Since building up my Sirius as a dedicated SS I have hardly touched my Soul 😳 partly down to the fact its built as a geared bike 🙄

Undoubtedly between the two bikes the Soul is the sweeter to ride.

Fancy SSing the Soul but want to do it in the easiest/simplest way.

Have had less than favorable experiences with the Surly chain tensioner I was thinking about the external eccentric BBs available.

Anyone use/used one of these gadgets?

What are/were your thoughts?

I haven’t used one but on other forums the forward one seems to get better press than the excentriker – it is cheaper, which may be some part of it.

There is a STW thread about it:

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/excentricker-bottom-bracket-anyone-use-one

Have you been using the singleator in pull up or push down mode? In some instances I think the latter is more effective.

I’ve been running a forward components one on my Pegasus for around a month,excellent bit of kit,very easy to use/adjust,dosen’t slip.~Used at D2D quagmire,no issues.
highly reccomended,only drawback for me is the vast weight of the thing.
clicky

PS,
have you considered a White Ind eccentric hub.
I’ve used a ‘v’ brake one before,again,heavy,but very well made and does the job with no drama(as all WI products do !)

Forward Components is only compatible with a 68mm shell 🙁

My Soul shell is 73mm

WI White Ind eccentric hub are rubbish from what I have experienced 🙁

BB mounted tensioners are a great alternative:

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=408510

Sorry to give the predictable answer, but have you tried an old rear mech as a tensioner?

I’m using an old medium cage LX mech, using a very short section of cable to position it accurately for chainline, and running the chain ‘underneath’ the top jockey wheel instead of round it like you normally would.

If you then run the chain as tight as possible it pulls the derailleur almost flat, which results in a very tight chain.

I’m not telling you this in a ‘proud of my bodge’ type way, just in a ‘surprised how well it works’ sort of way, I’ve not shed a chain once. I’d used a couple of different aftermarket tensioners that never seem to do the job.

letmetalktomark – Member

Forward Components is only compatible with a 68mm shell

My Soul shell is 73mm

WI White Ind eccentric hub are rubbish from what I have experienced

I’d be interested to know why you think that,what trouble did you have ?
I used one on a Giant xtc carbon for six months,never slipped once !

I tried an Excentriker and didn’t get on with it. Slipped when I didn’t want it to and locked solid when I wanted to adjust it. The Foward Components is much better, shame it doesn’t fit your frame!

the easiest and most effective way is surely a chain tensioner? Those superstar ones are good and cheap, then just run a 8 speed chain with a half link if you need it. Probably cost you about £20 rather than £100’s and it doesnt alter your bb height/chainstay length and an EBB does

If you were feeling a bit brave, you could file out the vertical dropouts on your soul by a three or four millimetres.

Since it’s a steel frame, you’re unlikely to cause any nasty stress problems (aluminium could be tricky I’d have thought) though obviously you’d kiss goodbye to any warranty.

If you got an SS chain with a half-link you’d then probably have enough variation to get the chain reasonably tight.

Get a chain ring with nice long unramped teeth (e.g. Surly).

Never tried it myself 🙂

uked2 – Member
If you were feeling a bit brave, you could file out the vertical dropouts on your soul by a three or four millimetres….

Better to file the hub slightly, then you don’t bork the frame.

Simplest thing is DMR STS.

Best thing is sell frame, buy SS frame.

Another vote for the White Industries ENO eccentric hub if you can’t/don’t want to change the frame – I’ve ridden thousands of miles on mine without a single issue of any kind

currently using a On one doofer, with the jockey replaced with a roller

works loads better, for some reason.

im also quite suprised hope having made an axel with an offset central line to it. they seem to make most other conversion kits, and it would take much to do…