off the bike's midaxis. If it's an old hack you may be happy with that, but if you want to fit guards or make it a good job, you'll need to redish the wheel, Which isn't very difficult. Ask Davej !

Basically it requires you to loosen off all the spokes on one side and tighten up the ones on the other side accordingly, so the wheel stays true.

It's not possible to use a standard lockring with this setup, but I don't think that's a big issue (see FAQ on lockrings). Some people have used bottom bracket lockrings (not good) and/or Loctite (good). See FAQ 3.13 on BB lockrings/Loctite

Q3.5 Can I convert a cassette-type wheel to fixed ?

A1 Yes, if you can afford a Surly Fixxer.

A2 Yes, an adapter can be used to fix a sprocket on in the correct position.

A3 Yes, On-One have just made a cheapo knockoff of the Surly Fixxer for a tenner.

A4 Not quite; the On-One widget actually converts a cassette to single speed, not fixed.

A5 See Q2.21

Q3.6 Do I need chaintugs?

A1 Matter of opinion! Probably depends on combination of axle fitting/drop out material/rider strength. AFAIK, not traditionally used for road fixed (which often ran with non-track ends anyway), but they would have relied on good ol'track nuts, biting into steel d/outs.

A2 You don't need chaintugs but they can help. They let you reposition the wheel quickly. Perhaps their biggest advantage is that they provide a flat area for the track nut to bite into

A3 On a bike with track ends it really depends whether you suffer with constant axle creep or if the track ends are getting chewed up (an issue with aluminium frames) and you can’t position/adjust the axle properly. The chain tugs provide a solution to both of these problems.

A4 personal choice, I use them.

A5 They undoubtedly work, but are not considered "cool" in some circles. I would only use them if I had big problems with axle slippage, which I don't. Otherwise, they're added weight and complexity, which goes against the fixed ethos, doesn't it?

Q3.7 Can I use a chain tensioner with a fixed wheel ?

A1 It would be nice if you could - it would let you use any fixed hub in a frame with vertical dropouts, not just an eccentric hub. However, when you use leg braking or just stop putting in the power, the force in the chain acts in the lower length of the chain, between the sprocket and chainring. If a tensioner were fitted, it would have to cope with the force. Current designs wouldn't and would most likely be ripped off the frame.

Q3.8 How do I tension my chain if I don't have chaintugs ?

A1 Nice wedge shaped doorstop between tyre and chain stay bridge to hold wheel so that can tighten both axle nuts simultaneously.

A2 The Ravenbait patented method of wheel adjustment (a variant on the Munky technique)

With bike upright:

Place offside pedal at 3 o'clock position. Place foot upon offside pedal. Push forwards with foot on pedal while pulling back on wheel with left hand and pushing front of wheel to touch offside chainstay (I use my left foot for this bit). Tighten nut.

Pull front of wheel towards nearside chainstay until wheel aligned straight. Tighten nearside nut.

Check chain tension. If tension good, mungo both wheel nuts so they are less likely to slip. This method is good for track drop-outs and forward facing horizontal dropouts.

A3 (Geez, RB, do you need that much power that you have to get your legs involved? I don't wanna be near that chain when it snaps! ) Set the bike upside down. Loop the chain around chainring and sprocket, put the wheel into the dropouts with the chain loose. Pull the wheel straight back, then pull the non-drive side (this will be the right side as you stand behind the bike) back so that the wheel twists to the right in the frame, like so: |/| Tighten the right-side locknut, tight, but don't crank it down with all your might. Now grab the front of the wheel, near the bottom bracket, and pull it to the left so that the wheel is straight in the frame like so: |||. Tighten the left-side locknut, and now you can crank them both down super tight. Turn the bike over and check chain tension. It should be tight, but not binding and stopping at any point in the rotation. If it's too tight (likely, IMO), repeat the procedure but leave a little bit of slack when you're pulling the front of the wheel to the right.

A4 See the Ravenbait method (A2)

A5 Pull the wheel back in the frame as far as you can, and whilst keeping pulling, tighten the nuts/bolts enough to hold it in place.

