When I get some money, which should be soon, I am going to go single speed.

I am going to go 32/16 as that’s what I’ve read is the best ratio for most riding.

Now thisand this

or

this

got vertical drop outs so got to have the tensioner, am I Ok running a standard 8/9 speed front chain ring?

If your going to go singlespeed I’d go for the beard and sandals personally.

gusset bachelor from here

and a surly cog

would be a better option imo.

a normal chainring is ok, but if i was buying one i’d buy a steel one.

a normal chainring is ok, but if i was buying one i’d buy a steel one.

mine is a steel deore one.

and right ok, thanks for the links. I wont quite have that much money though.

pressed steel cogs are rubbish – they wear quickly (2 months iirc) meaning you need a new cog and chain and prob chainring too soon. buy decent quality stuff, and it will last a couple of years.

ah right ok, i will do so if i can.

The reason to buy single speed chainrings and chains:

Derailleur chains are designed to be laterally flexible to make it easy for them to slip off the chainrings and sprockets. The derailleurs are there to keep them on.

Derailleur chainrings are machined so that the flexible chain can easily slip off. The derailleurs are there to keep them in line.

Single speed stuff has taller teeth and non flexing chains because there is no guide to keep them in place.

Use derailleur designed stuff and you’ll probably be ok, but it can happen that when you are grunting up a hill your chainstay flexes slightly, and your chain does what it is designed to do on those multispeed sprockets.

With nothing to guide it, it slips off. This can cause a catastrophic TTTIE* which will be very amusing for your mates.

*Testicle Top-tube Interface Event 😳

ah yes I see, good point.

my mates running a standard deore ring on his jump/4x bike, and with a half link chain and that doesn’t come off. but then again its a single speed chain so it doesn’t flex side to side.

oh yes, just remembered, we have a wiperman chain in the garage, I dont think its specifically made for bikes, but the sizing is the same as a single speed chain but its for some type of machine, could i use that?

Provided the pitch is right

It’s hard to go wrong if you use On-One sprockets and chainrings. Get yourself an 18 as well as a 16 and start with the 18.

If that seems too easy, then you can take a link out of the chain and go for the 16.

That’s easier than trying to do it the other way.

something for me to check tomorrow.

i’ll measure it, which am I right in saying should be 1/2″?

could I try putting my bike into the said gear, I think its 18t and 15t, and see which I feel best in, but if it feels right in 18t then a 16t should be about right yes? because if I remove the derailleurs and that the resistance is less?

You can always find a bit more spin when you need it, but never another ounce of grunt IMO.

Go 18 to start unless you have very flat or rolling terrain.

The cog won’t be wasted even if you don’t use it much. It will fit your next bike (a 29er) 🙂

ok?

here

any chance I could use one of them? only one problem that my chain I have here is about 3.5mm in roller width, but 1/8 is 3.175mm. so mine is too thick so it wouldn’t fit?

Many posts at once, should have really checked all this and put it in one post sorry. I’ve measured this chain and basically it cant exist by any chain standards at all, so it must be a 1/8th chain just 1/8th chains aren’t exactly made to that size or something.According to ANSI standards, the chain should be twice the width it is. So its got to be for a bike.

I have tried lots of set ups and find the one i’m using at the moment the best buy far.

Singular Swift (geared without EBB)
Pauls melvin Tensioner.
8 speed shimano chain.
Renthal Sproket
Chris King Rear cog,

I’ve streched plenty on chains and slipped on many EBB and found this to be a fit and forget setup. The tensioner is spring loaded so takes up any slack automaticially and keeps the chain on. It doesn’t look as “clean” as a non-tensioner set up but it works.

Be carefully fitting fat 1/8″ chains with some tensioners as the may not fit through the guide. a 3/32″ will fit almost any.

right thanks, See epicyclo said get a proper single speed chain rather than run the geared stuff, but your saying run a 8 speed chain, which is what I have so I’ll probably do the 8 speed chain method.
This chain is a Renolds, just found out. its 0.13 of an inch, where as 1/8th is 0.125.

Yeah 8 speed is 3/32″ (recomended by most brands for SS) they are like epicyclo said cut to move side to side but a spring loaded tensioner should work as a reach mech and hold it in place, when the rear cog and chainring are inline there shouldn’t be any issues.

Get as many cogs as you can on the cheap 16/17/18 and see what works then buy a better one when you know what you need they will last longer.

Good quality derailleur chains are very strong, and the lateral flexibility is not such a problem if you have proper single speed cogs. The thing is you don’t need the extra flexibility, so for SS purposes a 6 speed chain is just as good as a blinglespeed diamond crusted Dura-Ace 8/9 speed chain and much cheaper.

Best of all IMO are BMX chains. KMC do a nice line in 3/32″.

If you want to use a 1/8″ chain you can widen the groove on your tensioner (if necessary) with a very sharp knife, but it’s a good idea to count your fingers before and after. But it’s not really worth going 1/8″ because most good cogs and sprockets are 3/32″.

Sram 8spd chain here, driving a Deore steel ring. King stainless cog. Has given sterling service.

The izumi I bought from velosolo seems quite good, as is their SS kit/spacer set. I can run 32-16 on my trailstar without a tensioner which is nice 🙂 I am, however, going back to gears as for the kind of riding I like to do off-road, SS isn’t really very practical.

I have found that if you need a tensioner, locked off rear mech works the best. Roller wheels like the DMR STS are rubbish and add a load of resistance.

Right thanks lads, going to try riding about in just one gear tonight.
Then im going to buy the cog and spacers using a spare not brand new chain first, so if I dont like it I can always go back geared with my other chain and cassette and not have wasted too much money. But I might also leave my derailluer on and use it as a tensioner before i go completely singe speed with proper tensioner.So I dont have to put my cables and shifters back on if I dont like it.

good deal?

16t and 18t for 13 quid? Only thing is there’s no smaller spacers so I’m guessing the spacers would be the right ones so the chain line is straight?