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There are four ways you can go, as far as hubs are concerned. You can use a track hub, a flip-flop hub, a freewheel hub, or a cassette hub.

The best set-up for a road fixed-gear is to build up a new rear wheel, using either a track hub or a flip-flop hub.

Campagnolo/Phil Wood 1.32" x 24 TPI

Old French 33 mm x 1.0 mm

Flip-flop, or double-sided hubs are threaded on both sides. Usually one side has a track-type threading, (with lockring) and the other side is threaded for a single-speed standard freewheel. It is possible to find them with track threading on both sides, but not easily.

Note, there are two types of hubs called "flip-flop":

The cheapest way to convert a multi-speed bicycle into a fixed gear is to use the original rear hub, assuming that it is made for a conventional threaded freewheel. A fixed sprocket will thread right on, but there is no provision for a left-threaded lock ring.

My feeling is that it is better to use a lockring so that you can rely on being able to slow the bike down with your feet, especially if you ride with only one brake.

If you don't use a proper track hub with a lockring, you really should have two hand brakes. If not, a front brake failure followed by a sudden extra effort at "resisting" could break the sprocket loose at the worst possible time, and you'd be toast!

It is also possible to convert a Shimano cassette Freehub ® for fixed-gear use. Quality Bicycle Products used to make the "Surly Fixxer (formerly Sub 11.0) Hub Converter", an adapter that replaces the Shimano Freehub body with a rigid aluminum block that is threaded for a fixed sprocket and lockring -- unfortunately, no longer made, though you might still snag one in old stock.

I rode with a brazed-up cassette hub for quite a while, and it worked fine.

   

Track hubs generally come with solid axles and track nuts. This is because most velodromes have rules requiring this type of wheel attachment.

If you are going to use a quick release with a fixed gear, you should make sure to use a good quality enclosed-cam skewer.

It is very desirable that a frame for fixed-gear use have "horizontal" rear dropouts: that is, the slots in the frame that hold the rear axle should run in a more-or-less horizontal direction. This allows you to move the axle back and forth as needed to adjust chain tension. This makes things much easier than if you try to convert a newer bike with vertical dropouts.

The most desirable bikes for fixed-gear conversion are 1970's road bikes. These usually have horizontal dropouts, and usually don't have unsightly shift-lever bosses. Frames of this era also tended to have more generous tire clearance than newer sport bikes, providing more versatility in the choice of tires, and the use of fenders.

Old three-speeds can also make quite satisfactory fixed gear bikes, particularly English ones. The rear triangle is already just about perfect for a track hub; they usually have 110 mm spacing. The better English 3-speeds had pretty nice-riding frames, and can be very pleasant bikes for not a lot of money.

If you replace the 590 mm (26 x 1 3/8") wheels with 622 (700C) wheels, the bottom bracket gets raised a useful amount, providing good ground clearance. Using the larger wheels also allows you to install a better, shorter-reach brake caliper. There is a limit to the width of a 700C tire that will fit under the fork crown, especially with fenders, but relatively narrow tires are usual on a fixed-gear bicycle.

One-speed bikes are very easy to convert, since they usually already have 110 mm spacing. Unfortunately, most adult-sized one-speed bikes are not very good performers, and tend to be too heavy and sluggish for enjoyable fixed-gear riding. Some of the better-quality cruisers work OK as fixed gears, but watch out for low bottom brackets.

One of my favorite fixed-gear bikes is my 1916 Mead Ranger. This was originally built as a coaster-brake bike with 28-inch single-tube tires on wood rims. It was wheelless when I bought it at a flea market, so I set it up with some nice quality '70s vintage 630 mm (27") wheels and modern tires. It's surprisingly pleasant to ride.

A fixed-gear mountain bike may be the ultimate in heavy-duty urban transport, and, if you are adventurous enough, you can even take it to the woods. Mountain bikes tend to have adequate ground clearance, although most, alas, have vertical dropouts.

36/32 Fixed 2.18 29.3 2.34

Most newer bikes (made since the late-1980's) have "vertical" rear dropouts, where the wheel slides upward as you install it. These are a problem when you want to dispense with a derailer, because you need some way to regulate chain tension.

Solutions to this problem are described in a section of our article on non-derailer drivetrains. Please read the entire page, as it also describes other important topics with fixed gears.

Frames built originally to be used with 5-speed freewheels usually have 120 mm spacing between the rear dropouts. Fixed gear hubs are commonly available in this spacing, although they are more commonly found in the narrower, 110 mm spacing which is standard for track hubs. If you are using a newer frame, with wider spacing, you may want to replace the axle. You may want to replace the axle in any case, because fixed gear hubs generally come only with solid axles, not quick release.

Many track bicycles use a wider chain than is common on multi-speed bicycles. Derailer-type chain has a nominal internal width of 3/32". Most bicycles without derailers, including most fixed-gear bicycles, use the wider 1/8" size. You can buy fixed-gear sprockets in both widths.

There is more about chain in our article on non-derailer drivetrains. An important note: only master links for 1/8" chain can be detached and reattached without loosening the wheel -- so, 1/8" chains are easier to remove for cleaning.

Derailer bikes can work fairly well even with the chain running at a considerable angle, but this should not be done with a fixed-gear setup. It is quite important to get the chain line just right.

There is more detailed information on chainline in my Bicycle Glossary's Chainline Entry and even more in my Chainline Article.

The chain tension on a fixed gear is quite critical, and is regulated by moving the rear axle back and forth in the fork ends. If the chain is too tight, the drive train will bind, perhaps only at one angle of the pedals (chainwheels are not usually perfectly concentric). It should be tight as it can be without binding. If the chain is too loose, it can fall off, which is quite dangerous on a fixed gear.

You need to pay more attention to chain wear on a fixed-gear bicycle than on others, because the consequences can be more serious if the chain falls off. If the chain is badly worn, adjusting it just short of binding will result in rough running and low efficiency, because the chain will not engage the teeth of the sprocket evenly. Check the chain for wear, readjust the position of the rear hub and replace the chain as needed.

Unfortunately, fixed-gear riding is somewhat of a fringe activity from a commercial point of view, and those who have not learned to love it tend to write fixed-gear fans of as nuts and fanatics.

Fixed Gear Parts from Harris Cyclery

Interested in multi-speed fixed gears? See:

The Sturmey-Archer ASC Three-Speed Fixed-Gear Hub