- Sometimes, you can't beat the simplicity
of riding along on a bike with no gears.
Maybe to commute to work, or pop to the shops,
or even a little pootle around with your mates.
In this series of videos, we're going to convert
a commonly available old road bike
into a fashionable fixie.
Oh, and test it, along the way.
(rocket blasting)
For this video, I decided to head over
to the hotbed of secondhand bikes.
No, not Gumtree, not Craigslist, but eBay.
Although, I must say, actually,
that FaceBook marketplace is rapidly becoming
a favorite of mine.
And for just 35 British pounds,
I bought this Peugeot Premier.
Now it's listed as well, spares, repairs,
suitable for parts, because as you can see,
it's an unfinished project bike.
But well, it's going to be absolutely perfect
for what I want to use it for.
But what should you be doing, then,
when it comes to making your decision
for your road bike to fixie conversion?
First up, you need to think about the budget,
and also the size of the bike.
Two things which should be nice and simple
for you to be able to work out.
And then, it's just a matter of time
of scrolling through page after page,
before you find something which is suitable.
In my case, I really wanted something that looked the part.
Because so many of these road bike to fixie conversions
use a really iconic frame design.
There's nothing more iconic, I reckon,
than one o' those Peugeots.
Once you go to have a look at that bike,
make sure the frame is all okay.
That's the most important thing.
Anything else can be replaced relatively low-cost.
So, have a good look over the frame tubes.
Make sure they're not bent or twisted.
A little dent here or there is okay,
but anything too big, well, that could well affect
the structure of the frame.
Obviously, if you are thinking about using
or re-using any of the components fitted,
make sure they're in good condition, too.
So, handlebars, for instance.
That's quite a common thing to get bent,
or slightly twisted, if a bike's been dropped.
And also a buckled wheel.
And lastly, what about those pedal threads.
That's something which no one ever checks
when they go to buy a secondhand bike.
Although, in my case, well, it doesn't even have
a right-hand crank, so don't worry,
I'm actually going to be replacing the chain set totally.
Don't forget, though, if you've got a double chain set,
for instance, on a bike, you can easily convert that
into a single-ring setup.
Course, you are going to need to spend
a little bit more time researching chain lines,
and things like that.
(carefree rock and roll music)
Now this video series is all about doing it
without having to spend a fortune.
Because loads of fixie aficionados out there,
they want to have NJS-stamped track components
on their bike.
But we're not going to be putting these parts
through the strains and stresses of a Cairn rider.
So, all I'm going to say is,
when you are looking for one of these frames,
make sure that it's got horizontal drop-outs at the rear.
What does this mean?
Well, it means that it's not a vertical star,
which you find on modern-day bikes.
Instead, you've got a little bit more room,
I guess, to play with, with the rear axle.
So, when it comes to tensioning up the chain,
you can get it absolutely spot on.
And you can do away with an unsightly chain-tensioner
or anything like that.
Keeping it looking really nice and minimalistic.
In my case, it's time to actually strip this bike
of all of the components and give it a good ol' clean,
ready for the fresh bits and pieces to be fitted.
As ever, I've been hunting around for a bargain
here or there, but some things, remember,
are not worth scrimping on.
They've got to be suitable for the job.
Let's take it apart.
(carefree rock and roll music)
Well, there we go.
The Peugeot Premier stripped down to the frame and forks.
I've got to say, there was a slight heart-in-mouth moment,
for a minute.
I thought I was going to have to put the bike into a vice,
to try and free up the bottom bracket,
but no, I'm actually going to add the fixed cup,
and then I can get slowly into the actual adjustable cup,
which took a 24 millimeter hex socket.
Gettin' on there, not a problem at all.
I'm not going to focus too much on the war wounds of the bike,
because there's no major dents in it, whatsoever.
And part of the real love about transforming
an old road bike into a fixed road bike is that exactly.
The history behind it.
But stayed tuned, well, in fact,
in the next episode, I'll be showing you
exactly what I'm going to be fitting onto this bike, and why.
Because it's not quite as straightforward as you may think.
So, there we are.
Remember to like and share this video with your friends.
Give it a big, ol' thumbs-up.
And why not check out the GCN shop, too?
It's shop.globalcyclingnetwork.com.
And now, for two more great videos.
The first one, Oliver Bridgewood was a detective,
just like Sherlock Holmes.
He's going to give you his tips
on how to buy a secondhand bike.
Click just down here.
And for another maintenance video, click just down here.