"Can I convert these wheels to fixed gear?"
Short answer— Yes!
Long answer— Yes, if you have sufficient money, patience, and determination.
Disclaimer: This is not a how-to. This is a 'guide'. I am a wide-eyed hermit pointing a quivering finger toward a vague compass heading, not an underpaid Sherpa dragging your hypoxic ass and your selfie stick to the summit. I would rather scare you away than have you do something foolish and hurt yourself. If you follow this guide— correctly or incorrectly— there is a chance you will irreparably damage your component(s), injure yourself, or even die. Don't fuck around!
"Why are you posting this?"
Every month or so, someone posts a picture of some random wheel and asks, "Can I convert this to fixed gear?" I answer the posts I see, but I'm tired of repeating myself and I'm sure I've missed some. So here's an info dump.
"Why should I listen to you, a random grump on Reddit?"
Why not? I've converted various wheels before. I've done it right, I've done it wrong, and I've destroyed a few wheels in the process (RIP Spinergy Rev-X #1 and Specialized Tri-Spoke #2). Learn from my mistakes! Also, here are some pictures of my converted wheels:
- Glitter Kitty with my first pair of Spinergy Rev-X
- Glitter Kitty with my first Specialized Tr-Spoke and a mismatched Hed 3
- The Black Orb with Hed 3 clinchers
On to the practical stuff…
1) What wheel(s) do you have?
| Hub/Wheel Type Type | Examples | Can I Convert it? |
|---|---|---|
| Freewheel | Yes, but it's kinda sketchy. I'll explain later.1 | |
| <random old road wheel> | Sure, but why? Just get a cheap fixed gear wheel. Plus, it's a real pain in the ass. | |
| Specialized Tri-Spoke / Older Hed 3 | Yes, but they only have freewheel threads.1 Fun fact: both 'front' and 'rear' wheels are identical down to the freewheel threads and can be swapped/converted willy-nilly. | |
| Older Hed disc wheels | Yes, but they only have freewheel threads.1 | |
| Zipp 3000/Eliminator | Yes, but they only have freewheel threads.1 | |
| Corima HR-4 (vintage yellow logo) | Yes, as far as I know. Really old ones (yellow old logo decals, spokes centered on hub) have freewheel threads.1 | |
| Freehub | Yes, if it has classic Shimano HG Splines 2 | |
| <random road wheel here > | I dunno, maybe! Take off the freehub, post a picture, and I'll make fun of any visible decor until I get bored and eventually answer your question. Also, just buy some cheap fixed wheels. | |
| Spinergy Rev-X | Yes, as they use Shimano HG freehub splines2 | |
| Zipp 900, Super 9 (11sp, black 188 hub, 2013+) | Yes, but it will be hard (read: expensive) to find the parts. You need Zipp part no. 11.1918.026.000 | |
| Zipp 900, 840, Super 9, Sub-9 (10sp, silver 182 hub, '10-'13) | Yes, but it will be hard (read: expensive) to find the parts. You need Zipp part no. 11.2100.107.000 | |
| Renn 5ive7even5ive | No, unless you have a machine shop and a lot of time. If you figure it out, let me know! I'd love to convert mine 😉 | |
| Corima HR-4 (newer and/or white logo, spokes aligned with hub, 8/9/10sp) | Yes, as they use Shimano HG freehub splines2 | |
| Corima HM-3, HM-4 (newest ones, spokes offset from hub) | Maybe! They appear to use Shimano HG11 freehubs, but I can't guarantee it. Hell, I don't guarantee anything in this whole post. | |
| Special Cases | ||
| Zipp 870/950/1150 | Yes. They already have cog/lockring threads, you just need to adapt the axle in some way to fix the chainline and make it safe to ride.3 | |
| Mavic 3G/Comete | Yes, but you will likely have to get custom-machined parts from this guy— hope you speak french! | |
| Literally any ISO 6-bolt disc brake hub | Yes! Arguably safer than the usual cog/lockring. If you're converting a disc-brake bike with 135mm rear axle, you can literally just flip the wheel around, bolt on a cog, and call it a day. Otherwise, a front QR hub (100mm OLD) can easily be spaced to 120mm OLD for use in a fixie biek. Or 130mm for your TT bike conversion or whatever. |
1 Since freewheel hubs do not have the reverse-threading for a lockring, any adapter has nothing mechanically stopping it from spinning off if/when you back-pedal. This is fine if you're on the velodrome, but potentially catastrophic if you're riding on the street. Sure, you can add red loc-tite or some JB weld to the threads, but I can say from experience that this is not necessarily sufficient. And sure, you could do the old 'BB lockring with red Loc-Tite" thing, but that's arguably even less safe.
2 "What are Shimano HG splines?" They look like this. Pictured is a Hed 3 and a Comet adapter with the fixing bolt sticking through it. Also, a dog hair.
3 Sure, you can use the original QR, even a bolt-on QR skewer, but I can say from experience that it will slip— almost certainly at an extremely inopportune time.
