You don't need to modify a track frame for a track-> geared conversion, other than maybe drilling the seatstay bridge.
You just modify a clamp-on derrailleur hanger and use an open cage derraill eur. A picture of a friends conversion is here:
http://www.flickr.com/
He since has switched to a different Suntour (VG?) model that wraps more ch ain.
It probably used to be done quite frequently, as I've seen an old example on ebay (with a custom clamp-on derrailleur hanger)
For me part of the appeal of any conversion is it's convertedness. I like the idea of making a bike do things it wasn't designed for, and be ing able to put it back the way it was if i felt like it. So just as I don't saw off the derrailleur hanger on a road frame conversio n, I wouldn't mess with the track ends when converting a track frame.
If you want a road frame rather than a (visibly) converted track frame, y ou might want to consider offering it for trade - it's probably gonna result in the better road bike.
Tobit Linke, Dortmund, Germany
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