After a long break I’m finally back to explain how to convert your used road bikes to single speed. There are many reasons you may want to do a conversion but that is a big enough subject to save for another post. Today I am focusing on how to do the conversion. And keeping with the used road bikes theme, I will be showing the fastest, easiest, and least expensive way (within reason) to do the conversion. There are many other things you could do to make the conversion more “perfect” and permanent; however, for most people the conversion I’m showing will suffice. Also, as I’ve said in earlier posts, I did this conversion to my bike right after getting it because one of the detailer cables was broken. Therefore, to the experienced mechanic, some pictures may seem slightly out of order if you know what to look for.
Also, I’ve decided to include the cost of doing these conversions and repairs I’ve been talking about, so from now on I’m going to include the cost of any parts necessary to do any work I talk about. For this conversion I spent ~$25 for a new freewheel and that’s it. If you need to buy the single speed conversion it is about the same cost. The only other expense my be to pay or tip your local bike shop for any assistance they provide. If you choose to replace the hub and/or front sprockets/cranks the cost could quickly jump into the hundreds.
Tools Needed:
1. Phillips and flat head screw driver (to remove derailleurs and shifters)
2. Crescent wrench or socket (to remove the axle nuts)
3. Chain breaker
4. Wire cutter (speeds up the process)
5. Freewheel/Sprocket remover (don’t worry if you do not have one)
6. Depending on your bike you may need allen wrenches
Step 1
Break the chain with your chain breaker. This is somewhat tricky if you plan to reuse it and do not have a master link.
First, place the chain in the breaker and start pushing out the pin until it is almost out, but not entirely.
Then, pull the chain out of the breaker by loosening the pin pusher.
If you’ve pushed it out enough you will be able to bend the chain and it will pop apart. If not, place it back in the breaker and push out the pin a little bit more and try again. Continue until you get it to pop apart…it should look something like this
Pull it off the bike. If you plan to reuse it (which you can, as far as length is concerned), place it aside.
Step 2
Next, is to go ahead and loosen and remove all the derailleur and shifter bolts. And remove the shifter(s) and derailleur(s). If you don’t plan on ever using the wires again I suggest just cutting the wires, it makes it much easier to pull them off the bike.
Step 3
Remove the rear wheel by loosing the axle nuts and pulling it out of the dropouts.
Step 4
If you have the freewheel/sprocket removal tool you can go ahead and remove the rear cassette or freewheel. Depending on how old your bike is it may be a freewheel with multiple gears (which is what mine was, as the picture shows it just unscrewed from the hub) or it may be a cassette, which means there a many separate gears all locked onto the hubs cassette. Either way you need to get them off and if you are not very experienced with this I suggest taking it to a local bike shop and just tell them you want to remove the gears from the wheel. I did this and they removed it for free.
(alternative to Step 4)
The other thing you could do is simply skip to step 6 and not take out any chainrings, instead just choose one to use and make the chain fit that setting. This is possible and works, however, it leaves a lot of unnecessary weight and ‘junk’ on your bike. It is much cleaner and lighter to do this part correctly.
Step 5
If it is a freewheel, all you need to do is simply buy a new single speed freewheel and screw it on the hub. The only trick is finding out what gear ratio you want. Mine is 40/16 and as a relatively new single speed rider it is perfect. The best way to figure out what works best for you is to try some different gears before starting the conversion process. Lots of places across the web sell Freewheels and removal tools
If it is a cassette, you can pick out one of the gear that you’d like to use as your single speed and save it. There are numberous single speed conversion kits available online that come with a gear or multiple gears. Here are a few for starters… single speed conversion kits
Step 6
Put the rear wheel back on and finger tighten the axle nuts. Get the chain you are going to use and lay it over the gears and pull the ends together to figure out the length you are going to need. You will need to shorten the chain since it is not going to go through the derailleurs and multiple gears. Make sure you break the end that does not have the pin in it. If you removed your chain correctly (as I stated above) you will be able to break the chain completely this time (push the pin completely out) and just snap the other end into the new break and press the pin in. You’ll obviously need to take the chain back off the gears to get enough slack to put it together but make sure it stays on the bike, it must loop around the chainstay in order to go back onto the gears properly.
