Forum: bicycles.stackexchange.com
Tags: <fixed-gear><build><parts>
Title: What are the parts needed to build your own fixie?
Question: I've always wanted to build my own bike and I figured that a fixie has the least number of parts.  Please post one part per answer. Please explain what I should be looking for in the part. Also please recommend a make/model and give approximate cost.

Answers:
sents: text: I know you asked for a single part answers but since the parts work together and one choice influences another, I don't really see how that can be accomplished in a useful manner.
text: So I'm going to outline it all.
text: I'll start with the items that you need for any build.
text: Frame and fork.
text: Preferably one with horizontal dropouts - more on that later.
text: Headset to attach the frame and fork.
text: Stem - note:
text: the fork, stem, and the headset work together.
text: They can be threaded or threadless.
text: They must match.
text: Handlebars Seatpost.
text: The seatpost must fit snugly in the seat tube.
text: Seatpost clamp (Maybe.
text: This is built into some frames.)
text: Seat Front wheel.
text: No specific requirements other than it fit into your fork without the tire rubbing.
text: If you're using a front brake (and you should), you'll want the size for which the fork was intended.
text: There are ways to make the brakes work on a wrong-sized wheel, but it's more hassle than it's worth.
text: Crankset Bottom bracket.
text: The crankset and bottom bracket must be the compatible with one another.
text: The bottom bracket also be the same size and have the same thread type as the bottom bracket shell on your frame.
text: Pedals.
text: As others have mentioned, you want your feet attached to the pedals.
text: Whether you use toe clips or clipless is totally up to your personal preference.
text: Chain Tires Rear Wheel.
text: This is where we start to get fixie specific.
text: The rear wheel must have a hub that is designed to accommodate a fixed gear cog and a lock ring.
text: Fixed gear cog Lock ring.
text: You need to make sure of two things: your chain line must be ramrod straight and you must have some way of making sure that there's tension on the chain.
text: Let's talk about tensioning the chain first.
text: There are three basic ways to tension a chain on a fixie.
text: You can use an eccentric hub, an eccentric bottom bracket, or horizontal dropouts.
text: Horizontal dropouts are by far the cheapest, easiest and most common.
text: An eccentric bottom bracket requires a frame that is designed for one and thus, is less common and more expensive.
text: An eccentric hub works just fine if you have to use a frame with vertical dropouts, but it's easy enough (and significantly cheaper) to find an older frame with horizontal semi-horizontal dropouts.
text: Now, for making sure that chainline is stright.
text: The only way I know of to do it is trial and error.
text: Build the bike up, and then sight along the chainline.
text: You'll be able to see whether or not it's straight much the same way you can sight along a pool cue and see a curve in it.
text: If it's not, you can sometimes move the front chain ring from the inside to the outside of the spider.
text: Spacers on the rear hub may get you somewhere too, but you can't go too far with those.
text: If none of that works, you'll have to try a bottom bracket with a different spindle length.
text: Optionally: a front brake is highly recommended.
text: In some places, at least one brake is required by law.
text: If you have rear facing dropouts, a bmx style chain tensioner is really nice to have.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/4239/jimchristie
score: 8
sents: text: I know that some will disagree , but I would advocate using cleats .
text: One of the major reasons for riding a fixed is to feel your connection to the effort required to move you - and introducing a disconnect in your foot/pedal takes away from that.
text: Additionally, braking with your legs is easier if you're not worrying about your foot coming away.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/425/Unsliced
score: 5
sents: text: A nice old road frame (80s-vintage w/ horizontal dropout) will get you going in fine bike messenger style.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/None/
score: 5
sents: text: The same as a normal bike, minus gear derailleurs (brakes can be handy, although not completely necessary).
text: Get a flipflop hub, it enables you to freewheel by switching the wheel around.
text: Btw, you expect people to come here and list every single part for a bicycle, tis a bit weird if you ask me ...
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/484/NimChimpsky
score: 3
sents: text: A frame with horizontal dropouts is preferable.
text: If you do end up with a frame that has Vertical Dropouts you might need to add a Chain Tensioner.
text: For anyone not sure what dropouts are see this pic: http://www.howtobuildafixie.com/lesson-1-dropouts/
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/5205/Nic
score: 2
sents: text: The most fixie-specific bits are the hub, cog, and lock ring.
text: I know it's supposed to be one part per post, but these really go together.
text: You can't use a regular-old free-wheel hub for your fixie (at least without some modifications ).
text: You'll need a fixed-specific hub which has threads for a lock ring, and a cog to match.
text: The lock ring is what keeps the cog from loosening when you use the drive train to stop.
text: Surly offers each of these parts .
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/50/Jack M.
score: 1
sents: text: A rear wheel is a good start for a fixie: the front is the same as any other bike, but the rear needs to be built especially for fixed-gear riding.
text: It will have space for only one cog on each side, typically one for a freewheel cog and one for a fixed-gear cog.
text: The free side will only have one set of threads, while the fixed side will have two sets of threads.
text: One of those is for the cog itself, and one is for the lockring used to secure the cog.
text: The cog needs to be secured because when you pedal backward you loosen the cog, but the lockring is threaded in reverse and will tighten, keeping the cog on.
text: Lots of fixie riders consider the building of the rear wheel to be part of the process of building a fixed gear.
text: It's the easiest wheel to build, but they are available for purchase, and usually for less money than buying the components to build your own wheel.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/603/Fixed God
score: 1
sents: text: Your hub choice depends on whether your frame has vertical or horizontal dropouts.
text: I converted my old mountain bike (with vertical dropouts) into a single speed building a wheel I built myself using an eccentric Eno hub.
text: I happen to have the wheel flipped such that it's a free wheel, but I could flip it and use it as a fixie.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/174/Trey Jackson
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
To build a fixie you needd the same parts as for a normal bike, minus gear derailleurs (brakes can be handy, although not completely necessary). More detailed suggestions include an old road frame and a rear wheel built specially for fixed-gear riding.  The most fixie-specific parts are the hub, cog and lock ring.
Νecessary parts to build a fixie include a frame and fork, a headset to attach the former, a seat front wheel, a crankset bottom bracket, pedals, chain tires, a rear wheel, a fixed gear cog and a lock ring. Some people suggest adding a front break, and using cleats and a flipflop hub. You might also consider selecting an old road frame, which is a stylistic choice, and a frame with horizontal dropouts. In general, gear derailleurs are the only extra item included in regular bicycle parts. You could differentiate a fixie further by adding a rear wheel, using horizontal dropouts, or selecting other eccentric parts.