Now loosen off the driveside nut/bolt and pull the wheel as far over that way as you can. Tighten the nut/bolt again. Repeat for other side. Repeat this process in smaller increments 'til the chain's tight, then bolt the wheel down.

Q3.9 How do I use chaintugs with forward-facing dropouts ?

A1 These old 'Cyclo' chaintugs turn up at bike jumbles every now and then here is a low res pic of one

A2 Surly Tuggnuts are designed for forward facing dropouts and they even have bottle openers to justify the Extreme Pricing (although the design doesn't look as good as the antique that FWN uncovered).

A3 BMX chaintugs of the double screw design variety should also work

A4 I'm not sure the BMX/SS type would fit a forward-facing dropout. There's usually a big cast lump on the back that slots into the track end. You might have to file it off or down to make it work

A5 I dont think A2 is correct. I asked HubJub and they said those Surly tugs aren't compatible with forward facing drops.

A6 Better pic of the Cyclo tugs

A7 How to adapt a BMX/SS/On-One chaintug for forward facing dropouts. Might need some basic filing/hacksawing.

You need a wide-enough dropout spacing/sufficiently narrow hub OLN that you can fit the tugs inboard. I guess that on a steel frame you can flex it enough to squeeze them in even if OLN dimension of hub and frame are the same. Not a good idea on an Al frame maybe.

I suppose also that this works best with a dropout with handy flats on, like the one in the pic. If the back is the more usual rounded shape it'll still work, I guess, but perhaps not as well.

A8 Right, more specifics:

1) Why are they inboard of the dropouts: because it was 126 OLN with a 120 Kogswell hub. The on-one tugs are near enough 3mm. Brilliant. This would work reasonably well outboard too, as you would get the pressure from the track nut. I think.

2) Rounded drop-outs. My drop-outs were rounded, but I took a file to them to get the small screws on the tugs to grip better. It's a cheap second-hand frame. It's got more interesting hacks, like the little bodgery I did fitting normal guards on without the clearance for it.

3) I don't use them anymore, they are a bit of a faff. I've since changed the dropout spacing to 120 OLN, which means that the serrated surface of both the hub and the track nuts grip the dropouts properly. An altogether better and nicer solution. Also, with the tug, I can't pull the axle all the way to the back of the dropout as the screws on the tugs aren't long enough for that.

A9 I've got forward facing dropouts and I've never pulled the wheel over. I guess with the wheelnuts at the correct tension this should not be a problem.

A10 Shouldn't be, no, but sometimes track nuts just don't seem to bite and you get axle creep.

And on Aluminium frames (any of those actually got forward-facing dropouts these days anyway ?) the dropout might get chewed.

On older steel frames too, the dropouts can be splayed by some hub bolts (the original Goldtec hex bolts were awful for this) or the captive washer can distort into the dropout slot.

Chaintugs (on the outside) fix this.

Q3.10 My chainwheel is not completely round therefore affects my chain tension?

A1 The chainwheels may be round but may not be concentric with the crank axle. Sheldon Brown has advice re this.

A2 Roundness is not necessary, for example elliptical rings such as the Biopace rings will always use the same length of chain if mounted concentrically. Will square rings do the same?

{FP Edit: no :-) Biopace is designed always to take up the same amount of chain, so amazingly it works. More amazingly, Rev Robert Townsend has an Egg ring on his fixie and lives. I suppose he has divine protection tho'}

A3 Is it possible that the chain has "stretched" unevenly ?

A4 Any eccentricity in sprocket or chainring will cause tight and loose spots in the chain as it turns. Avoid it by using high quality components.

A5 The Sheldon Brown method of ensuring chainring concentricity involves loosening off the chainset bolt, rotating the pedals 'til the chain is at its tightest and then tapping the chainring backwards. Repeat for next tightest spot etc etc until it is maximally concentric. With a cheap chainset it may not help much.

A6 Sometimes the spider is fine and the ring is the problem. Try a high-quality ring eg TA or Campag ?

A7 Often both chainring and spider have machining errors or are out of shape. Mounting the chainring on another of the 5 (or 4) available mounting positions may cancel out the errors.

