I am building up a scandal 29er but I’m unsure on the best way to build it up. I am unsure on the following things!!!!
1 Is a 32T front chainring the best one to go for.
2 What is the best single speed conversion kit to buy.
3 Do I need to buy a specific SS rear hub.
4 Are Hope Hoops worth an extra £60 over an Xt wheelset.
5 Has anyone tried the on one monocoque taper carbon fork.
6 Anybody know the brake hose lenghts for a 18″ scandal.
Any advice would be very appreciated Cheers.

1 32T is a good starting point with 18t out back.
2 I,ve used the On One one, but the Surly job is nicer quality and you can use it to ‘pull’ the chain up rather than push it down to get the tension. DMR bb mounted one also good.
3 No ss hub needed, just use spacers and cog. Some prefer ss specific hubs to build a stronger wheel and to be able to use the nice White Industries freewheels.
4 I have both, both are good. Hopes are noisey Different approach to maitenance and servicing re bearings.
5 Think the monocue fork may have a too short a-c length, but not sure.
6 Don’t know, but pretty ‘standard’.

I’ve had no problems with the superstar ss kit. 🙂

There was a link on here to Chain reaction for some £6.99 KORE chainrings, you can experiment pretty cheaply.

Thanks peanut I will check out that Surly SS kit. Looking at the pics of the on one sprocket it does look nasty quality. I used to have hope hubs and I am not sure if the noise done my head in sometimes, but I suppose if the were more reliable it might be worth it though. Thanks again.

ooops, meant the Surly tensioner. Not sure if they do a kit as such, but Charlie The Bikemonger may be your go to place to buy stuff anyway.

1. Yes.
2. Surly, but never used one.
3. No. One of the “advantages” of using a std hub is easy swapping of cogs. Superstar wide base cogs are dirt cheap (£7) & work well enough for trying out ratios. Go for 18t but try 19t if its hilly. Very flat might see you on a 17t.
4. Yes. But (for me) one of the nice things about SS is a quiet transmission, & quiet is something Hope freehubs are not. I’m running Surly SS hubs with a White Industries freewheel. Lovely bit of kit but have to be commited to SS as its quite an outlay. White Industries Eno hub would do away with the tensioner but not cheap.
5. No.
6. I can measure mine if you like, they fitted a 18″ Inbred 29er.

I build up a Scandal 29er rigid singlespeed recently, as the mudproof commuter for commuting across the south downs to work, and now ride this more than any other bike, it’s my favourite bike to ride as it weighs naff all, is super quick everywhere and makes every descent feel like I’m going a million miles an hour at anything more than walking pace.

1 I’m running 32-18, seems ideal for me but it depends where you ride of course
2 I’d run the horizontal dropouts, then no need for a tensioner, but I did find that the wheel slips sometimes so am running a chaintug
3 No need for a specific hub, I was building a wheel anyway so did run one thogh
4 I don’t know – I went with Crest 29er rims, they run tubeless really well, easy inflation, light and strong (so far!).
5 Forks – am running exotic aluminium forks I bought off a friend for £20 – seem fine so far but pass a lot of vibration though to the bars
6 I’ve got the 19.5″, with Avid Juicy 7s and the standard hoses seem about 20cm or so too long, have not cut them down yet