Convert to SS or not?

[radair]

Hmmm. I have a Litespeed hardtail that I seldom ride - typically it's a 4-mile round trip to the FedEx drop. That said, everytime I get on this bike I remember that I really love it.

I'm thinking that I'll use it more if I convert, but I'm wondering if I'll hate it spinning out on my short road trips to town. Or maybe the trips are so short it doesn't matter?

[Jisch]

I've never owned or even ridden a singlespeed. That being said, I don't understand it. It seems so masochistic. I like riding, when its a steep hilll I appreciate having low gears so I can ride it. Even on the road there's times when the big ring is good, others when the middle ring is good. I guess I can see no reason to make biking MORE painful than it already is.

John

[bdee]

Just be sure to gear it right (according to the terrain), and you'll be fine. If you've got the parts it can't hurt to try, and it'll cost next to nothing, just use an old derailluer for tension. Pull apart an old cassette and experiment with gearing (some cheaper shimano cassettes are actually held together with bolts and are super easy to take apart - they also provide spacers). I've run ramped rings and cogs and have had very little trouble - grind the teeth off an old big ring and you have a cheap guard. Lining up the chainline is critical and I'd use a strong 8 spd chain (I've had lots of luck with lower cost Sram chains - easy to repair, no pins to replace or lose in the process). Or you could just pick a gear and not shift ;)

You have a working bike already and you are thinking of pulling it apart to make somthing purpose specific. I think the decision has less to do with weather you will like the finish product and more to do with the process.
If you have desire enough to ask the question and the skill and means to carry out the plan then all you lack is permission it seems.

Radair....you may, if you wish, convert your bike to SS. Enjoy the task, revel in the ride, and post pics. Good Luck.

bill

[radair]

Radair....you may, if you wish, convert your bike to SS. Enjoy the task, revel in the ride, and post pics. Good Luck.

bill


Thanks Bill, that's it, I'm doing it!

P.s. Jisch - I have ridden, albeit briefly, a SS (not including many as a child). And I liked it.

[MMcG]

Go for it - gear it right and post photos!! ;D

[CouchingTiger]

For general XC riding SS is my favorite ride. PK and I did a nice 22 miler last night. Yes the spinning can be tought on long road sections but it's actually good for you too.

If you plan to ride offroad, given where you are, I'd go no higher than a 32x18 ratio and possibly a 32x20 if you're even considering going up behind your house with it. If it's just for going to town then a 32x16 or 34x16 would be great.

-Couch

if you're even considering going up behind your house with it.
-Couch


I rode behind his house. For the way up i used 22x32 the whole way. Down, either on belay or a parachute is recomended.

[Jisch]

I know how to get the perfect gear ratio...

Leave your derrailler and shifters on, just duct tape them so you can't change it. If you get desperate, rip off the duct tape and change the gears (be sure to bring more duct tape with you so it really is a single speed after you change gears).

I guess technically I'm riding a singlespeed, I only ride one speed at a time!

John

[AA]

I've got to admit that I miss not having a SS. There is something I cant quite explain about having a bike where you just ride it, no gears clanging around, no thinking about what gear to be in. Just pedal like hell on everything.

I put the gears back on my SS this year after having a bad back most of last summer. My back seems to be 100% so I may give it another go. Worst case scenario is my back cant handle it and I put the gears back on.

[bdee]

I put the gears back on my SS this year after having a bad back most of last summer. My back seems to be 100% so I may give it another go. Worst case scenario is my back cant handle it and I put the gears back on.




That sums up why I would rather convert a normal frame to a SS than buy a dedicated frame. Besides the building of a SS is half the fun of owning it. I rode one of mine for 2 hours at Foxboro yesterday afternoon and had a blast. That said I don't ride SS all the time, about once a week, gears are my best friends most of the time.

[jaime]

Go for it. I originally only did it so I could ride with the group on SS rides and not have to listen to a lot of crap and trash talk, but I quickly grew to enjoy it.

The pro's of SS in my opinion are improved spinning ability, since that's really the only way to go faster, and more skill at picking a good line thru the technical parts, since you have to concentrate on maintaining momentum at all costs.