Q3.11 How do I get my wheel out to repair a puncture if I have rear facing horizontal dropouts and mudguards ?

A1 Attach your rear mudguard using Secu-Clips so you can just swing it up and out of the way. You can get spare sets from your LBS or a friendly sort on an internet forum.

A2 Use the SKS ‘Secu’ fixings recommended for the front on the rear this enables you to pull out the mudguard stays at the secu fitting and have more room to remove the wheel.

Q3.12 How do I remove a fixed sprocket ?

A1 See this link for a cool method that doesn't require any tools.

A2 Use a chainwhip, of course ! You’ll probably need to use extra leverage t shift the sprocket – either an extension handle or else put the chainwhip handle in a vice and turn the wheel. That works even for the most-jammed-on sprockets, eventually.

A3 Don't forget to remove the lockring first !

A4 Make your own chainwhip. The ideal length is BIG - it's the diameter of the rear wheel (any longer, and you're limited by how much leverage you have on the tyre). Drill holes (use a commercial whip as a template) and then hammer bits of 1/8 chain into place. And you use anti-seize or grease on sprockets and lockrings, not threadlock. Someone should tell Fuji.

Q3.13 Should I use Loctite or a BB ring to get the effect of a proper lockring If I use a freewheel-type hub?

A1 Loctite might help, but using a Bottom Bracket lockring is mainly decorative. The blue loctite in the red bottle is the one to use, but its potency does wear off after a year or so.

Locknuts are used to keep the cones in position on those axles which use adjustable cup and cone bearings, and lockrings are used to hold the adjustable cup on those bottom brackets which use them. A bottom bracket lockring just happens to be the same thread as a rear cog but the uses are quite different. One is to hold in place an item which is expected to move up and down, it is wrong to expect it to hold in place an item which is not expected to move unless subjected to extreme force. In that case all that will happen is the cog and lockring unscrew together taking with it some of the soft aluminium hub.

A2 My experience is that if you blue loctite a cog on to a freewheel hub and tighten it real tight with a good chainwhip, it is really extremely difficult to remove, like so difficult it will make you fear that either the hub or the tool will fail from your effort. And as we know, you can generate more leverage with a chainwhip than you will pedalling on the bike, due to the chainring being larger than the cog. Therefore I think you can consider the cog with blue Loctite to be pretty secure without the BB lockring; and I would recommend against blue loctiting the lockring, unless you have a really super good lockring wrench, as I would think that would be quite difficult to remove.

You can presumably generate even more torque using that trick where you wrap the chain around the BB shell and turn the wheel, but a good chainwhip provides more than enough force, in my opinion.

Q3.14 How do I change/grease the bearings on a Goldtec, Kogswell, On-One or other sealed-bearing hub ?

A1 Trying to regrease sealed bearings is a waste of time. If you do remove the seals to do it, then they will be no good when you come to replace them.

A2 You can't get grease in to them. The only option is to change them.

A3 To change the bearings in a sealed hub you need to remove the spacers/dust covers (carefully) and tap out the axle. That should take one bearing with it. Then you need to tap the other one out from the other side using a bit of rod or a home-made pushy thing.

To put them back in, tap in one side, fit the axle (you'll need to support the bearing eg with a home-made jig to stop the axle knocking the bearing out again as it goes in) then tap the other bearing in, supporting the axle to stop it popping back out. Easier in practice than it sounds. The hardest part is getting the dust covers/spacers etc off the axle, and doing it without damaging them.

A4 The Goldtec fixed hub has a pair of cartridge bearings.

Pull the axle covers/spacers off. Support the hub on something and tap out the axle. It will bring one bearing with it. If you pour hot water over everything and let the hub shell get hot to the touch the bearings tend to come out more easily as the alloy expands a bit. Turn the wheel over and drift out the other bearing with a block of wood (lump of broomstick will do nicely). Fit new bearings.

A5 I got replacements from a guy on eBay (nyllam) - the bearings are good quality and the prices are reasonable. Make sure you get the 2RS bearings even if the existing ones have some other sealing.

A6 You can get the replacements from the supplier, eg BETD for Goldtec, but they are standard industrial bearings and can be got from anywhere that does bearings. Not expensive.

