I'm trying to convert my single speed bike into a fixed gear bike, but I am unsure of two things.
When changing from 18t to 13t could I just move the rear wheel to avoid replacing the chain, and would I move the wheel forward or backward?
Also, is the threading for a fixed gear the same as a single speed; I'm referring to the threading on the axle.
by Jazzlike-Oil-9657
2 Comments
> Could I just move the rear wheel…
Yup, that’s why track frames use track ends rather than dropouts, since you just move the wheel to set required tension.
> Move it backwards or forwards?
Move it backwards until you get desired tension. (Too tight = more noise + wear, too loose = more likely for chain to pop off, sweet spot = ~1 inch of up/down movement in the chain)
> Is threading the same
Kind of. So you’d be able to fit the fixed cog on **but** a proper fixed hub has a stepped down section of threading to accommodate a lockring. You need a lockring because on a fixed gear – if you stop pedalling, you introduce an anticlockwise torque into your cog (which – if not tight enough, would start to undo itself).
Single speed freewheel doesn’t have this issue since when you stop pedalling, the freewheel mechanism kicks in.
You need a different wheel. [Yes the threading is the same, but fixed gear hubs needs special lockring threading](https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/61645a33-3c7a-4faf-8112-65fbc0dbf4db.c8626f11606512b1dff733a9fae0f153.jpeg?odnHeight=768&odnWidth=768&odnBg=FFFFFF). The lockring threads are smaller and reverse thread