2) What do you need?
| Hub/Wheel Type Type | Thing | Approx. Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freewheel | ||
| Screw-On Track Block4 (example photo) | ?? USD | |
| JB Weld or red Loctite | ~10 USD | |
| Freewheel removal tool (varies for different brands, ask your LBS) | 0-30 USD | |
| A Big 'Ol Wrench or a Vise (to tighten the adapter on) | 0 – 20 USD | |
| A stalwart and/or reckless spirit | priceless | |
| Total | 0 – ∞ USD | |
| Freehub | ||
| Comet Freehub Conversion Kit | ~115 USD | |
| Axle Kit, or salvage a 10mm axle, shoulder nuts, lock nuts, and spacers | 0 – 25 USD | |
| JB Weld (not the quick stuff) | ~10 USD | |
| (optional) sandpaper | ||
| (optional) 8mm freehub fixing bolt (in case you stripped the old one ) | 0 – 10 USD | |
| 8mm Allen wrench (obviously) | ||
| Box Wrenches (15 to remove the wheel, 16 or 17 for lock nuts) | ||
| Cone Wrenches (probably a 13, but maybe also 14 or 15; depends on the hub) | ||
| Total | 120 – 155+ USD | |
| Zipp 870/950/1150 | ||
| Comet makes a custom axle, or you could theoretically source your own 3/8"/~9.5mm axle and parts, or you can just run the QR axle and pray.5 | 0 -150 USD | |
| Box Wrenches (15 to install the wheel, 16 or 17 for lock nuts) | ||
| Cone Wrenches (probably a 13, but maybe also 14 or 15; depends on what axle you use) | ||
| A mallet (best), a hammer (good), the ground (okay), or a robust forehead (bad) | ||
| Total | 0 – 150+ USD |
4 Despite having owned three(!) of these at various times, I can't find one for sale anywhere! Walker Bros were the last place selling them that I knew of, and they are now out of business. 🙁
5 I ran my Zipp 950 with a cut-down hollow QR axle and a 5mm bolt-on QR by Halo for a while, but no matter how hard I tightened it on different bikes, it always slipped eventually, locking up the rear wheel and making for an embarrassing/dangerous time. I don't recommend it.
3) How do you do it?
Disclaimer: These steps assume you are a confident home mechanic. If you aren't, don't make 'putting two-part epoxy inside the hub of your vintage carbon wheel' your first time doing this stuff. There are no second takes here. Practice on a hub you get out of the trash at your bike shop or something. I really shouldn't have to say this, but I also don't want you to be sad.
Freewheel
- Remove freewheel from hub
- Apply Loctite or JB Weld to threads
- Carefully thread adapter onto hub by hand, then tighten 'snugly' with a big ol' wrench
- Be very careful to not cross thread! I destroyed the threads on two (2!!) Specialized Tr-Spokes because I was dumb and didn't start the threads by hand
- Wait for 24 hours for Loctite or JB Weld to completely cure
- Install cog and lockring, put wheel on bike
- Skids?
Freehub
- Disassemble and remove the current axle
- Remove freehub (8mm fixing bolt)
- clean up any residual grease and grime
- (optional) sand splines and inside of adapter
- Apply JB Weld to splines on hub and adapter (make sure it's not going to splooge it into where the axle or bearing goes; that would make for a very sad day for you)
- Tighten the adapter on with the fixing bolt (or a new one if you stripped the old one… not that I ever did that)
- install axle, shoulder nuts, spacers, lock nuts
- Adjust bearing preload
- Wait 24 hours for the JB Weld to completely cure
- Install cog and lockring, put wheel on bike
- Skids?
Zipp Discs
- Remove QR (duh)
- Tap axle (and, inceidentally, one bearing) out of hub with a mallet or your forehead
- Install threaded axle through hub, with appropriate shoulder nut (if applicable6) inside the remaining bearing
- Install corresponding shoulder nut (if applicable6) and bearing on the other side
- Install spacers, lock nuts
- Adjust bearing preload
- Install cog and lockring, put wheel on bike
- Skids?
6 The Comet Z-Axle has machined shoulders that preclude the need for shoulder nuts. How nice!
Please inform me of any errors or new info and I will edit the post.
Good luck, ya freaks!
— Mickey
by Wiremaster
2 Comments
Any bike that can take a nutted wheel on the back can be made to run fixed using an eccentric bottom bracket for managing tension.
https://www.reddit.com/r/bikewrench/comments/11i0tjt/teach_me_about_this_bottom_bracket_please/
In fact any bike that can take a disc brake wheel on the back can do it to using a fixed sprocket that bolts on to a 6 bolt hub.
https://preview.redd.it/9y4m4pa1kjne1.jpeg?width=2443&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8ee0404e7ae7db6dc8a495cb321677026faa4c01
Walker Brothers (UK wheel builders) also made this fixxer for few years after Surly stopped