RidingAgain Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 (edited) So I've looked at numerous videos and read comments on forums... I'll be using a cassette hub and I'm clear on the spacers/chain line requirement... But have read different thoughts on the chain tensioning. Dedicated chain tensioner... Half links... Old derailleur... Just wondered what SS riders here have to say? The bike will be mtb with a hanger. Thanks. Edited September 5, 2019 by RidingAgain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mack_turtle Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 Use a single-specific chainring and cog. Don't repurpose a single cassette cog or middle ring designed for shifting. It will fall off at the worst possible time. Use whatever chain. 8-9 speed chains are great. Anything to do with half-links is a last resort. Surly, DMR, Paul, YESS, Blackspire, various generic options, etc tensioners all work about the same. I had good luck with a DMR model, no bouncing! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBaron Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 Unless you can find "that magic gear" in correlation to our CS length, you will need some kind of tensioner. IMHO the proper tensioner device is pretty cheap and does the job well (Surly Singulator?), but I've seen a derailuer rigged up to work too. -CJB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidingAgain Posted September 5, 2019 Author Share Posted September 5, 2019 Thanks... Appreciate it. There are two cogs for sale on craigslist... One is an 18t, the other a 16t... I was thinking the 18t... https://austin.craigslist.org/bop/d/austin-cog-and-lockring-18t/6968197555.html https://austin.craigslist.org/bop/d/austin-cog/6957194347.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fontarin Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 You'll probably want 32x18 around here, maybe 32x20 depending on fitness. When I raced SS in Cat2/3SS, I'd use 32x18 at most areas but swap out to 32x20 for Rocky Hill and Flat Creek. 32x16 for Coldspring. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidingAgain Posted September 5, 2019 Author Share Posted September 5, 2019 (edited) Another question... Aluminum or steel frame... I rode steel with a cassette for some years and know the feel is completely different to aluminum. Is this difference heightened with a single speed set up? Edited September 5, 2019 by RidingAgain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mack_turtle Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 The first one will not work. That is a thread-on cog for a track hub. Surly cogs are my go-to. Cog/ring combo is important. Most people on 29ers around here are running something like 32/20, give or take a few teeth. You can run a higher gear like 32/16 if you're converting an old 26er bike. If this is a pavement-oriented bike, you can go much higher. I use a 38/16 combo on my CX bike with 700x35 tires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fontarin Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 Steel is good and comfortable. I really liked my El Mariachi. I ride a SS Stumpjumper Carbon now - a bit more chatter gets through but the bike is 8 lbs lighter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonioGG Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 Another choice is eccentric BB. I had terrible luck with the Performance single speed conversion kit (cogs, tensioner), so whatever you do, don't get that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mack_turtle Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 Aluminum versus steel means nothing without specifics. If you're going to buy a frame specifically for this project, I'd get some with with track ends or sliders so you don't have to mess with a tensioner. There are a lot of used frames on the market with this feature. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fontarin Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 I've never been a fan of the conversion kits to be honest. I had a frame that I used a singulator on, but while it worked, it never really felt as good as a true SS setup. EBBs tend to by creaky from what I've heard, but don't have any personal experience with them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidingAgain Posted September 5, 2019 Author Share Posted September 5, 2019 (edited) I picked this up at Yellowbike... It's just one of the frames I have that I can use. And it's very light. Maybe circa 1992. From what I could find out, it seems that North Star was made by a small company in Colorado, but there's really little info on it. Edited September 5, 2019 by RidingAgain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonioGG Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 Just now, fontarin said: I've never been a fan of the conversion kits to be honest. I had a frame that I used a singulator on, but while it worked, it never really felt as good as a true SS setup. EBBs tend to by creaky from what I've heard, but don't have any personal experience with them. My coach raced with them. He had 2 identical Orbea Almas setup SS with eccentric BB and had good results. I asked him about the creaking and he didn't have a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mack_turtle Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 (edited) What's the crankset on that bike? Are the shifters integrated on the brake levers? How original do you want to keep this? Edited September 5, 2019 by mack_turtle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonioGG Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 Is that a Mag21 on that bike? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidingAgain Posted September 5, 2019 Author Share Posted September 5, 2019 (edited) mack_turtle... Gotta check cranks... But components are XT/XTR mix. Shifters are not integrated. I'm good with just building something that works. It won't be for me as the frame is too small (actually all the frames I have are too small). Was considering a 27.5 on the front, 26 on rear to slacken the geometry some. Looking at it I'd say that the HT angle is in the 71° range. Edited September 5, 2019 by RidingAgain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidingAgain Posted September 5, 2019 Author Share Posted September 5, 2019 1 minute ago, AntonioGG said: Is that a Mag21 on that bike? Yes... Pretty sure it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidingAgain Posted September 5, 2019 Author Share Posted September 5, 2019 6 minutes ago, fontarin said: I've never been a fan of the conversion kits to be honest. I had a frame that I used a singulator on, but while it worked, it never really felt as good as a true SS setup. EBBs tend to by creaky from what I've heard, but don't have any personal experience with them. I've got a few 26" rims with cassette hubs... And one with a freewheel hub... How difficult is it to change these to a dedicated SS set up? Will it require a new wheel build? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATXZJ Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 13 minutes ago, RidingAgain said: Hello nasty 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonioGG Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 7 minutes ago, RidingAgain said: I've got a few 26" rims with cassette hubs... And one with a freewheel hub... How difficult is it to change these to a dedicated SS set up? Will it require a new wheel build? No. You buy a spacer kit (I love Endless Bike Co's Fibonacci spacer kit), buy a cog, remove cassette, put your SS chainring on, then use spacers to give you the optimal chainline. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidingAgain Posted September 5, 2019 Author Share Posted September 5, 2019 Are you going to try and disrupt this thread too, ATXZJ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATXZJ Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 (edited) Sure shot Edited September 5, 2019 by ATXZJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mack_turtle Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 Freehub + single speed cog + spacers = single speed hub. I have a Hadley hub on mine that could take a regular cassette but it's only seen more than one gear a few times. For a freewheel hub, the freewheel will be set very far inboard of the ideal chainline. I would not want to space the freewheel out by more than a few mm because it needs to engage the treads on the hub as much as possible. It might be possible to space the chainring in to match, but that's not ideal. There will be a huge space between the drive side dropout and the freewheel too. To resolve that, you can remove the axle and rearrange the spacers on the axle so the freewheel lines up better with the chainring. However, that will throw off the wheel dish, making the tire sit very off-center in the frame. It might be possible to correct this with spoke tension, but most likely the DS spokes will be far too short and the NDS spokes far too long. The best cheap fix for that is to completely unlace the wheel and rebuild it with the spokes on the opposite sides of the hub. I've done this. It's time-consuming but worth it if you're a tightwad like me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anita Handle Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mack_turtle Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 (edited) You can use old cassette spacers, BB spacers, or even segments of carefully cut PVC pipe for spacers. I have a handful of spacers to donate if you need them. I am sure YBP has 80 linear feet of such spacers kicking around. I might still have a steel 16t cog that will work so long as you don't put it on an aluminum freehub. Aluminum freehubs are soft and require a wide-base cog like that Surly or they dig into the freehub. If you have a steel freehub, those hold up better with cheap, thin cogs. Edited September 5, 2019 by mack_turtle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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