I picked up a Schwinn World Sport off Craigslist and I want to convert it over to fixie. It is already set up as a single speed but only by removing the chainrings from the cassette and removing the drailleurs.

I think the rear spacing is 130mm but I'm not sure. Which means it probably isn't.

I'm not sure what wheels/hubs I need to buy to fix her up. Will a track wheel set fit into that spacing?

Good news is that everything else on her is in great shape and, save for maybe chopping down the risers, is just the way I want it.

I'm happy to make some mistakes putting her together but your help is much appreciated. I figured this was a pretty common bike but I can take pictures if you need.

Also, can the cables guide braze-ons be removed from the frame? I doubt I could do it but who could I take it to locally to get them removed if it is possible.

Thanks.

Yes and No.

Most 80's Schwinns are 126mm spacing, some later ones are 130mm into the 90's models. You can respace the older frames 4mm and set them if you want to buy cheap track ebay wheels or whatever. But If you don't, you still can buy 130mm wheels and put spacers on both sides to make them fit into your 126mm frame without resetting the frame.

Since the bike is already SS, all you need is to get a rear fixed wheel and your'e good to go.

You can remove the guides if you want, but it'll cost you. I just run my bike with the braze on downtube mounts... just in case I ever want to put DA-7800 on that thing. It's just nice to know it's not a permanent conversion.

So really I need to find out what spacing it is.

I has hoping I could just build a wheel around a 130mm hub. Any suggestions on the best solution? Or maybe, what is the common solution? I feel like I've seen these bikes built into fixies relatively easily but now I search and I can't find them.

The late, great Sheldon Brown has great information about converting a multi-geared bike into a SS or fixie. You can search his site for more info but the gist of it is that you can take a set of 120mm wheels, add spacers on both sides to make the wheel 126 or 130mm and bolt them right on to your frame.

Great, then I think I already have wheels I can use. :)

And I know of Sheldon Brown but am too young in this world to really appreciate who he was.

But I see the respect that is given to him in this community and I know what that means and what we all lost.

OK scratch that. The wheelset I have is 700c and this frame is made for 27 1/4 in wheels. I spoke to my LBS and they tell me they can build me a 27 1/4 wheel with a 130mm hub ( I'm thinking Surly ) and that should fit the frame well.

Does this sound right? Who makes a good quality 27 1/4 inch rim?

You can probably use those wheels. A 700c wheel is only 4mm less in radius than a 27" Changing them will not affect the handling or any other characteristic of the bike in any noticeable way, EXCEPT for brake reach (I assume you're going to have at least a front brake -- if you're going brakeless, you may have other issues, but wheel conversion is not one of them). If the brakes you've got have enough adjustment room to increase reach by 4mm, you're good to go. If not, an inexpensive-but-functional set of long-reach brakes (e.g., Tektro) will set you up.

If you go with the 700C wheels, you'll have a much greater tire selection available. There are still some good 27" tires made, but not so many. There are very few 27" rims being made.

I ride a fixie that I built this way from a 27" frame. It works fine.

As for cable braze-ons, if you know the conversion will be permanent, you can do it yourself with a hacksaw and file. Just go slow so you don't remove material from the tubes (though those tubes probably have a bit of metal to spare ;-).

Yep, it looks like 700c is it. Now I just want to be clear. I have a 700c wheelset sitting at my house with 120mm hubs. According to my guys, this wheelset cannot be used on the 130mm spaced frame.

I was under the impression taht you could use spacers on a 120mm hub to make it fit. Is it more complicated than that?

Yep, it looks like 700c is it. Now I just want to be clear. I have a 700c wheelset sitting at my house with 120mm hubs. According to my guys, this wheelset cannot be used on the 130mm spaced frame.

I was under the impression taht you could use spacers on a 120mm hub to make it fit. Is it more complicated than that?

Most 120mm fixed hubs have more than enough axle length to add spacers.

The Fuso I converted was spaced 128mm. I put two 4mm Wheels Manufacturing alloy spacers (hardware store washers will work just as well) on a Formula hub. Works great.

Fact of the matter, I could put the unspaced hub in there and bolt it tight. That's the beuty of steel. But it's not the best solution and it makes tensioning the chain a right pain.

In other words, "your guys" don't know what they're talking about.:D

Most 120mm fixed hubs have more than enough axle length to add spacers.




Most? I'm not sure that's true either... some do, some don't. true track hubs likely won't. "his guys" could be right... or not

Well its the same wheelset that comes on the Cannondale Capo if that helps at all.

Well its the same wheelset that comes on the Cannondale Capo if that helps at all.

Just look at it. Thread the nuts on to about where they'd be at your dropout thickness. Is there an extra 5mm of threads showing on each side?