Alright, I'm just wondering aprox how much it would cost to convert a geared bike to single speed. I'd need a new ring for sure, but would I need a new cassette?
And for those of you running a single speed jump bike, what ratio do you use?
"If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid."
~Epictetus
you need horozontial drop outs and a chain break if you dont want any thing fancy. you can just run your normal chain on ur second ring in the front and what ever one you want in the back, but you can keep ur casset but it wont look like a "true s.s"
but you can get spacers for your rear hub and get one sproket for the back, then you could up-grade to a bmx chain [HTML_REMOVED] sproket if you have 3peace cranks. if you dont have horozontal drop outs its really tough to get your chain tentioned properly, you would need to buy a chain tentioner
It's for my DOC so although the dropout is vertical I can tension the chain horizontally.
I am currently running a BlackSpire guide up front and a Saint rear mech. It works well, but when I come down hard the chain skips to a lower ring and it's getting to be a pain in the ass pedalling it back into place. Should I just get over it?
"If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid."
~Epictetus
get rid of the derailure completly and cut your chain shorter, i dont know how the chain guide would work, or if you would even need it anymore.
find the gear on your casset that you want and move your wheel completly forward.
take off the derailure and run the chain over the gear you want and your front sproket, cut the chain to the correct length then tention it by moving you wheel back.
the only problem i could think of is the chainline not being perfect but that can be fixed if you get spacers and run a single sproket in the back
Heres what i did to my 03 Rampage with vert dropouts. \
Take your cassette off and choose one rear cog for your gear of choice. I chose my 5th gear which is a 32/16 ratio. Get your hands one some 1 1/2 (i think) PVC pipe and cut 2 equalish pieces to act as spacers so this contraption can be tensioned up. Take a few links out of your chain, eneough to run through an old deraileur acting as a tensioner. With the deraileur, you will need to adjust both limit screws in so its inline with your 1 cog, then take some zap-straps and put 'em to use.
Its not perfect, or pretty, but at zero cost, you cant beat it. I lose my chain a handful of times a month, and it only takes a second to put back on.
^^^^ my friend did the same thing
illomatic has a DOC which you can tention the chain though so he doesnt need a derailure
About how much would it cost for a shop to do it? If I'm gonna do it I'd want to put spacers in the cassette and set it up as a legit single speed, not slap it together.
"If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid."
~Epictetus
DMR sells a singlespeed kit that comes with spacers for like $29.95 or something I think. Spacers and a really ghetto cog.
I ran mine ghetto for a really long time, once with my cassette and I just taped up the gear bigger than the one I was in so my chain didn't jump up and get super tight. Then I took the cassette apart and rearranged it so there were 2 big cogs beside my chain kinda like a guide. Now I run it with just the one ring and spacers.
If you have 2 old cassettes, pry them apart and take the spacers from inbetween the cogs, it'll work even better than the little kit from DMR.
New stuff isn't really needed. And singlespeed is awesome, you can seriously feel how much more efficient it is, it's weird.
Washer Set=$25
Some other odds and ends are needed too,but will only set you back a few bucks…
The conversion kits (at least the ones I've seen) run about fifteen bucks. You get usualy get 1 or 2 cogs and some large spacers to cover the area on the cassette. Usually, the ratio everyone says to use is 2:1. That's what I run and it has a pretty good balance of speed vs. acceleration. I wouldn't say go lower than 2:1, but a little higher might work well for you too. Again, depends on what strikes you as a good balance of speed and accel.
I'm not only president of Head Clubbing for Men, I'm also a client.
costs about 30$ with tax if you go with one of the kits.
ramagers got the idea. ghetto simplicity that performs.
i also have a derailleur zapped to the chainstay. it works as good as any kit, and its cheap!
get rid of the derailure completly and cut your chain shorter, i dont know how the chain guide would work, or if you would even need it anymore.
He wouldn't need the chainguide once his tension's good and the chainline is straight.
ramagers got the idea. ghetto simplicity that performs.
i also have a derailleur zapped to the chainstay. it works as good as any kit, and its cheap!
He doesn't need any external tensioning device. His bike has sliding dropouts. All the tension he needs right there.
I'm not only president of Head Clubbing for Men, I'm also a client.
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