Help - First Fixed Gear Project

[nathann]

Hi,

I've been reading these forums for a while now, found them quite helpful and I've just joined.
I'm quite new to cycling so sorry if any of my questions are stupid :\

I've been riding a Centurion racer for a while and have decided to convert an old Repco Traveller road bike into a fixie. (Will post a picture later.)
Got it for $80. Removed all the parts; starting on paint removal and then getting it powder coated.
Planning on buying a set of wheels off the net, perhaps these ones: http://www.velogear.com.au/products/Sin ... 9-136.html
Ideally I would buy a white wheelset but I've had no luck finding any good ones that I can afford.

Also, I need help on gear ratios. They're sort of confusing me and I don't know what to get.
I live in a mainly flat area with a few hills and plan on using the bike for getting to school and chilling.
Would 42/16 work?

Thanks in advance. (:

[Lark2004]

42/16 (about 69 gear inches) will work fine for starters.

You may find that you'll want to bump it up a few inchs later on though.
A 44 tooth chain ring will give you about 72 inches, while a 46 would give you about 76.

[nathann]

Bike when I bought it:

[Lark2004]

that looks like a very small frame... 48~49cm?
how tall are you?

[nathann]

52cm I think.
I'm small, not sure exactly how tall I am but... 165cm give or take 5cm if I had to guess.

[dodgiebros]

Enjoy your build mate, the 'compact' (sloping top tube) frame should look awesome. Can't comment on wheels but I did buy the cheaper 'STARScircle" wheelset from those guys and for what I payed, I can't complain. they are made in China and quality is low, but they still turn around...

[hartleymartin]

http://www.vintagebicyclerebuilds.com.au/wheels.htm

This bloke sells 27" alloy wheels for $75 each. $150 for a pair of alloy wheels isn't bad.

[Lark2004]

52cm I think.
I'm small, not sure exactly how tall I am but... 165cm give or take 5cm if I had to guess.

I think you'll find its smaller than 52... measure from the middle of the axle that the crank arms are attached to, to the top of the seat-tube (where the seatpost sits into the frame) however at 165cm, the frame looks like it will probably be fairly close to being the right size for you. (I ride a 52cm and I'm 174cm.... but this is only a rough guide, leg length is more important than overall height when choosing a frame size)

the 'compact' (sloping top tube) frame should look awesome

Travellers didn't have sloping top-tubes. I think you'll find the bike wasn't sitting on level ground when the photo was taken... tree roots tend to do that.... ( look at the front and rear wheels, the front is sitting higher up than the rear is in relation to the angle the photo has been taken.)

[dodgiebros]

Hey thanks for pointing that out lark here I was thinking an old school low spec bike could be compact...

[dodgiebros]

The tiny frame got me

[dodgiebros]

just looking at pic again..... those cranks must be short cause the chain stays make the BB look low?

[nathann]

Thanks for the suggestion, hartley.
Also, has anyone used the Alex G6000 wheels with formula hubs that are on eBay? Are they good?

And lark, the frame is 48cm after measuring it.
My bad about 52cm, the seller wrote it as that.

just looking at pic again..... those cranks must be short cause the chain stays make the BB look low?

I didn't quite understand that...

[dodgiebros]

yeah sorry nathan... i think the small frame has thrown me off... With the front of your bike up higher in the photo, the angle of the chain stays (rear axle to bottom bracket part of frame) look really low. Is there a length number stamped into the crank arms? I'm guessing 165mm for such a small frame? Or do I have parallax error

[nathann]

Oh, really? Is there anything wrong with that? D:
They're 175mm. According to memory because they're at work, where they were removed.

[dodgiebros]

no mate nothin wrong, just asking... I'm quite new to this seen myself and learning as I go

I must say though, that 175mm cranks seem quite long for a small frame. I'm wondering why this would be? Maybe a vet can enlighten us?

[nathann]

Oh, phew.
Yes, hopefully someone can.
But maybe it's just cause it's a Repco.

[nathann]

Update on this: Got my Alex G6000 wheels and my chain, and I'm going to powder coat it around next week if I have time.
And a question, what cranksets can I get for a decent price and quality?
I was looking on eBay and found a TEC 9 crankset for around $80 and a Lasco on for the same price. Has anyone used these? Are they good?