A7 I'd warn against premature changing; you ought to be getting at least 10,000 miles out of them, and quite possibly more, in all weathers. Sometimes noise/graunching from elsewhere in the drivechain manifests as the symptoms of bearing failure

A8 How old are these bearings? If they are sealed they should last many years. If they are bad I'd talk to One-One and insist that they give you a new set or replace the cartridge for free.

A9 If you're careful, it's quite easy to prise up the seal and squirt some grease in. Carefully seat the seal again and all will be well.

But, as others have said, it shouldn't really be necessary.

A10 On sealed bearings you can remove the seals on the inner face of the bearing, grease the bearing assembly and reassemble the hub leaving the inner seal off.

The downside is that it requires you to completely disassemble the hub and remove the bearings. On some hubs that's a complete nightmare on others it's easy enough.

I'd be surprised to find your bearings have died though. In years and years of serious mountain bike racing I never had a wheel bearing dry out. The bearings that I did have to replace had just worn and were sloppy.

Q3.15 Fixing a Mavic 501 hub

A1 Mavic 501s are very nice freewheel hubs, probably some of the best made, and they persist because they are so lovely ! Lots of people seem to have them mouldering away in the garage. it would be nice to be able to fix them, and luckily there's a way. The subject has been discussed on FGG, and detailed instructions provided there. Just in case tht link vanshes with time, the discussion has been saved to a pdf file and archived here. It can be seen from the Add an attachment tab at the top of the page.

Q3.16 Has anyone seen such a thing, mtn bike to fixie ?

I have an older schwinn mtn bike, 26" wheels, 130 mm spacing. I am looking for sample conversions of any others of this type. Has anyone done such a thing ? Any pics or links i can search ?

A1 Yes. There is an entire website dedicated to such things at 63xc.com. It's still there right now, but not being added to. You can also see details of my fixed MTB at www.fixed.org.uk

Also see Q1.10

Q3.17 Hub, sprocket, chain rings… What else do I need to for the rear hub to work?

A1 Get the chainline right. Maybe a lockring, maybe not, depending on personal preference

Q3.18 insert question here?

Answers: 4 Sourcing/buying stuff

Q4.1 Where can I get ideas for a fixed project if I decide to build one up rather than buy?

A1 Browse through www.fixedgeargallery.com but beware: this can lead to confusion/frustration/jealousy AND bankruptcy!

Q4.2 Should I buy a ready-made bike or make my own ?

A1 Personal choice, get a cheap one first then get used to what you like and don’t like to change on your best one later.

A2 If you have a bike with horizontal dropouts that you can convert, DIY. It's cheaper. If you don't or you are a sufficiently serious fixer to want something dedicated, buy one ready made.

If you are very definite in your needs, buy a fixed-specific frame and build to your exact spec. The most costly option but very satisfying and you'll save on future upgrades if you start out with your dream specification

A3 how confident are you? For building your own I would say build an old hack and see what you like and don’t like then build another one the way you like it. If you are not so confident or prefer off the shelf go for the ready built.

Q4.3 What off the shelf fixed gear bikes are available

A1 Loads, Condor, Fuji, Langster, SJS do one also, for road or commuting work I would recommend something without toe overlap and room for mudguards, track specific bikes can be twitchy on the road.

Q4.4 Should I buy a Fuji, Langster or Pompino ?

A1 There will be as many answers to this Q as there are those who pose it multiplied by those who read it! Depends on intended useage, personal preferences/prejudices and depth of pocket!

Not really an FAQ item, I think.

A2 Personal choice, the On One Pompino is a better all rounder with room for larger tyres and guards, Specialised Langster has a lot of toe overlap according to C+ review (but some owners report no probs), try before you buy.

A3 Depends what your use is. The Pompino is a great cross/commuter/audax bike. It's comfortable, stable, moderately sprightly and will take guards and a rack. If you want to ride off road, you'll want bigger tyres and a stout frame - Pompino then. Or something else.

