28 Jul 2003 19:58:17 -0700,
,
(Brink) wrote:

When i replace the chainrings, I am considering either
making the bike as is with 3 chainrings in the front or removing all
of the clutter and having a fixed gear bicycle. Please only make
comments if you have experience with both styles of bicycle (mountain
and singlespeed) or let me know if you do not have any experience with
one style of bike. Any input would be appreciated.

I've a fixed gear bike made from an old 10spd road bike, a
single-speed MTB set up for the street and another one for polo. If
your frame has horizontal drop-outs, the rest is easy.

I used a road-double crank spider and EggBeaters on both. The rear
wheels were built up for the bikes to get the dish right. The
chain-line is the most critical factor. If you're a riding fixed gear
on the street, use brakes for safety sake.

Check out Sheldon Brown's website for lots of useful information.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harart-fixed.html
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html
--
zk