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Can we make changes in flywheel so that cycle can move back upon pedaling back?

Grigory Rechistov
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Network Ninja
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    Could you expand on why you want to do this? Are you making a hockey bike or a trick bike? Do you intend on riding this on the road ? – Criggie May 21 '20 at 01:43
  • Also see https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/18815/can-i-pedal-my-bicycle-backwards-to-move-it-backwards – Criggie May 21 '20 at 01:44
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    It's known as a "fixie". You can buy them new, buy a new "track" wheel, or dink with the rear hub to make one. – Daniel R Hicks May 21 '20 at 01:47
  • (Note that you need to tighten the chain of a derailer style bike, and may need to install a "chain tensioner".) – Daniel R Hicks May 21 '20 at 01:49
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    Also, chain tensioners don't work with fixed gear. – ojs May 21 '20 at 11:07
  • It depends on the style of chain tensioner. Spring loaded tensioners that work in a similar way to derailleurs won't work for the same reason, but with a horizontal dropout, something like a Surly Tuggnut may be useful. – armb May 22 '20 at 14:02

1 Answers1

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That is possible, track bicycles are designed to work like that, that's called a fixed gear drive train. It depends on the style of free wheel already installed on your bike. The free wheel is the mechanism on the rear wheel that engages when you pedal forward and disengages when you pedal backward. You will likely need to remove your free wheel and install a cog and lock ring, or replace the wheel with one that can be set up with a fixed gear. You will not be able to use a rear derailleur without a free wheel. When i was a kid in the early eighties I converted all my bikes to fixies.

bradly
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  • Should note that if the bike has a derailuer it has to be removed. – mattnz May 21 '20 at 01:29
  • @mattnz do you think this was unclear? "You will not be able to use a rear derailleur without a free wheel" – bradly May 21 '20 at 01:33
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    I could have worded it clearer - trying to clarify you must remove the deraileur. I can ride my 1x12 bike and not use the rear deraileur. – mattnz May 21 '20 at 04:20
  • Good point. Thank you. – bradly May 21 '20 at 06:11
  • "You will not be able to use a rear derailleur without a free wheel." what is preventing that? (beside the awkwardness and possibly breaking of the derailleur if you try to back-pedal) – njzk2 May 21 '20 at 10:22
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    @njzk2 - You can't use a rear derailer because when you back-pedal the spring will absorb all the motion and cause the chain to go slack and jump off the sprocket. – Daniel R Hicks May 21 '20 at 12:49
  • When I was a kid, all we HAD were fixies. (Actually I grew up in the 90s, but my family was very cheap.) Such fond memories of being smacked in the leg with a pedal because you took your foot off but didn't move it out of the way entirely. – user3067860 May 21 '20 at 14:42