The others are probably nippier and great for hammering around town - but may be disconcerting on rough roads or very fast descents

A4 The Fuji has a good butted steel frame, but many of the components are el cheapo. It's worth upgrading - mine has cost me a total of more than £800 so far! Although it's sold as a track bike, the geometry is a bit more relaxed, without the front wheel being scrunched right into the downtube. This means less toe overlap, which is good on the road.

A5 There's a shedload more off-the-shelf fixed bikes on the UK market now than when the question was asked. Look at Condor, Pearson (carbon Cartouche - mmmm), Specialized's Tricross Single, Bianchi, Charge Plug, Genesis Flyer...

A6 Pearson & Condor do fixed bikes that'll take guards. The Spec Tricross is like the Pomp in that it has loads of clearance and will take guards and bigger tyres. Most of the rest have tighter clearances Back to top

Q4.5 Who makes/supplies fixed-specific frames ?

A1 On-One. These are probably the best budget off-the-peg all-round fixie frames, along with Kogswell and Surly - which used to be available though Hubjub, but no more it seems.

St Johns Street do a CrMo fixie frame that is quite heavy, but rides well. Probably marginal if whether it's worth full asking price, but they seem to be pushing them out on ebay for very little at present

If you like track-specific frames then the options are wider. PlanetX have a rather fine track frame and there are many others advertised eg in Cycling Weekly.

Omega make a "street" fixie frame in titanium, though I've never seen one.

Sorted cycles do very nice fixed frames, inc a SS with adjustable disc mounts, that could be fixable, a 29er and a fixed "street" frame.

Wiggle also stock Surly frames

Other than that, any custom frame builder will do a nice job. Mercian make some good semi-off-the-peg fixie frames at a decent price, but Roberts, Longstaff, Bob Jackson, Woodrup, Argos etc will do a fine job.

Robin Mather is probably the best-recognised UK (steel) custom fixie frame maker, and his frames are superb.

If you have the cash, and the patience, then a Ti Matt Chester is the dogs'. At present the dollar/pound rate makes it a little less unaffordable. Later edit: Matt is taking a break from frame building right now. Shame.

Solitude Cycles are slowly establishing a UK customer base. Alex there rides fixed and will broker a design with his framebuilder based on your needs.

A2 Setavento do a very nice semi-custom Ti fixed/SS road frame for 600 quid. Add e.g. 'grd eyes and carrier mounts for another 100 (which does seem a bit steep!)

A3 There's a bit of a resurgence in hub gears at the moment, from high-end Rohloff-equipped bikes to cheap Halfords Al hybrids with Shimano Nexus 7 or 8.

These can be good donor frames for a fixie as they often have pseudo-track ends. One option is to buy a cheap hub-geared hybrid and ebay the back wheel etc. You may get back a good % of what you paid and the bike'll be much faster and lighter with a fixed wheel.

A4 Surly Steamrollers look good and are built like tanks, but they seem pretty expensive for a TIG welded 4130 frame. They are also pretty heavy if that is a concern for you.

They are £300 f+f which is pretty much the same as a lugged, handbuilt 631 Bob Jackson available in a range of colours. I bought one of those cos I thought it was great value and they go up to the giant size I need.

On the other hand a Pompino frame is about the same quality with a lot of similar design features as the surly and you get a complete bike for £400.

Bob Jacksons are one of the classic english framebuilders based in Leeds and will do anything from their basic £300 track frame up to full custom, chrome, curly stays etc.

The Bob Jackson frames are decent track and road frames and are fairly light as a result. The Surlys are a bit more over-engineered and therefore a bit heavier. I doubt the difference is gonna be huge once the bike is built.

IMO the reason to choose Bob Jackson is that you are getting a much higher quality frame rather the weight.

A5 Have a look at the new EAI bare knuckle frames that Hub Jub are importing.

It's too bad Kogswell took the ugly stick to their fixed frame, the original was gorgeous.

A6 That looks interesting, so long as the angles aren't too scarey. No doubt Will has agonised over his decision, so they should be ok. Right, who's first then :)

A7 Recent spottings: Langster has been revised for 2007, Pearson Cycles, Terry Dolan. The Pearson is believed to be based on a bundle that you may see badged up in similar form from other shops. The Condor range seems to be growing into a nice looking and niche-filling range. Also new for 2007, Kona Paddy Wagon.

