This last summer I picked up an '83 Moser - standard dropouts (not sure of spacing though) with a mixed Shimano drivetrain; (32 hole) hubs and cranks are 600, derailleur is DA.

I am looking for the quickest and cheapest way to convert this setup to fixie - without of course having it look like crap.

Can I flip over the 600 hub I'm using and use a chain tensioner like the Surly Tuggnut, strip off the extra rings and cogs, respace the rear wheel, shorten the chain and call it a day, or is there more to it?

I'm assuming your 600 hub uses a threaded on freewheel. If so, your method will be the cheapest way but I suggest you run both front and rear brakes as the 600 hub doesn't have a lock ring. You don't want the cog to loosen as you apply back pressure..

A fixed/track hub will have a lockring to prevent the cog from coming loose.

Try the conversion as you describe and if you like fixed riding, invest in a track rear hub.

make sure the chainline is straight

see http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed/index.html
lots of good info on conversions

Can I flip over the 600 hub I'm using and use a chain tensioner like the Surly Tuggnut, strip off the extra rings and cogs, respace the rear wheel, shorten the chain and call it a day, or is there more to it?

Not sure what you mean by "flip over," but if it's a thread-on freewheel (in '83 it would be), you thread off the freewheel, thread on a track cog, respace the axle to get a good chainline (if necessary), and if you had to re-space, re-dish the wheel to center the rim. You don't need a tensioner unless you find the wheel slips under load -- sometimes quick-release axles don't hold strongly enough, but with steel frames I've never had a problem.

Get rid of the extra chainring, and remove deraileurs, shifters and cables, of course, and you're there. You may have to buy nothing but a cog.

Amplifying Dave's advice about the holding on the cog with no lockring, I'd also suggest cleaning the threads well and using plenty of blue loctite.

Read Sheldon for more tips.

Thanks for all the input!

Not sure what I meant by "flip it over" either! Wouldn't make any sense to run the wheel backwards - pedalling foward wouldn't get you very far!! Duh!

Is there any way that I can thread a lockring onto the existing hub to prevent slipage, or would I need a hub designed to take a lockring?

Is there any way that I can thread a lockring onto the existing hub to prevent slipage, or would I need a hub designed to take a lockring?


An old BB lockring can thread on, but it's no reverse-threaded so it may not remain secure. Some have done it with success,but when I had a bike set up that way I was never fully confident... which may or may not have been a legit worry.

Is there any way that I can thread a lockring onto the existing hub to prevent slipage, or would I need a hub designed to take a lockring?

I believe some people tack weld the lock ring on. I'm not saying that's a good idea, or that it's safe. I've just read of people doing that.

Depends in part on how you expect to ride. If you do a lot of that back-pressure stuff (skid-stopping, etc.), it's certainly safer (well, probably essential) to use a real track hub with a reverse lockring. On the other hand, if that's not your style, I think you can do fine with a standard freewheel hub. I have built up several fixies from old stuff, and I ride them regularly, and I've used only old freewheel hubs. I run a front brake on all the bikes, and I use the brake for any hard stopping. I do use back-pressure for gradual stops and moderate speed regulation. As I noted in my earlier post, I clean the threads of both hub and cog well, and use plenty of blue loctite. I have never had a cog unthread even a tiny bit. It does take a bit of muscle on the chainwhip when I want to change cogs.

If you're looking to do it quick and cheap, use the hub you've got. But don't throw away that front brake.