Rearwheel gear/fixed - how to change from gear to fixed?
- Thread starter creindesign
- Start date
creindesign
Dirt Disciple
Keith, Shaun, and Simon - thanks so much for your input and sharing your knowledge.
I would love to see more of those old pictures, Keith!!
The question popped in my mind as on my last VCC Ride I saw at least two bicycles with gear/fixed.
I especially say gear/fixed and not fixed/free as there is an important difference: a derailleur!
I picked up a Holdsworthy (I think it is a 1952/1953 la Variable) last weekend with a similar setup as Simon's Manxman. I will attach a terrible picture to show my setup (uncleaned and in a dark garage). At the moment it has a 5-speed block and Sachs Huret RD.
The previous owner (from new) gave me a shoe box with bits and bobs, in which I found the original Cyclo Benelux RD
.
Marked for 3 speed 1/8" - but I assume it was setup for 4 speed 3/32" when it left 132 Putney. Am I right btw that I can modify a Regina (or other brand) 5 speed block to 4 speed simply by removing the smallest cog?
The original questions remains - what was involved in going from gear (multiple speed) to fixed? I could imagine something like using 2 masterlinks to make it easy to adjust the chain length - but would they remove the derailleur, gear lever, rear brake as well?
Thanks again,
Rogier
I would love to see more of those old pictures, Keith!!
The question popped in my mind as on my last VCC Ride I saw at least two bicycles with gear/fixed.
I especially say gear/fixed and not fixed/free as there is an important difference: a derailleur!
I picked up a Holdsworthy (I think it is a 1952/1953 la Variable) last weekend with a similar setup as Simon's Manxman. I will attach a terrible picture to show my setup (uncleaned and in a dark garage). At the moment it has a 5-speed block and Sachs Huret RD.
The previous owner (from new) gave me a shoe box with bits and bobs, in which I found the original Cyclo Benelux RD
. Marked for 3 speed 1/8" - but I assume it was setup for 4 speed 3/32" when it left 132 Putney. Am I right btw that I can modify a Regina (or other brand) 5 speed block to 4 speed simply by removing the smallest cog?
The original questions remains - what was involved in going from gear (multiple speed) to fixed? I could imagine something like using 2 masterlinks to make it easy to adjust the chain length - but would they remove the derailleur, gear lever, rear brake as well?
Thanks again,
Rogier
Attachments
Midlife
Retro Wizard
Hi Keith
I think maybe I caught the end of the fixed-free hub setup. By the 70's it was very rare to come across a 5 speed block and a fixed sprocket. most were a single freewheel one one side and a fixed on the other.
If we wanted to take wheels to races we used wheel carriers and swapped at the roadside so had no need for fixed / free hubs. The only time I came across wholesale changes from road to track with removing kit to make a road bike a track bike was at the grass track races at York..
Maybe I'm a bit young for this thread
Shaun
I think maybe I caught the end of the fixed-free hub setup. By the 70's it was very rare to come across a 5 speed block and a fixed sprocket. most were a single freewheel one one side and a fixed on the other.
If we wanted to take wheels to races we used wheel carriers and swapped at the roadside so had no need for fixed / free hubs. The only time I came across wholesale changes from road to track with removing kit to make a road bike a track bike was at the grass track races at York..
Maybe I'm a bit young for this thread
Shaun
Re:
many club riders used gears in summer and fixed in winter. Most of my club riding was at the very start of the sixties and we changed over when the days got shorter and colder. Fixed keeps you warmer in the cold and gives you a better workout over the shorter winter rides. I think the bike is simply in summer mode.Come the winter the gears will come off and the chain will be shortened and away you go. This was at a time when people would struggle to fund two bikes so the one machine did both.So far as I know it was fairly standard practice at that time.
Peter
many club riders used gears in summer and fixed in winter. Most of my club riding was at the very start of the sixties and we changed over when the days got shorter and colder. Fixed keeps you warmer in the cold and gives you a better workout over the shorter winter rides. I think the bike is simply in summer mode.Come the winter the gears will come off and the chain will be shortened and away you go. This was at a time when people would struggle to fund two bikes so the one machine did both.So far as I know it was fairly standard practice at that time.
Peter
creindesign
Dirt Disciple
@half cog - that's a very plausible explanation
Do you remember if it was common practice to remove the freewheel block and rear brake as well?
Thanks again, Rogier
Do you remember if it was common practice to remove the freewheel block and rear brake as well?
Thanks again, Rogier
Midlife":1xelno49 said:I think maybe I caught the end of the fixed-free hub setup. By the 70's it was very rare to come across a 5 speed block and a fixed sprocket. most were a single freewheel one one side and a fixed on the other....
..........................
Maybe I'm a bit young for this thread
Well I'm even younger as in the 70s, well the early 70s at least my bike still had stabalisers :roll:
but I got a rear wheel built in 1986 ish which was block and fixed sprocket, Normandy Hub I think, I've still got it so could confirm, and I seem to recall quite a discussion as to the range of hubs available at the time. I went for the cheaper option with lots of spokes as was for general training at college where very flat and home was far to hilly. Didn't post before as thought far too modern and mine was just for training, never raced but got a lot of use, mainly on the fixed and so rim still good.
I used to remove the bits not being used to save a bit of weight and avoid them getting unnecessarily exposed to the elements. The sprocket was 3/32 rather than 1/8 and the chain just got shortened or lengthened as necessary.
We removed the freewheel because it removes weight and unlike a fixed cog it is an ugly lump to leave on its own.Also gives you time to service it. Most removed the rear brake.Millremo did a honking peg that you fastened in its place for riding on the hoods. They still come up now and then on e bay. Once you realise that the changover was a once a year thing it is no great deal to do.
Peter
Peter
Re:
also remember back then hillclimbs were a massive part of the season - socially for those who didn't race in winter and a series of events for those who were always competitive.
These days hillclimbs are mainly a minority part of the sport, the events being low key, with perhaps only the national and Monsal (in the north) that figure on the masses calendar.
The flip flop fixed hub made for an easy conversion to hillclimb bike
also remember back then hillclimbs were a massive part of the season - socially for those who didn't race in winter and a series of events for those who were always competitive.
These days hillclimbs are mainly a minority part of the sport, the events being low key, with perhaps only the national and Monsal (in the north) that figure on the masses calendar.
The flip flop fixed hub made for an easy conversion to hillclimb bike