Q4.6 Where can I buy fixed wheels ?

A1 Hubjub.

A2 A good local bike shop will build wheels to spec. A fixed rear wheel will cost from £50 up, depending on quality. Add £10-£20 for a sprocket and lockring and you're away.

A3 “err a bike shop”, check the ads in C+ or on-line, Pete Mathews, Parker-International, Deeside, I recommend Goldtec themselves or as I do build your own.

Q4.7 What is the choice in fixed hubs ?

A1 Goldtec is commonly considered a good bet, available (at time of writing) for about £65 from betd.co.uk, in any drilling or OLN except 110. Black or pewter coloured. They are well made (bombproof) with replaceable sealed bearings, and the option to change OLN by changing the axle/spacer. Made in UK. Favourite with couriers and serious audaxers. I've never heard a complaint about Goldtec. Double sided

Note: since time of writing a complaint about a broken Goldtec flange has emerged, but this is, according to the supplier, a very rare event. It was replaced FOC

Phil Wood are a very beautiful and well-made American hub in shiny silver. Expensive. hubjub

Royce are an equally-expensive UK hub, hand made to your specification. Probably the best - currently only available in single-sided

For pure track, Dura Ace are very good but they aren't intended as a road hub and the sealing isn't great

Other track hubs include Miche Primato and Suzue Professional. They seem OK for road use too.

Avoid Suzue Basic as the axles and (cup and cone) bearings are rubbish. There's no excuse for a hub this poor these days.

The best budget hubs are the sealed, low flange double fixed Kogswell hubjub and On-One. Made in the same far East factory, the On-One is black and the Kogswell silver. Big track nuts. Available in 120 or 135 and 32 hole. At time of writing, about £29

On-one are also selling a silver large-flange hub for under £30, but no reports yet

There are assorted old track hubs around eg Normandies and Airlite. Good in their day (well, the Airlites were) but eclipsed by modern hubs. Essential for an authentic renovation of course. The Normadies tend to have axle/bearing issues (they were budget in their day) and the Airlites tend to disintegrate.

Hubjub also have the LeVeL, a radical design with a sprocket bolted on and some other unique features. No reports yet - looks like a fine idea, but as with all radical ideas, you're trusting in the long-term availability of single-source replacements.

Hubjub also stock the White ENO eccentric hubs that you'd need if you have vertical dropouts

A2 IRO/Formula/System EX (all the same, just different badges) hubs are a nice copy of 60s Large Flange Campag track hubs, but with practical sealed cartridge bearings.

Q4.8 Where can I get decent quality sprockets ?

A1 Not Cyclo. The threads are not very deep and there is a real risk of stripping your hub.

A2 Personally I find ‘Miche’ or Dura-Ace good quality but have used cyclo sprockets at times.

A3 EAI from hubjub; You can't go wrong with EAI. Up to 20 tooth, in 1/8, 3/32, alloy or steel. They run noticeably more quietly than Dura-Ace from new and are worth the extra cost.

Spa cycles in Harrogate (also mail order) do Surly (also very good) up to 21 tooth. May be available in 1/8, certainly in 3/32

The Miche carrier system is widely available from online shops eg Wiggle, Parkers, and myriad others

Dura Ace etc from specialist trackie shops in the smaller sizes (13-16T), but need a lot of running-in before they're quiet.

On-one do their own which are..OK. Not in the EAI league though.

Update: the new On-One CNC sprockets look very good. Available up to 22 tooth in 3/32 or 1/8.

Cyclo can be found in very large sizes (I have a 26 thanks to Will at hubjub) but they are not great quality: they aren't that round and they wear very rapidly

IMHO alloy fixed sprockets are a Bad Thing, at least in bigger sizes - I destroyed a 20 T in one ride. I know that lighter and gentler riders have used them with fewer problems, but they still wear fast and the weight saving isn't that great

NB the SJS ones are alloy

I expect London shops eg Condor, Evans do sprockets too, but I don't know the details.

Q4.9 Where else should I look for fixed inspiration?

