Hi,I’m looking to set up my bike as a SS and could do with some opinions on what kits the STW SS’ers are using and what they would recommend including the chain etc

As a side note, I would love to know the ratio people were using if they raced at MM this year in SS mode!

*Edit – I’ll be running a 9sp freewheel on SS dropouts and its a 29er!

Thanks very much!

WR

Charliethebikemonger has all you need. 32:16 (assuming your 26″) is a good starting point.
Tensioner, cog & spacers, 8spd chain & narrow chainring bolts is the minimum kit requirement.

Velo solo and on-one for kit. Running 52″ (32/16 x 26″) which is fairly standard so work out what that is in 29er wheels.

Easiest and cheapest to change the rear sprocket so size the front accordingly. 16-20 readily available.

KMC610 chain, one one sprockets, on-one tensioner.

+ 1 on the kmc HX610 chain and On one rear sprocket.

Halos SS kit was the best I could find since it gives you plenty of different sized spacers to set up perfect chain line.

I run 36:19 on a 26″ haven’t done MM though. Logic behind a 36t for me is that I’ll have more choice of high ratio’s than I would with a 32t.

I use an OO doofer sprung tensioner, but it hits the frame on really rough terrain. Going to get myself a blackspire stinger bb ISCG mounted thing and see how that goes.

drop me an email if you want… complete ss kit (A2Z with both cogs and kmc 1/8th chain) pretty much unused (knees wouldnt take it) reasonable price…..

Dmr tensioner kit, square taper alivio crank.

32:17 (not done mm) but this ratio is popular for 26ers in the group i ride with.

I run an 8speed chain.

Charlie the bike monger is good for the more eclectic / hard to find stuff. Lbs or on one for other bits.

I use KMCZ610 (I think!) stretch resistant chain, gusset bachelor tensioner (un-sprung) and 38:15 on 26″ wheels.

Felt like a nutter for the 1st 3 weeks of SS, but got over it and rather like it. Takes a while to build up strength, but it’s all good once you’re used to it.

Charlies kit is good. I used it when I first converted. On my io I run 32:16 and I came 8th solo at Mayhem 😀

33:19 on my 29er with eliptical chainring

34-20 and 35-19 on my 29ers (one is heavy old lump for days in the hills and one is for racing)

I’ve always used the lightest and lovliest 9sp chains I can get as over years of testing I’ve found they last just as well as the great big heavy SS specific chains. Having said that, if you are on a budget and don’t care about weight, then you can get a cheapo chain and it’ll last just as well as a bling one 😀

can’t believe no one has mentioned the requisite beard, liking of cheese and beer and social inadequacies that all SSers have 😉

oh and have a looky at MTBR as it very good for advice and less fools or one cog cycling on that facebook jobbo, couple of hundred singlespeeders from all over the world in one place to take the piss out of each other, but it’s also a great resource for info and bits of lovely kit.

The superstar kits are good as you get good variety of spacers to tweak the chainline.

http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/index.php?cPath=58

Sounds like you dint need a tensioner if you have ss dropouts. I’ve found using two chaintugs and a qr skewer works great for ss dropouts, and means you don’t need to carry 12mm spanners to undo axle nuts shoilc you need to replace a tube mid-ride.

Thanks for all the replies folks… it looks like they are all much of a muchness then so I think I will plump for a kit which has a couple of sprocket sizes to get me going – well excited!

monkeychild – Member

Charlies kit is good. I used it when I first converted. On my io I run 32:16 and I came 8th solo at Mayhem

Fair play MC, it was propper gopping out there – I did ride round for half a lap with an SSer on a genesis?? and they were promising never to do it again!

rOcKeTdOg – Member

33:19 on my 29er with eliptical chainring

Sounds interesting RD, where did you pick up the ring? Any good?

tazzymtb – Member

can’t believe no one has mentioned the requisite beard, liking of cheese and beer and social inadequacies that all SSers have

oh and have a looky at MTBR as it very good for advice and less fools or one cog cycling on that facebook jobbo, couple of hundred singlespeeders from all over the world in one place to take the piss out of each other, but it’s also a great resource for info and bits of lovely kit.

Thanks for the heads up. I love beer, cheese, and am inadequate in many ways, including not being able to grow a decent beard… 🙂 I feel like I almost belong.

My ss is kitted with the following.

Renthal 32 chainring
Superstar 14t sprocket
Kmc 10 SL chain
Superstar rear tensioner tuned to 60 grams

It’s been perfect since the day it was fitted – around 2000 miles ago.
Never dropped a chain , ( touch wood )

Wonkey rings via that tazzy bloke

Lol that may have been me 😀 however I will do it again!!!! SS is the answer for mud. I felt sorry for the poor sods with exploded mechs etc.

monkeychild – Member

Lol that may have been me however I will do it again!!!! SS is the answer for mud. I felt sorry for the poor sods with exploded mechs etc.

Small world! 😀 I was one of those poor sods, it worked out being an expensive weekend! Worth it though.

I found a problem with the rear wheel going out of skew (on t’ treddle!) when I braked hard – cured by really doing the skewer up tighter than a tight thing.

Just an observation.

DMR TENSION SEEKER 2. and use a halo hex scewre insteed of qr. chain. i used a norman 9 speed cain and worked fine. if u want a proper ss chain you will have to change chain ring.