Derailleur to fixed...or not

[WeymouthWailer]

I have an oldish Reynolds 531DB frame. The frame is more fast road than touring geometry. It has 130mm rear drop-outs.
The rear hub is Shimano 600 and fitted with 8 speed freewheel. Pretty certain now its not cassette type.
I'd like to turn it into a single speed and I'm looking at some track wheel-sets with 120mm rear hub. The local frame builder has offered to cold set the rear DO to 126mm and the I would add some washers to the track hub.
But I'd quite like to keep the option of going back to derailleur, but I don't know if I can swap the 8 speed with a 6 speed and get the hub to fit in the 126mm DO.

 

[palinurus]

Not sure, I've just learned that 8-speed freewheels are available though! I had no idea…

Do you want to go fixed or single speed (retain ability to freewheel)?

 

[fossyant]

Shimano brought in freehubs at 7 speed, so most likely a freehub.

 

[bonsaibilly]

I'm converting a Raleigh steel road bike to single speed. It has I think the 126mm dropouts. The stays can be eked outwards to accommodate my "normal" wheels (which have an 11 speed freehub). So I guess if your 531 frame is 130mm wide at the back then a regular wheel would fit anyway.

Then I've bought one of these http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/SKOOSSKK/on-one-singlespeed-converter-kit and you can get other similar sets. When it arrives, if it doesn't have enough spacers for an 11 speed freehub, I've got a couple of spare 1mm spacers and more can be had for pennies.

I'm hoping this way that I can run it single speed with the option to re-convert it to a geared bike down the line if the mood takes me.

Lot cheaper and more versatile for future tweaks than shelling out on a heavy single-speed wheelset when I've already got an 1850 g geared wheelset sitting around.

BB

 

[Smurfy]

I'm looking at some track wheel-sets with 120mm rear hub.

No need. Just buy a sprocket and spacer kit.

http://www.velosolo.co.uk/shopsingle.html

 

[andrew_s]

If you think you may go back to gears, leave the bike at 130mm and get a suitable hub.
Track hubs aren't too good on a road bike anyway, as there are no weather/dust seals at all. For info, Campag regard use of a track hub on the road as breach of warranty, and will just say "tough" if a hub gives problems in road use.
A proper singlespeed/fixed hub would give a stronger wheel than a sprocket/spacer kit as you'll lose the dish, but I wouldn't recommend spending the extra over a conversion kit until you've been riding singlespeed long enough to think you'll stick with it (a few months?).

Shimano did make 126mm 6 speed cassette hubs - I've got one on my Raleigh Randonneur.
The trouble is that they have Uniglide splines and Uniglide cassettes are in very short supply (£45, 12-21 or 12-23 (ish) only, last time I looked on eBay). Uniglide splines are all the same size, so fitting Hyperglide means filing down the wide sprocket spline to the same as the others.

 

[WeymouthWailer]

OK, a little bit of investigation reveals I was wrong about the freewheel. Its a Shimano HG 13-26.
So I am thinking.....buy the fixed hub wheelset, it's 120mm, change the axle for longer to suit my frame plus spacer washers. Don't mess with DO width if I can help it.
I'd need a new chainset and maybe a new BB, since the current one is for a Shimano 600 double chainset and looks like 118mm.

 

[biggs682]

@WeymouthWailer why not retain current bottom bracket and chainset and just get wheel dished to suit !!!