Can find lots of kits with smaller cogs, 16/ 18 etc but not 19/20. I need the spacers too.
I'd like a cog with a wider base to stop it digging into the freewheel too.
I've found the Gussett kit but can't find it with a 19/20T.... and once you add that on it becomes pricey. Ditto the Surly solution.
Any ideas guys? First time SS attempt you see. On 29er but not very fit! Hence want to go 19/20T with a 32t chain ring which I already have....
19 or 20 is certainly on the large size hence not common in a kit. Can't see any other option than buying the cog separately but I would recommend the Gusset double six as the 7mm wide base is as wide as you can get.
I know you say you are not fit but are you sure you need a gear that low, a 20 tooth will get you around 46 gear inches and you will be spinning like mad just to go 15mph.
I might have a 19t wide base Gusset cog in the garage, I’ll try to remember and have a look when I get home.
I would go with the 18 and see how you fare. I’m currently not particularly fit and 32x18 is working out fine.
Singlespeeding will take a bit of perseverance at first anyway: an extra tooth on the back won’t change that. Just give it a few rides for your legs to sort themselves out.
What they said, I'm not particularly fit and manage on 32-14 around the Chilterns (on a 29er). Having said that Ive also used 32-19 and that works too, just a different compromise.
A few teeth either way doesn't make a massive difference. Hills still hurt, you just get off and push at some point.
If anything I pick my gears based on how twisty the track is rather than hills. 38-18 works on the vagabond in the chilterns, but 32-18 works at tunnel hill where average speeds are about half despite the lack of a real hill!
Conventional wisdom is 52", which is 32-18.
As for kits, have a look at velo-solo, not the cheapest but you do get more spacers which is useful on some frames. And its only a fiver or so more than a cheaper kit.
Most 16/18 kits are thin sprockets anyway.
My ond uni-hack single speed ran 53:20 fixed (reduce wear / longer chain life was important as a student). I bought the stuff from velo solo they had fixed and singlespeeds stuff - quick look online and they still seem to sell it.
[reminisces] I used to love that old fixed gear - used to do 20 miles a day, 5 days a week for pretty much the full 4 years. Don't think I even changed the chain in what must of been near on 10k miles...
[/End reminiscing]
Buy a Surly cog in whatever size you fancy and a Velosolo spacer kit in whatever colour clashes with your bike.
Do it once, do it properly.
32-19 is a good gear for a SS 29er, won't get you up much that's steep or techy though and it'll feel tough to begin with. Should find something from on one? The Groove Armadas are solid.
What they said, I’m not particularly fit and manage on 32-14 around the Chilterns (on a 29er). Having said that Ive also used 32-19 and that works too, just a different compromise.
You must be hugely fit. 32-14 is a massive gear on a 29er SS unless you shirk the hills : ) An oval ring 34-19 (which feels like 32-19 imo) works for me but a decent loop locally at the Wendover end leaves me limping up hills, particularly in winter. 34-18 in summer for the longer rides if I can be bothered to swap it.
Conventional wisdom is 52″, which is 32-18.
Yep, which is also 32-16 on a 26" wheeled bike and what majority of people ran when SS was popular in the 2000s.
Still fairly spinny on flat sections but a good all round gear.
32:16 on a 29er here, not much I can’t get up round here. Could you not ride round on a geared bike but leave it in certain gears til you decide which one works? I thought my chicken legs would need 32:18 but it’s too spinny. Oval front really makes a difference too.
+1 on the oval front ring! The worst thing about having a Gates drive now is the lack of an oval option.
Fire-eye 19t kit, with wider base cog. Slightly used, but looks to be in good condition (not mine BTW). I'd offer them £12, and I bet they'll accept.
Though TBF you'll find it very spinny with a 32t ring. 17/18 would be better.
^ what bigblackshed said. Velosolo also have their own version of the surly cog that is just as good.
You must be hugely fit. 32-14 is a massive gear on a 29er SS unless you shirk the hills : )
Not so much shirking hills, but riding in the chilterns its hard to get arround a decent loop without a fair amount of road and 'gravel'. I also commute on it so thats 80% road. I probably push more than I'd like.
I can just about winch it round swinley too.
32:18 is a much nicer gear for group rides or anything technical though.
Fire-eye 19t kit, with wider base cog
Googled the above but seems to only take a single speed chain?
I need one that takes 9/10 speed chain as I have a 32 NW Oval to go on the front. 😉
Might end up going for the 18T option somewhere. Having the Oval ring might make it a little more manageable?
18t will be manageable full stop. You'll surprise yourself once you no longer have a bail out option. The thing I like most about SS is the instant feedback on your fitness, you either make it up a hill you didn't last week, or your walking. No waiting and looking at strava or taking it easy, you have to smash it up every hill.
10s chain wont work on any thick sprocket, theyre all 3/32" (or 1/8 in some rarer cases). Even the cheaper sprockets that come with kits might struggle with it. The wider sprockets push the links apart and eventually they start to pop.
3/32 will work fine though on a narrower chainring.
1/8 chain is seriously tough and overkill, on narrow chainrings/sprockets it can be weakened as it's no supported properly. It's generally only found on bmx's intended for park and street. On the other hand it looks seriously badass.
Kmc z series chains are by far and away the best. Sram pc1 are garbage, shimano are made by kmc but cost more.
