[Closed] How to go SS (newbie/numpty advice content)

Yes
But you must also
Grow a beard
Make sure everyone knows you ride ss
Pedal fast enough so you don't loose the group you ride with.

have a look here,it's a good place to start your journey.....

[url= http://www.charliethebikemonger.com/page47.htm ]clicky charlie[/url]

Yes if you have track ends (horizontal slot) otherwise you'll need one of [b][u][url= http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/FSOOSSOD/on-one-other-doofer-%28orange-wheel%29 ]these as well[/url][/u][/b]

Don't worry about growing the beard - it will appear overnight.

My shopping list was

Singlespeed cog (ramped ones are rubbish)
Spacers (presumably in your link)
Singlespeed chain (not completely necessary, but available for £4 in Asda)
Chain tensioner - had one like the Doofer but it wasn't adjustable enough so bought the one in [url= http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/One-Single-Speed-Conversion-Kit-RRP-34-99-/110584454053?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item19bf58dba5#ht_500wt_922 ]this kit[/url] which appears to have a lot of other bits you need.
Short chain-ring bolts - needed if you're running a single ring with no bashguard. I used a bashguard in the end, so have the short bolts spare if you want them.

I have facial hair, but no beard 🙂

and become a niche haw to the law of 2:1 8)

Cool, thanks for the links that will keep me awake during my night shift tonight 😉

AFAIK my Scandal has vertical drop outs so will need a tensioner thing, the ebay link looks good value, cheers for link Dezb 🙂

Scruffy facial hair will have to do for me 🙁

It's easier than that.

All you need to buy is some shorter chainring bolts.

Middle ring will do, attached with said bolts.
Select a suitable cog from the cassette. Use either old plastic cassette spacers or a piece of suitable diameter plastic plumbing pipe cut to length to space it.
Rear mech with limit screws set to appropriate places will do as tensioner.

If you like it then get the proper ring, tensioner, sprocket, chain, etc, but try it the cheap and easy way first.

And, from my experience, what you spend on the bits you will recoup by not buying any razor blades 😆

Great fun though... I got converted 2 years ago and won't go back now!

wot andrewh said.

There's a whole spurious mythos about singlespeed conversion. It's cheap and single to get a start. One cog off a cassette is fine, old cassette spacers stripped out of dead cassettes are fine. whatever chain is lying around is fine.

Cheap and cheerful seems a good way to go, what diameter should the spacers be if I were to use something like plumbing pipe?

Failing that could I just use a complete old cassette?

Don't know off the top of my head, I had various sizes in the garage, one was the same diameter as the freewheel. It's grey if that helps?
Complete cassette would work fine, also if you then change the limit screws on your mech/tensioner you have a very manual gear change (assuming chain is still long enough which it should be if tensioned rather than tightened in horizontal dropouts, chainline works, etc)

Excellent, in that case I should be able to get busy with this over the weekend then instead of waiting til the end of the month 😀

well if I've got this right I can make use of my existing geared set up to see how this single speed business pans out. If I disconnect the mechs and put the chain on the middle ring at the front and the 16t on the cassette it should be as near as dammit with only
chain tension to worry about.

If that works I can trial it until payday at the end of the month and then get what needs to be got 🙂

just put it in a nice middle of the road gear and resist the urge to change gear

'not changing gear' is just not the same as 'only having one gear', dunno why, it just isn't

bassspine - Member

'not changing gear' is just not the same as 'only having one gear', dunno why, it just isn't

Well your carrying the extra weight of a geared drive train for a start.

From my experience it adds an extra inch to your manhood and I have to beat women away with a stick every time I hit the trails.

Charlie the bike monger has everything you need.

KINGTUT - Member
bassspine - Member
'not changing gear' is just not the same as 'only having one gear', dunno why, it just isn't

Well your carrying the extra weight of a geared drive train for a start.

Plus it's nice not to have to shifters on the bars.

'not changing gear' is just not the same as 'only having one gear', dunno why, it just isn't

It combines all the disadvantages of a singlespeed with all the disadvantages of a geared set-up. It's not best of both unfortunately.
Closest I've come was snapping a mech hanger mid race and building a singlespeed to finish on. It wasn't the same.

sssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh the best thing about riding a ss is not telling anyone

Went out on my first SS ride last night.
Gear ratio fail ( I only had a 42 chainring knocking about the shed).
I thought I could get away with it as the trail has no big climbs in it.

Still had a good laugh when I was able to keep the speed up (maybe I should take the brakes off) ,so I am going to try it at a cross race this weekend.

I finally got round to converting my Scandal to SS with a Gussett tensioner and 18/32 ratio to be starting off with. It seems a bit noisey though and I've noticed that the chain seems to rub against the outside rim of the tensioner sprocket when pedalling.

I had two spacers on the BB so I removed one of them to see if this made the alignment better however it does the same thing. When not pedalling the alignment looks good. Am I missing something?

There should be a wee bit float (side to side) in the tensioner wheel/sprocket ,no?
Or maybe you have the tension a bit too tight ?

I use one and it is almost silent.

Gussett tensioner and 18/32 ratio to be starting off with

correct choice on both fronts.

The roller on the gussets is noisey im afraid, as is any nylon roller.
wrap a loop of old inner tube around it (or two) and it goes away instantly 🙂
chain does go black due to rubber particles though :s

secondly is the chain line correct
the sprocket and chainring need to be as close to inline as possible.

also, if the roller isnt perpendicular to the floor, (ie: bent mech hanger) the chain will creep uphill (to "less tension")
dont try andmake the tensioner too tight!
its not supposed to be "under tension" its just supposed to have no slack in it.
that will make a huge difference i think.

if the roller on the tensioner simply isnt in line, and everything else is ok, you just need to space it out a bit.

[img] [/img]

There was a small amount of slack in the chain which I've now taken out. The tensioner already had a rubber sleeve on it (2nd hand from classified)but is still rattley.

The chain line certainly looks straight and the mech hanger doesnt appear to be bent, maybe it just needs a good run in?

Heres a couple of pics:

[IMG] [/IMG]

[IMG] [/IMG]

[IMG] [/IMG]

is it just me or is your dropout bent ??

Not that I'm aware of or can see on closer inspection. Think its just dodgey camera angle.

Charlie the bike monger has everything you need.

Plus stickers that make your chest hairy.

I had sand kicked in my face by the toughs on the beach before I bought a Surly chainring from Charlie. Now I'm the one that gets the girls.

Note - some of this may be completely untrue or extremely exagerrated.

Only some 😆