One of the coolest parts of getting a group of SS'ers together is the silence: no noise, ghost shift clattering, chain slap etc. Kind of weird at first, but you get to like it. Oh, and on the first ride or two you'll instinctively reach for the triggers, and they won't be there. Thats kind of amusing... :)

Good luck with it!
j.

ps. don't go out with Couch or pk the first few times, or you'll just end up putting the gears back on. ;)

[radair]

OK, done deal. I got some perverse pleasure out of stripping all those parts off. Per Mr. Couch's instructions (plus that's what I had handy), I went with 32:18.

It worked fine during the driveway test; tonight's ride will be the maiden voyage on some fine singletrack.

Jaime's right, the silence is very cool.

Thanks for the input!

[bdee]

Sweet!

[MMcG]

Damn that's sharp and I bet it is light as all get out too. What are you using as a chain tensioner?

[radair]

Damn, one ride and I think I'm hooked. It was quite amazing to just leave everyone behind on a long hill climb. I had so much fun on it Wednesday night that I took yesterday afternoon off and went to Portland to ride the infamous River Trail. Way cool!



Damn that's sharp and I bet it is light as all get out too. What are you using as a chain tensioner?


The bike was really light even before I stripped a couple lbs. of parts off it. It could be even lighter, but my son has taken possession of my best wheelset. The tensioner is a Singulator - I built a beater for commuter runs last winter and toasted the junk hub on the first ride.

[CouchingTiger]

Very nice rig indeed!

One suggestion, if you can run the tensioner the other way, pushing up (requires you to swap springs for the other one that the unit came with) it works a bit better. It simply gives you more chain wrap around the rear cog. Some setups will skip on real tough grunts if there isn't enough wrap.

-Couch

[ArmOnFire]

Posted by: CouchingTiger Posted on: Today at 07:24:25am
Very nice rig indeed!

One suggestion, if you can run the tensioner the other way, pushing up (requires you to swap springs for the other one that the unit came with) it works a bit better. It simply gives you more chain wrap around the rear cog. Some setups will skip on real tough grunts if there isn't enough wrap.

-Couch

I was wondering about that, since I've seen 50/50 on the chain tensioner setup (push up or push down).
I'm in the middle of a conversion, and it seems like the only way to keep the chain tight, is to have it push down, with it setup the other way it is WAY too loose, which leads me to think I must have something setup wrong.

[CouchingTiger]

Not sure I understand why the chaim is too loose? You should run the chain as short as possible for a SS, correct? The way I determine chain length is one link over too short.

Heres a pix of my road SS setup in push-up mode;

http://www.nemba.org/yabbse/attachments/MVC-858S.JPG

-Couch

[ArmOnFire]

I tried to make the chain as short as possible, but I still have too much slack, I'm trying to use what I have available from my old cassette for the back sprocket, either 17 or 20, I decided to go with the 17, I don't have an 18, maybe if I find an 18 it will make it a little tighter.

I also do not have a Singleator, I'm following MMcG and Yankee engineered it.

I'll post pics tonight of the complete process.

Thanks for your input Couch, love the bull horns on the road SS.

[CouchingTiger]

I tried to make the chain as short as possible, but I still have too much slack, I'm trying to use what I have available from my old cassette for the back sprocket, either 17 or 20, I decided to go with the 17, I don't have an 18, maybe if I find an 18 it will make it a little tighter.

I also do not have a Singleator, I'm following MMcG and Yankee engineered it.

I'll post pics tonight of the complete process.

Thanks for your input Couch, love the bull horns on the road SS.


OK, I see. Cool, whatever works! It's all about the ride, not the details ;)

-Couch

[radair]

Very nice rig indeed!

One suggestion, if you can run the tensioner the other way, pushing up (requires you to swap springs for the other one that the unit came with) it works a bit better. It simply gives you more chain wrap around the rear cog. Some setups will skip on real tough grunts if there isn't enough wrap.

-Couch


The chain is too long to run with the Singulator (it's one of the newer ones with the guide plates) pushing up. I think I could go without a tensioner if I got one of those 1/2-links.

Dan - check out http://www.geocities.com/mtnwuff/SStens.html for some homebrewed tensioners. I followed the Matt Bailey design using half of an old derailleur cage a few years ago. It wasn't too smooth or durable, but lasted for a few rides one winter.



OK, I see. Cool, whatever works! It's all about the ride, not the details ;)


Couch, I've seen enough of your handiwork that it's safe to say the details make the ride! ;)

[ArmOnFire]

Thanks for the scoop Rob
After checking out the site, I was basically making the same thing as the push up design. So I guess I'll continue.....