Last weekend a mates rear mech exploded, he singlespeeded it and continued riding. If it were to happen to me on my spesh picth is there anything i could do (to get a middleish ratio) and keep riding or would i be ****?

you need a carbon wasp.

it has a virtual pivot which is on the bbkt so you can run it singlespeed or geared.

Or get a susser that rotates round the BB, such as a Kona A.

You need a heavy duty chain tensioner to allow for chaingrowth, like one of these: http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=58&products_id=480

daniel – looks spot on but a touch heavy to carry!!

Lock out rear suspension. It would be a get you home measure anyway.

not an option on my shock

on the trail you need either to use the mech or lock the suspension – you’ll either brake the chain or the frame if you try to SS the bike with a fixed length chain.

As a more permanent solution as above, a decent tensioner, I used a Rohloff DH tensioner on my Giant NRS;

“not an option on my shock “
Pump the shock up hard.
on a four bar like your pitch you should get away with it, but if you hit anything big it could still snap the chain.
On a single pivot – start walking.

Not strictly true, that. I once rode my 5 about 10 miles in the Dales, including a couple of big climbs, in middle ring/middle of the block.

Carry a cheap mech if you’re worried! Ask for a Deore/X5 in the wanteds and keep it in the pack for such an occasion.

Simple, easy and gives you the ratios to carry on without compromise.

I beleive part of the Spesh suspension design is that chainstay growth is kept to a minimum, I have seen an early Enduro turned SS as a get home, it worked fine but not something for everyday use.

A mech hangar is a must in the backpack for any big day out, that is usually enough to get a fix.

unless mech hanger is fubar

I love half the rubbish people on STW carry about in their camelbaks for all occasions. Shock pumps, spare mechs, mech hangars, lengths of chain, survival kits. Hilarious.

I carry a spare bike.

I love half the rubbish people on STW carry about in their camelbaks for all occasions. Shock pumps, spare mechs, mech hangars, lengths of chain, survival kits. Hilarious.

I love it when the maintenance-hating muppet in our group is asking nicely to borrow tools as his bike fails for the Xth time during the ride, as he’s not carrying any tools or spares. Hilarious. 😛

http://dirt.mpora.com/news/the-carbon-dungeon-dirt-134.html

I was unlucky enough to break a mech hanger at Afan, my pal happened to have one in his pack, it saved the ride, better than trying to SS the damn thing.

Mech hanger, how much do they weigh exactly? 40g, is it worth not having one on a decent length ride?

I think not carrying a mech hanger is strange, in fact selling a bike with out a spare mech hanger is strange in my book.
i’ve given my spare to a mate who was a sticky stick victim at the top of the 1st climb at penmachno, you know just as you turn off the double track and in to the woods. He was wasn’t happy!
A mech hanger and a power link later he was fixed up.
we normally have a shock pump in the group. everyone doesn’t need one or a tyre pump that will do high ish pressures.

I have one – mate didn’t

I’ve genuinely never known a Mech Hanger to break and leave the Mech intact…

Personally, I’ve Singlespeed’d Hardtails before, but i wouldn’t like to try it on a FS (excepting frames that pivot around the BB, such as some Konas).

Then your covered OP, yes it will SS if you have too, most likely get away with the hangar you carry.

Sorted. 🙂

duffer – are you serious??

Rob, are you serious?

You cannot plan for every accident, I think you just have to accept it if it happens… or get a bb pivot frame, of which I just sold one.

Spare mech hanger in bag saved me twice over the years, mech was fine.

Weight of hanger negligible. Cost of hanger – unbelievable!

Let all the air out of the shock and you have a hardtail. Shorten the chain.

I’ve not done this but I reckon it should work.

I love it when the maintenance-hating muppet in our group is asking nicely to borrow tools as his bike fails for the Xth time during the ride, as he’s not carrying any tools or spares. Hilarious.

Why would he need to when he obviously has a domestique to carry them for him? 🙂

As I already said.

beleive part of the Spesh suspension design is that chainstay growth is kept to a minimum, I have seen an early Enduro turned SS as a get home, it worked fine but not something for everyday use.

If you still worried Rob, I can help no more, its a doctor you need! 🙂

get a susser that rotates round the BB, such as a Kona A.

Ker-chow!

But you all knew I was going to post a pic up didn’t you?

podge – was curious if there was a suitable tensioner thatw as available (probably looking at chainstay mount) that would work. More curious than anything else tbh

I cheated with a tensioner…

arrrgh mummy mummy make the nasty man stop posting those klien pictures

I’ve genuinely never known a Mech Hanger to break and leave the Mech intact

duffer – are you serious??

Totally serious. I understand the function of the hanger, and appreciate it’s value, but I’ve never experienced one fail correctly.

I should caveat that; I’ve never had a mech fail on my own bike, this is all experience gained from witnessing the misfortunes of riding buddies / folk i’ve stopped to help at the trailside.

Speshpaul – Member
arrrgh mummy mummy make the nasty man stop posting those klien pictures

😀 😉

I’ve genuinely never known a Mech Hanger to break and leave the Mech intact…

I have, several times. You may need to bend the cage back into something resembling a straight line as well.

Why would you not carry a few, light, potentially ride-saving spare bits? A set of brake pads, a chain quick link or two and a few links, a mech hanger, a couple of cleat bolts, a caliper-mount bolt and a few chain-ring bolts. I’ve used all the above at one time or another usually to fix someone else’s bike.

I’ve bailed out other people three times with missing chain-ring bolts before now, it does happen oddly enough.

But really, for the sake of carrying 50g or so extra in your pack, why would you not bother unless you really enjoy walking?

Isn’t the hanger really supposed to save the frame?