I was thinking of getting a frame for geared use. But something that can be single speeded for the winter if needs be. Or just because SS is fun! I have been using a single speed for winter riding and really liked it. So I would want that option. Looking about there seems to be a few frames with the EBB fitted to them, as opposed to say slot drop outs, or adjustable ones. Never had any problems using an old Inbred with the adjutable sliding drop outs for single speeding. I found the newer Inbred with the slot drop outs a bit more faffy on the one I last had. Are the EBBs any good for gears and SS. Do they last etc

people with EBB issues tend to be the ones with their knuckles dragging along the floor …..

of course it does depend on the EBB – the one on my rig has been absolutely fine for 4 going on 5 years now …..and it gets milage ! its just a quill headset wedge turned on its side in a larger diameter !

the Phil Wood EBB on my love/hate has been faultless, I've not had experience of any other makes to comment on those though.

My Cham has one, and I keep forgetting, it just sits there. Sometimes gets a little creaky in the summer when the dust gets in, erm…struggling now to think of anything else to say about it…

EBB is the only way to go… the simplest and most elegant means of tensioning the chain on a SS.

On my Love/Hate you just nip up a couple of bolts, rather than the quill-type set-up that trail_rat metions. Simple but effective and allows normal vertical QR-friendly drop outs at the back.

Ive had the phil wood ebb for 3 years,never a squeek out of it.Much less faff than sliders imo.

I prefer the quill type / taper wedge – the one on the tandem just does what it says. Simples

Used 2 phil wood EBBs on a swift and a love/hate and both have been faultless. Like most things to do with, well pretty much anything, if you do it properly first time and look after it it will be fine.

Thorn catalyst here with EBB fixed in place with two set screws and no problems at all with it in 31/2 years. Very quick and easy to adjust. I only retension the chain when it starts to fall off to prevent forming indents in the EBB itself too close together. I only weigh 60kg though and spin rather than grind. Heavier and more powerful riders may have different experiences. Most of the issues I've seen reported seem to be with wedge type EBB's rather than those with set screws. Personally I also think the EBB looks a lot better.

I've ridden with track ends and EBBs for years and I've also had mates with sliding dropouts. If I was buying a new frame, I'd consider any frame without an EBB to be a compromise and any frame with sliders I wouldn't even consider unless it was a total bargain due to the number I've seen slip under load.

EBB is the only way to go… the simplest and most elegant means of tensioning the chain on a SS.
I would disagree this is the way to go

White industries eccentric hub

My chameleon EBB was okay, it is more elegant than most other ways although it did start creaking even when it was coppersliped to an inch of its life which is one reason why I sold it.

But as avdave says it may depend on your riding style, I put alot of torque in when cycling and often push and pull the bike underneath me.

Some dropouts are becoming very neat now such the EBB dropout by transition, SC jackel dropout and whyte, pace are making some nicer examples than on one or curtis.

I've got a EBB bike with a carver Ti EBB.

I'm 16 stone and a bit and I grind up hills (until I'm knackered and then I spin).

In 1 year I've tightened it up twice, once because I fitted a clamp thing for the child trailer and the other time was because I thought it had gotten a little slack as I looked at it.

Problems – it creaks a bit when I'm giving it tap up a hill. I'm running an alfine hub so I've got UST with latex so i've not had any bother with punctures.

I'm very impressed with it so far and would be happy to get another.

I would disagree this is the way to go

Clever and pretty though that eccentric hub undoubtedly is, it doesn't solve the issue of having to reposition the brake caliper every time you adjust it 😉

of course there is the other school of thought in that it wasnt your EBB creaking and infact your knees 😉

Clever and pretty though that eccentric hub undoubtedly is, it doesn't solve the issue of having to reposition the brake caliper every time you adjust it

Undoing two bolts to adjust is no heartache!might be a bit of a faff but very used to it being a serial freewheel switcher 😕

I've shied away from EBBs because I'm very fussy about the pedals-seat-handlebar relationship and don't want to mess that up when I tension the chain.

I've had a couple of frames with Busnell's in that have creaked like a creaky thing.
Both times i swaped the EBB unit to a Carver unit with the plastic sleeve it cured the problem.
I've had two frames with a wedge type that didn't creak at all.
I've got a Phill Woods setscrew on a Singular that's never creaked and a none descript setscrew type on the tandem with has creaked but now it's covered in copperslip it's fine.

My Paragon sliders have never give me any creakage though…

i've got a sanderson soloist which has lockrings outside the bb shell and a biiig spanner to tighten them. Slipped a tiny bit for first three rides (but not to chain-jumping slackness, unlike my old derailleur hanger-mount tensioner) but behaved impeccably since then.
What's really nice is being able to drop the back wheel out easily, and you don't need to move your brake calliper when you take up stretch iun the chain. Also if you are able to notice, i suppose you can choose to adjust the ebb 'up' or 'down' when you take up slack, and thus change bb height.