There is a general misconception about fixed gear bicycles, and that is that they are super expensive. The truth is, some bikes are super expensive…but they don’t have to be expensive unless you want them to be expensive. I have known people to put thousands of dollars into their bike. This is due to a custom frame, custom paint jobs, custom everything…Custom anything is going to be expensive. Many people mistake these styles of fixed gear bikes to be the only kind of fixed gear bike, hence all fixed gear bikes are expensive. The truth is, there is probably a bike sitting in your garage can be easily converted into a fixed gear for less than 50 bucks.
With most multi-speed bicycles, a fixed gear sprocket should thread right on to the original rear hub…and there you go, you have a fixed gear bicycle. There are some other minor steps involved in this process, but we will save that for another guide at another time. The point of this guide is to disprove the myth that getting into fixed gears is an expensive hobby. It only has to be pricey if you make it pricey. Some people just love to spend money on their bike and make it look crazy. In fact, since the fixed gear style is so simplistic, it is actually less expensive because there is no need to worry about buying or replacing the unnecessary components of normal bikes such as brakes, gears, etc.
There are also very basic complete fixed gear bikes that are quite affordable for sale through eBay on the sidebar. The great thing about these, and most bikes today, is that they come with a flip flop hub. A flip flop hub allows the bike to easily go from a fixed gear to a regular bicycle with a freewheel mechanism just by flipping the rear wheel, so if you decide fixed gears are not for you, it is still something you can use with just a flip of the tire.