A1 Lots of places. The mighty Sheldon always has something worth reading, www.sheldonbrown.com. Charlie the Bike Monger is good on fixed and singlespeed, sells on ebay. www.63xc.com, specialising in off-road perversions. Sadly soon to be deprecated, although the existing stuff will remain for a good while yet. www.fixedgeargallery.com for inspiration and sometimes breath-taking silliness. Velo Fixe over at Another Cycling Forum is worth a peek. Over to you...

A2 www.fixed.org.uk :) (shameless self-promotion)

Q4.10 Where can you get cheap 165mm crank setups in the UK, apart from Hubjub?

A1 Hubjub

A2 Use a double/triple spider with just one ring

Q4.11 insert question here?

Q4.12 insert question here?

Answers: 5 Miscellaneous

Q5.1 Is it safe to use clips/ clipless on fixed ?

A1 No different to using them on a geared, freewheel bike. There are big advantages to being able to pull on the pedals as well as push.

A2 Yes in fact I believe it is more important to be firmly linked to the pedals. The consequences of losing a flat pedal whilst descending at high speed could be grim, toe clips or clipless pedals would help avoid this.

Q5.2 Do I need a back brake ?

A1 Schism time! Matter of preference: mine is "yes".

A2 Legally, no (as long as you have a front one!).

A3 In most circumstances on road, a back brake won’t reduce stopping distances if your braking technique is good.

A4 A back brake is one more item to maintain/go wrong and adds a little extra weight and clutter.

A 5 A back brake will wear out your rear rim.

A6 If the front brake fails, a back brake is a useful standby, even a lifesaver on a steep descent. However, if you were doing an emergency stop, it won’t stop you soon enough.

A7 If you don’t use a lock-ring, a back brake is more reliable than leg braking.

A8 Many find a back brake useful on slippery or loose surfaces, though opinions vary.

A9 A back brake lever is handy if you ride on the hoods, though you don’t have to fit a brake. Also dummy hoods are available.

A10 Braking with legs will add to stresses on your knees. Opinions on the advisability of this practice vary.

A11 legally no, but I would say yes especially in a hilly area.

A12 You don't need one, and legally a fixed bike can be ridden without, though a lockring might be advisable to stay within the letter of the law.

A13 They are useful for offroad and for descending steep gravelly hills where a front wheel lockup is not a good idea. Also useful for managing speed on long descents - one brake alone may lead to overheating of the rim or even brake fade.

A14 Sometimes you might see someone riding a bike with only a backbrake because the owner is reluctant to drill a hole in their fork crown (they would be using track forks which have absolutely minimal distance between tyre and fork). Back to top

Q5.3 What size tyres do you recommend for road fixie riding ?

A1 There's nothing in the mechanics of fixed riding that dictates a different tyre size, but bigger tyres give you a bit more control on descents as the bike is less prone to take off if you hit an imperfection. I've gone from 23-25 on geared bikes to 28-32 for the fixies. I find that skinnier tyres are slower overall because I descend so much more cautiously.

Q5.4 Track ends or forward facing sloping/"horizontal" drop outs?

A1 Matter of aesthetics and personal taste IMO. Former look better, but latter in some ways more practical e.g. with m'grds AND, for fashion reasons, tend to be cheaper if buying 2nd hand. Rear spacing on track-ended frames usually 120 (110 if old); horizontals 120 (if old), 126 or 130 (or 135 if early '90s mtb with "right" drop outs).

On balance, if for general all year use, my vote would be for horizontals.

Q5.5 Can I use a fixie in triathlons?

A1 The British Triathlon Association technical rules say that you can't: "11.1.h. There must be a brake on each wheel and both wheels must be classified as free wheels."

However, for small events, you may be allowed at the event organisers' discretion. So for the London Triathlon with forty thousand athletes, no. For the Dunny-on-the-Wold Try-a-Tri, probably. Talk to the event organisers well in advance.

It really depends on how 'blazered-up' the organisers are. You'll probably cause no more than amusement from the marshalls at more low-key events. Little story here

Q5.6 Single brake lever on the flat part of a dropped bar ?

