Hello LFGSS.

We've just recently acquired some ancient bikes with rather nice frames to renovate and convert to fixed gear. It's true, we know very little about bikes, but when finished they will be great. In the mean-time it would be most useful to ask the knowledgeable a few (basic) questions.....

Wheels?

The wheels on these things are knackered, plus the rear has one of those internal 3 speed hubs. So what we're looking for is the simplest/cheapest solution for front and back wheels. The spacing between the drop-outs is 110mm rear and 85mm front.

We've seen that it's possible to use a Shimano XT MTB front hub for the rear with this ISO cog from Londonfixiebike, but is this just completely missing the point, not to mention a simpler route?

Or do we want to get matching hubs that fit the front and then space out the rear?

Any help with this thread and advice on good places to purchase would be very much appreciated.

Cheers.

J&R.

a sturmey 3 speed will piss on a fumbled fixie setup.

dont mess with sturmey, its blasphemous I tell thee.

Learn how to modify the hub at the very least.

The type of bike that came with a 3 speed will never be a hip pista racing/posing machine.

Hmmm, I hear what you're saying, Fanny Pack.

The bikes we got from Freecycle, and to be honest there will a little amount of pimping going on, but also a fair amount of dad-mobil'ng. The wheels actually do run true, so can be cleaned up and made sightly with new tyres, but are you saying that with a little investigation the 3 speed could be converted to fixed? Or would it only ever free-wheel at best, and probably on its highest gearing?

Nice one, eyebrows. I think Sheldon Brown is some sort of Grand Wizard. I've been on his site before, and it makes for interesting, if slightly personal, reading.

Those instructions for the Sturmey conversion are fantastic, and his disclaimer even better. I think dismantling the hub is a good idea, and perhaps we'll bypass the optional reduction gear altogether.

Cheers. If it's a disaster then we'll look for the next solution.....

if you have a 3 speed hub bloody well use it, theyre lovely to ride with and brilliantly engineered. i rode a 50s raliegh roadster for about 6months as my commuter. heavy as fuck but glorious to ride.

can you even buy new 3 speed hubs?

I'll take the 3 speed hub off you!