Building a winter roadie / single-speed / fixie

[Bopomofo]

I have been toying with the idea of doing a bit of digging around at the tip to see if I can find enough bits to build a winter/training bike. Probably a single speed and preferably a fixie.

I mentioned it and my son got all excited since "retro fixies are really cool" and has made me promise that we'll build TWO, one each.

When I was a kid we used to have so many bike bits in the garage that I can remember deciding I wanted a 'street' bike with gears, strong wheels and 'cow horns' and managed to build one that afternoon from spares (apart from the cow-horns... had to buy those).

So, what do I need to look out for when dumpster diving? I think bearings and BBs have gone through a number of different sizes over the years so is there anything I might find that would be completely unmaintainable or unrepairable.

I guess I'll also need to buy a fixie rear wheel / rear hub and also get a chain tensioner if I can't find a frame with horizontal drop-outs?

Any other advice or pointers? We're both really keen and I'd really like to spend the time to do this with him.

[jonathon.e]

Pop down your local recycling centre, ours regularly have bike sales, you could pick up some cheap frames and components, I think that taking things from dumpsters without permission is " theft through finding ", have fun.

[Bopomofo]

Pop down your local recycling centre

Yeah, that was the plan. There's always a massive collection of old knackered bikes behind the skips that the blokes will let you have for a few quid.

[IanM]

Great idea Bopo, I built mine almost a year ago and it's been out in all sorts of weather and not skipped a beat. I love it.

I went a slightly different direction to you, and bought a new frame. Intention was to source 2nd hand bits from ebay / cheap bits from sales, but in the end I got messed around by a couple of ebay sellers so stuck mostly to sales/deals. Frame wise, not quite what you're thinking of, but I got a Pompino: http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/FROOPV3/on_ ... pino_frame. There's loads of stuff you can do with this bike, including put CX wheels on it for a SS CX bike. Lots more inspiration to be had here: http://www.lfgss.com/thread59054.html

My wheels are these: http://www.v-sprintwheels.com/pages/tra ... ustom.html - always good to say your wheels were built by Jess Varnish's dad

Various bits and pieces were sourced from On-One, Parker International, Merlin, etc. I think I've still got a list with details of all the bits, so I'll dig it out and send it over. Building it was easy, although I got a LBS to fit the fork to the frame.

[IanM]

Pic of mine here

[Bopomofo]

Nice idea, but over budget I'm afraid. I'd he hoping to build two complete bikes for less than one of those frames.

[IanM]

Yep, understandable - I paid £99 for my frame less than a year ago, can't believe how much it's jumped up.

lfgss.com is a great resource to help you build it up on a budget - not necessarily parts wise, but making use of of the more readily available stuff, such as turning an old road frame into a single speed.

A few other resources to help with that:

http://www.pinkbike.com/forum/listcomme ... did=144750
http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed-conversion.html
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/w ... eed-18464/

[Tritans]

Pop down your local recycling centre

Yeah, that was the plan. There's always a massive collection of old knackered bikes behind the skips that the blokes will let you have for a few quid.

Yeh, I managed to pick up an Argon 18 for £20. But it looks like I'm a little tall for it.

[Jack Hughes]

Pop down your local recycling centre

Yeah, that was the plan. There's always a massive collection of old knackered bikes behind the skips that the blokes will let you have for a few quid.

Yeh, I managed to pick up an Argon 18 for £20. But it looks like I'm a little tall for it.

Probably just needs the saddle raising.

[Jimba]

Pop down your local recycling centre, ours regularly have bike sales, you could pick up some cheap frames and components, I think that taking things from dumpsters without permission is " theft through finding ", have fun.

I would say not. Theft by finding is the same as straight theft. Points to prove for theft are that you dishonestl appropriated property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving them of it. Taking stuff left outside a charity shop is theft, taking it out of a skip I would say is not. Common perception of stuff in a skip is that it is going to the rubbish tip. If you honestly believe that to be the case, which most would, then they can't prove the first point, ie dishonestly.....