Hi
I have recently bought an old, pretty bad bike from a guy on Gumtree, on the cheap. My plan was for a little project for me and my son to repair and restore it. In this process, i want to convert it to single speed. I've done this previously on my On One i used for commuting, but its now back in MTB mode so i thought this little shed of a bike would be good to use around town for this instead!
Now, it seems the mech hanger from which the chain tensioner i have will go on, is connected to the Shimano mech in a way that means i can get it off. So my questions are:
1. From the picture of the dropputs, will i even need a hanger (they've not vertical or horizontal)
2. If i do, does the hanger bolt on through the rear axle (its not a QR on the rear wheel, and i stupidly didnt take a photo of this before i took it apart)
3. Can i get this hanger off this mech, and would it be any good? If not, what are my options to get one on there
Thanks in advance for any help anybody can provide!
Picture?
Edit - nope, just some kind of non-link.
So there isn't a mech hanger on that frame at all. I would have thought some sort of chain tug would do it just fine although you might need to file off one of the two rear mudguard/rack fixing points on the back to get it to fit properly
Thanks for the info.
The hanger link - does it then just attach to the frame via the axel nuts? I worried that may not old enough tension and it may slip?
Th chain tensioner link - This looks like it attaches directly onto the axle in the photo, but then it has the bolt to attach to the hanger? Either way, i have a chain tensioner similiar to this:
Happy to use this, jst not sure how to attach it
you may get enough chain tension with the amount of travel in the drop outs
+1 would totally try this first.
Get a near-magic ratio towards the front of those dropouts and that could be a perfect tidy job and without need of a tensioner. Could likely even fit or drill a chain-tug in there.
3 ways I would go about it, assuming solid axle and nuts for back wheel are:
Magic ratio, no kit required.
Simple roller chain device on bottom bracket to gain tension.
Use the mech as tensioner with mech end screws/short bit of cable locking it out on chainline.
Timber has it really.
Tugs won't work.
Get a wheel in and try it. Then consider other options
Tugs won’t work.
Why don't tugs work? Even if the dropout is a different direction from normal it should still work I would have thought. The bolt appears to be offset to the side so it shouldn't foul the frame
edit: actually you might be right if the 'end' of the tug won't go over the frame as it is offset. I would have been tempted to bash it around a bit to make it work or make a different metal piece to attach to the frame
With fwd-facing dropouts the reason for an adjuster is to simply position the wheel before tightening so that optimal chain-tension and centering is more easily achieved and with less faff.
I have similar (fwd-facing semi-horizontal) dropouts to yours on my (currently geared) tourer, they are drilled and threaded with sprung adjusting screws (M4?) installed ie
This is great as they don’t interfere with the mudguard and rack mounts
Also have a read here?
I agree with Timber, except I'd try using the mech as a tensioner as option 2 unless you already own a roller.
These are all great thanks everybody
The chain tensioner on the BB is a good shout. Would have to buy one, and if that was teh case i think i'd prefer a mech hanger and use my exiting tensioner, purely becasue i prefer the look ot it at that end. But good to have that option
I guess i'll try without anything first and see what happens. I somehow need to get the cassette off the freewhell first! My removal tools are all for 9mm QR so it has the big spike which obviouslt just hits the axle currently. With a lack of any decent bike shops locally, i may have to swallow my pride and talk it to Halfords for them to do 🙁
Bang a wheel in it and do it up tight. It'll be fine, I ran an SS road bike with a QR on drop outs like that for a couple of years, no bother.
If the wheel is contemporaneous with the frame, it'll likely be on a freewheel rather than a cassette. If you remove it and fit a single speed freewheel, it may throw off all the spacing. I squeezed a 130mm spaced road hub into 125mm drop outs on mine, no bother...
I guess i’ll try without anything first and see what happens. I somehow need to get the cassette off the freewhell first! My removal tools are all for 9mm QR
Sounds sensible. All you should need to remove the cassette is a chainwhip and lockring tool. Might work out cheaper than Halfords no ideas how much they charge to remove a cassette? Worth having the tools tho so you can change sprockets/spacers etc to get it all dialled in nicely with correct chainline. First make sure you have the right sized lockring tool for yr cassette.
i cant get my lockright tool in. its the right size, but it has a big pin tho=rough the middle it id, which goes through where the QR skewer would be
As its an ol stlyle bolt/nut axle, this sticks out really far so i cant get my tool in unfortunately
Ah, I get you now sorry.
Mine looks like this (no guide pin)
Hi guys. So money and time have delayed this a bit. I'm now considering a new rear wheel. The one I have isn't QR and the hub needs a screw on single speed freewheel, like this sort of thing
Whereas previously I have a vog that just went onto a Shimano style freehub. I have all the kit for that already. With the drop outs on that frame though, would quick release work ok or would it not hold enough?
im fairly sure youll be able to find a position on those dropouts that does work without a tensioner.
The lockring tool you link to is a lock ring tool. A freewheel remover is different. (weirdly, i used mine for the first time in 10 years yesterday)
As above, the dish on the wheel will be different, so you probably cant put a single sprocket onto the thread, and if you did you absoloutely WILL bend the axel when you put the power down.
Use the exising wheel, and see if you can cut out the mech. so run the chain around a sprocket that looks about right and straight back to the chainrings.
This gets you going quick and dirty (and will be fine to run if youre not bothered about niceness, tbh)
and will let you work out what ratio works for you, and works for the dropouts, should you want to invest in a singlespeed wheel and chainring with full teeth.
With a half link that should tension up ok without some horrible bodge of using the old mech.
Thanks everybody for the advice so far
I've managed to take the cogs off the Shimano freewheel! Screwed it on and I have a working solution. Almost.....
So I'm going to use the 2nd to last cog on the freewheel. The others have all been removed. I can get a perfect chain line this way, and I think (hope) can also get the chain tension perfect in those drop outs
Indo however need a few more things. I need at least 1 more spacer. These are the spacers that are found between the cogs on the freewheel. Are these the same size as ones on a cassette?
Also, I need some sort of locking ring on a thread. The smallest cog screwed onto the freewheel to hold it all on. I could use it, bit I'd rather it look better with just 1 cog on there.
The freewheel I have is a Shimano MF-TZ20 in case my description is bad
So, with this meaning to be a very low cost project, and with no spare money currently and no real world need for this bike either, does anyone have an old freewheel or the parts I need they're not using and would be willing to part with?
I found this video on YouTube which pretty much shows what I'm doing. On stage from 2.20 onwards - my bikes bigger than this though, and a bit less pink 😁
As others have said, there's not going to be a huge amount of horizontal movement in those drop outs, so playing around with chain length and half-links might be necessary.
Can also recommend the surly chain tugs, expensive, but I've used them with QR axles and nutted axles and never had one slip.
(if you have had a rear axle slip when grinding a single speed up a hill and had your nuts connect with the cross bar before pitching you head first onto the tarmac, you're unlikely to ride without a chain tug again...)