A1 A lot of bikes on FWG have a brake on the top of the drops -when they have any at all. You have a very narrow point of leverage to steer up there in an emergency but you do have the brake close an hand, so what's it all about and what are the advantages? Also, dropped bars must be the least comfortable things to hold without trad brake levers. I'm I being a fashion naive?

A2 I think that it's largely to do with keeping the "track bike on the road" look, whilst not being so brain-out as to ride brakeless.

I find the most comfortable solution to keeping minimalist is clip'n'flip bars and one brake lever. You get that "riding on the hoods" feel with just the one brake...

A3 I concur. If you are running drops, but want a clean look, top mounted brake is really the only option both for aesthetics as well as short cable run.

But, I can't see any reason to run drops on a urban/road fix, as wing or clip/flip work better for providing the 'on the hoods' position, look good, and provide great leverage for sprinting. And, if audaxing, then drops plus levers in trad position seem popular.

Q5.7 Fixed on a club run ?

I have been invited to join my LBS in a ride out next Tuesday evening. The road gang are all very experienced riders, I on the other hand am not. My beloved Fixedwheel will be my steed.

Should I go or save any embarrassment and stay at home ?

The route is fairly flat with one or two bumps mid ride

A1 Go for it. You will get much respect for turning up on a fixed and you will have an excuse for them needing to wait for you at the top of hills.

A2 Well, they've invited you, so it doesn't seem they think you'll be embarrassed (unless they're sadists, but only you can judge if that's the case), so I say go for it! If you want to.

A3 Go! I have an old fixed which I love and have taken it on group/club rides in the past (okay not the fastest ones) and have been able to stay in the group.

A4 Trouble is on the hills you look like a tit. That's downhills.

A5 I've always found that it creates a talking point amongst the other riders and word gets round, especially when you are holding your own with them. Whether or not they admire you for it is another thing!

A6 I have rarely found the (local) hills to be a problem on the way up

Q5.8 insert question here?

Q5.9 insert question here?

Q2.28 insert question here?

Answers: 3 How to

Q3.1 What exactly do I need to do to convert my old geared bike to a fixie ?

A1 A fixed rear wheel/hub and the correct size bottom bracket for correct chainline and an 1/8th chain if using 1/8th sprockets. The rest is just aesthetics.

Q3.2 My frame's got vertical dropouts. How do I "fix" it ?

A1 You can't use a chain tensioner so you've got to get the chain length to match the distance between the BB and the hub

A2 Big question! Eno hub. If a courageous pioneer (edit by FP: IMHO suicidal. Don't), chain tensioner. Magic chain length/gear.

Swap it for a different frame.

A3 With either a magic gear combination or an eccentric hub White Eno or eccentric bottom bracket.

A4 or if you are extra-brave, a phantom sprocket

ANS: 3/32 half links are now fairly easily found, the folk at speedgoat.com usually have them and are happy to pop a couple into a reasonably spendy parcel, as I've found.

Since most people will be using a less than stellar frame for a FG project, some filing of the dropouts is permissible, providing it's carefully done.

Using a half link will generally mean you need to find about 1.5mm movement (fore or aft) in the dropout.

Q3.3 Can I use hubs with a different OLN than the frame ?

A3 Some frames can be respaced by bending them (coldsetting is the posh term), but avoid bending aluminium/alloy frames or the more exotic steels (853?). Or carbon (!).

A4 It’s better to space out the axle or get the frame re-set, “ok if it’s steel”

Q3.4 Can I use a wheel with a threaded hub designed for a multispeed freewheel ?

Basically it requires you to loosen off all the spokes on one side and tighten up the ones on the other side accordingly, so the wheel stays true.

These are the Fixie FAQs !

Disclaimer

Questions: 1 Riding

Questions: 2 Transmission

Questions: 3 How to

Questions: 4 Sourcing/buying stuff

Questions: 5 Miscellaneous

Answers: 1 Riding

Answers: 2 Transmission

Answers: 3 How to

Q3.17 Hub, sprocket, chain rings… What else do I need to for the rear hub to work?

Answers: 4 Sourcing/buying stuff

Answers: 5 Miscellaneous

Answers: 3 How to