# Converting a vertical dropout frame to a fixie?



## Schultz29 (Nov 17, 2005)

The good folks at Flyte Cycles are sending me a new SRS2 road frame. I was fortunate to win it in a promotional offering. I already have a geared road bike and a single speed mountain bike. What I would like to have is a fixie or single speed road bike. I thought I would take this frame and convert it into a one gear only bike. It has vertical dropouts so the process might be a little more complicated? I think a single speed conversion would be more economical but I'd prefer a fixie. Do you have any suggestions regarding what kind of drivetrain components I should look at? I want to use nice components but not too nice. 

Thanks!


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## whit417 (Jul 5, 2005)

You have to have an ENO hub made by White Industries. You can read more about it here .


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## TurboTurtle (Feb 4, 2004)

Schultz29 said:


> The good folks at Flyte Cycles are sending me a new SRS2 road frame. I was fortunate to win it in a promotional offering. I already have a geared road bike and a single speed mountain bike. What I would like to have is a fixie or single speed road bike. I thought I would take this frame and convert it into a one gear only bike. It has vertical dropouts so the process might be a little more complicated? I think a single speed conversion would be more economical but I'd prefer a fixie. Do you have any suggestions regarding what kind of drivetrain components I should look at? I want to use nice components but not too nice.
> 
> Thanks!


I would sell it and buy a frame with horizontal drop outs. You could end up with a nice old steel frame for way less than the ENO hub. - TF


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## fixintogo (Nov 14, 2005)

Schultz29 said:


> What I would like to have is a fixie or single speed road bike. I thought I would take this frame and convert it into a one gear only bike. It has vertical dropouts so the process might be a little more complicated? I think a single speed conversion would be more economical but I'd prefer a fixie.


I agree that the ENO hub is your best solution if you want to build this frame into a fixie/single. But they cost about $160, or roughly one fourth of the value of your frame (the SR2 f/f retails for $650), and you'll have to rebuild your rear wheel. 

While it would no doubt be a pain to do so, selling your frame and getting a steel frame with track ends would be my choice. For $650 you could choose between several nice dedicated-fixed-gear framesets (Milwaukee, Surly, On-One), or even get a complete Bianchi Pista. 

The Flyte looks like a nice enough bike, but with its compact sizing, oversized aluminim downtube, vertical dropouts, dual brakes, cable stop braze-ons, cutaway seat tube, and carbon stays, it pretty much screams "road bike!"


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

Schultz29 said:


> The good folks at Flyte Cycles are sending me a new SRS2 road frame. I was fortunate to win it in a promotional offering. I already have a geared road bike and a single speed mountain bike. What I would like to have is a fixie or single speed road bike. I thought I would take this frame and convert it into a one gear only bike. It has vertical dropouts so the process might be a little more complicated? I think a single speed conversion would be more economical but I'd prefer a fixie. Do you have any suggestions regarding what kind of drivetrain components I should look at? I want to use nice components but not too nice.
> 
> Thanks!



If it were me, I'd sell it and get something with soul. Otherwise, your only choices are either hope like hell that you luck out and find a magic gear, or the more realistic and costly choice of the ENO eccentric rear wheel.


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## TurboTurtle (Feb 4, 2004)

For more info, see:

http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed-conversion.html

TF


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## darbo (Dec 9, 2002)

*Don't drink the ENO Kool-Aid quite yet...*

... go here http://www.peak.org/~fixin/personal/fmu/php/index.php and find the neighbourhood of rings/cogs that will fit your bike. Get a big file, a half link, both a worn and a new chain, and an extra ring/cog within one tooth of what the website would indicate is the ideal fit. Spend a while on the website examining all the possibilities, experiment and rejigger, some combo of the above variables is going to get you a perfectly taut chain.

I wish i had pictorial evidence to show you, but i've been running my old vert drop road bike fixed for a year now. With the barest minimum of filing to the dropouts, i've got a range of cog/ring combos that work perfect with my bike. No slam on ENO, it's a really cool gadget. But it's not an absolute vert-drop-fixing necessity, there are alternatives for the truly stubborn tinkerers among us. 

--d


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

darbo said:


> ... go here http://www.peak.org/~fixin/personal/fmu/php/index.php and find the neighbourhood of rings/cogs that will fit your bike. Get a big file, a half link, both a worn and a new chain, and an extra ring/cog within one tooth of what the website would indicate is the ideal fit. Spend a while on the website examining all the possibilities, experiment and rejigger, some combo of the above variables is going to get you a perfectly taut chain.
> 
> I wish i had pictorial evidence to show you, but i've been running my old vert drop road bike fixed for a year now. With the barest minimum of filing to the dropouts, i've got a range of cog/ring combos that work perfect with my bike. No slam on ENO, it's a really cool gadget. But it's not an absolute vert-drop-fixing necessity, there are alternatives for the truly stubborn tinkerers among us.
> 
> --d



Just be warned that filing the dropout will make the frame unsellable or at least reduce its value (and is definitely something that needs to disclosed to potential buyers).


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## FlatlandRoller (Jan 22, 2004)

*I'd second the fixmeup...and the eno...and the deidcated frame!*

the fixmeup program is pretty cool, it worked great for me on my first SS bike. Now I've got an eno on my fixie and it's pretty nice too....but I just drool over a steel surly road bike too...



darbo said:


> ... go here http://www.peak.org/~fixin/personal/fmu/php/index.php and find the neighbourhood of rings/cogs that will fit your bike. Get a big file, a half link, both a worn and a new chain, and an extra ring/cog within one tooth of what the website would indicate is the ideal fit. Spend a while on the website examining all the possibilities, experiment and rejigger, some combo of the above variables is going to get you a perfectly taut chain.
> 
> I wish i had pictorial evidence to show you, but i've been running my old vert drop road bike fixed for a year now. With the barest minimum of filing to the dropouts, i've got a range of cog/ring combos that work perfect with my bike. No slam on ENO, it's a really cool gadget. But it's not an absolute vert-drop-fixing necessity, there are alternatives for the truly stubborn tinkerers among us.
> 
> --d


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