Step 7
Place the chain back on the gears and tighten the rear wheel making sure the chain is taught. Double check the chain alignment by looking at it from above and pedaling backwards. If it continues to jump off the gears you will need to change the spacing either on the front or back gear so that they are aligned better.
Finished Product…
Step 8
Enjoy! Go for a test ride and make sure everything is functioning and if you replaced the freewheel you may feel it tighten as you pedal the first few times.
Other Notes:
Again, depending on your bike there may be a few differences. Also, there are a number of other things that are beyond the realm of this post that could be done such as replacing the rear hub or the front chainrings. If your front chainrings are just bolted together you can unbolt the ones you are not using and leave the one you are using to further reduce weight and clean it up. If there are any questions do not hesitate to ask in the comments, I’m sure many others will benefit from them as well.
April 1, 2008 at 4:09 am |
Hey Ben, would this happen to be the Panasonic Sport 500 that you did the conversion on? Wondering because I’ve got the same bike (silver one I inherited from my pops) and wanted to know what particular freewheel you bought for it. Thanks!
April 8, 2008 at 2:47 pm |
Yes Steve it is!
I actually used a BMX style freewheel from Dans Competition (www.danscomp.com). I also ride BMX bikes, so when I was placing an order for some parts I had them throw in a freewheel. More specifically it was a Dicta 16 tooth. It’s basically the cheapest freewheel you can get. Some are flip-flop only (meaning the threaded part is smaller) and that is not going to fit (assuming your bike is just like mine), you just want a regular one. The main thing is to make sure you get the gear you want and that the width will fit your chain…if you’re in doubt get the thinest one (3/32″). I’ve used ACS Claws freewheels a lot and they are very good, I’d actually recommend that over what I got. Good Luck!
April 17, 2008 at 4:14 pm |
Brilliant! I love it. I wish I had a bike to convert. Too bad my bike now only had one gear to begin with : )
I am considering changing from a free hub to a fixed hub… how about a post on the pros and cons?
May 14, 2008 at 9:26 am |
cheers mate that has helped me loads how long did it take you and was it hard.
does it work with everybike.
May 15, 2008 at 12:13 am |
It took about 30 minutes once I had all the parts and had the rear freewheel removed. If you have a basic knowledge of bikes, this will be very easy. If you have no knowledge of bikes it will be a little more difficult, but with my instructions and a little help from a local bike shop it is something anyone could do. It will work with every bike, but the process may very somewhat depending on the age and type.
July 22, 2008 at 1:16 am |
[...] aid me in this quest I found this handy blog post on converting old road bikes to fixies. Technology — Tags: Bike Dickheads, Fixed Gear, How To — Viking Brian @ 11:16 [...]
January 30, 2009 at 10:09 pm |
Hi, the pictures appear to have disappeared, would you please be able to resolve ? This looks like a very good article and the pictures would help a lot. Thanks.
February 9, 2009 at 7:18 pm |
Yeah, I apologize, I’ve been trying to get this fixed. It will be back to normal by 2/11/09. Sorry for the inconvenience.
April 17, 2009 at 6:14 pm |
did you use spacers on your hub? or do you not need it for bmx freewheel hub conversions? thanks!
April 18, 2009 at 10:35 am |
No I didn’t need to, the bmx freewheel just threaded on and screwed all the way to the hub. If you do it this way and still need to align the chain better try switching around or adding spacers on the axle to move the whole wheel. Then depending how far you move it you may need to get the wheel re-trued (or dished) differently. If you have a cassette and a conversion kit you should be able to use the included spacers to align the chain with no other changes. Feel free to reply if you still need more input…Good Luck!
August 3, 2009 at 1:24 pm |
hey man, this really helped me! thanks. if i was to replace an old slightly bent axle and then do this conversion, would i need to redish the wheel no matter what?
August 4, 2009 at 12:14 am |
Your very welcome! You shouldn’t need to re-dish the wheel if you replace the axle. The only reason you should have to re-dish the wheel is if you are actually moving the hub/cassette/rear sprocket in order to get a straighter chain line, which you only need to do if you are having problems with the chain staying on the gears after the conversion. Sounds like you can just replace the axle, do the conversion and ride.