If you stick with the oval, be very careful with chain tension, it works, but not perfectly. Check there's at least 1" of easy play in the chain with the cranks in any position. Any less and you risk breaking a things when stuff starts flexing.
^^ Thanks mate.
Ok, just noticed the NW Absolute Black Oval will run an 8spd chain.... so that Fire Eye one above, or the 3/32 Gusset will be fine with an 8spd chain? A KMC Z8S for example...
Thanks for info!
I was thinking more z510/z610. The SS chains, like SS chainrings are optimised to keep the chain on the sprocket whereas geared ones are designed to throw the chain off onto the next gear.
Just get an SS chain, 8s chain will work, but the SS chains are the tool for the job. You won't have any problems with 3/32 chain on normal sprockets.
I can't remember but 8s might be 3/32 anyway, I think 6/7/8 are all the same width.
Great, thanks for the info again. 👍
I started on 32:18 (29") and it was just about manageable here in the lakes. Swapped to a 19t and it was a much better compromise.
It's very much dependant on fitness and terrain.
I broke up a partly worn Deore shimano cassette (just drill the pins out) to get more gearing options cheaply. Running 32x17 atm on 29er which is fine around Cannock chase, although I do edit out some of the steeper hills from my ride. I think it pays to mess about with the gearing a bit, the difference just 1 or 2 teeth on the cog is noticeable and if you can do it cheaply first then splash the cash when you find what works for you all the better.
I broke up a partly worn Deore shimano cassette (just drill the pins out) to get more gearing options cheaply
This can work, but chainline needs to be spot on or it will skip like a barsteward, as cassette cogs are shaped to change gear with ramps, etc.
For experimenting with cog size I'd buy a range of cheap steel cogs, they're only a few quid each.
Agreed, chainline is critical. I'm running this on full sus' bike with a cut down tiragra rear mech and if that is slightly misaligned its kneecaps to the bar time...
Agreed, chainline is critical. I’m running this on full sus’ bike with a cut down tiragra rear mech and if that is slightly misaligned its kneecaps to the bar time…
I get that you've tried various ratios on the cheap but why would you continue with a set up that's so fickle? Not having a go at all in the slightest, just curious.
Full sus plus ramped sprocket plus hacked rear mech? Kind of the worst of all worlds. You just need a ramped chainring and it’s a full house of fail 🙂
On the matter of 1/2” (BMX/SS) chain versus 3/32” (6/7/8sp), I wouldn’t necessarily say the former is better. Geared chains can be a little more tolerant of chainline since they have some lateral play. If you buy 3/32” compatible sprocket and ring then you have both options covered; the beat reason to buy 1/2” versions is if you really must get the absolute maximum service life out of them. But then components in a singlespeed drivetrain last ages anyway.
I did a 40km ride on it set up like this yesterday and didn't shy away from some of the more challenging off piste stuff on my local trails and it worked a treat. But at some point now I know what I want gearing wise I will get a proper sprocket for it. Its just that I get a lot of enjoyment out of doing stuff as cheaply as possible, I feel like i'm beating the system, if only by a tiny bit.
All you guys running 32:18 and the like, with 29” wheels, must be better men than I am. Highest gearing I’ve ever used with a 26” wheel was 32:18 and at the minute I’m using 30:20 on my Hummingbird.
Most people think that’s ridiculously low but in practice it works fine for the sort of stuff I ride the most, which is techy slowish stuff, both up and down with some trialsy bits and pieces. It even works on group rides as long as they don’t involve flat boring fireroads etc. If they do then I don’t tend to go on those rides anyway.
I’m using CK stainless sprockets, Absolute Black oval chainrings and KMC Z610 HX chain.
All you guys running 32:18 and the like, with 29” wheels, must be better men than I am.
Maybe it’s just what works for different people of different sizes and different natural cadences and different riding styles in different terrain.
If you want to feel inferior about it that’s your call, but I think the general advice here is as it’s always been for choosing a gear for singlespeed: start somewhere around 52”, see how you go, and then if you decide you prefer something different then don’t worry because no-one’s actually going to pull your pants down in the playground because of it.
at the minute I’m using 30:20 on my Hummingbird.
As above, depends where you live and whether you like to spin or not. 30:20 on a 26" means you will be spinning at 100RPM to go 11mph and for the terrain I ride that would just be ridiculous. My average speed is around 15mph so I would need to have an average RPM of 130RPM on that gearing!
I live somewhere where it is a lot of up and down but nothing big and use 39/16 (on 700x25c) which gives me 15mph at 80RPM (or 63 gear inches)
33x18 on mine but the 33 is a Goldtech oval ring, which is oddly easier...
I cant get up the first switch back climb on the Monkey at Cannock, but that's just me being fat & useless.
I could never get on with 32x16 on 26" wheels, was ok with 32x17.
29" was always 32x18 until I put the wobbly ring on.
Buy a Surly cog in whatever size you fancy and a Velosolo spacer kit in whatever colour clashes with your bike.
Do it once, do it properly.
Not sure if you are still looking but this ^
The Charlie The Bikemonger spacer kits and lockrings are also worth a look
OP. Have you had a look at a bike gear calculator. I use one from the app store. Type in Bike Gear Calculator. First listing. Free and pretty good. Needs updating as it only goes to 42 teeth on the rear but I doubt you'll be looking at that. (Unless you run a 66 tooth front ring!!). And it has a nice clicky sound as you change ratios.