Might go single-speed...
- Thread starter 6.5x55
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MikeD
Senior Retro Guru
Single-ring crank = regular crank with only one chainring on it. Ideally you get a ring with deep teeth and no ramps and stuff, and short chainring bolts.
A single sprocket is no narrower than any one sprocket in a cassette. Not a problem. Probably best to avoid aluminium freehub bodies, but then that's true with cassettes too
A single sprocket is no narrower than any one sprocket in a cassette. Not a problem. Probably best to avoid aluminium freehub bodies, but then that's true with cassettes too
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Depends if you want to do it cheap or not.
Cheap way
Take your Shimano cranks, take off granny and big ring, put middle ring other side of the spider. May need washers for the chainring bolts.
Take cassette off, use the loose ring back on the hub with spacers so that the chainline is as straight as possible.
Either buy a tensioner or hack an old rear mech to bits and use that.
More expensive way
Choose a crank set up and then buy a singlespeed specific chaniring, i.e. no ramps or small teeth like here
Buy a screw on type hub and use a screw on BMX type freewheel.
Buy an SS chain.
You can either have your frame dropouts changed to trackends to tension the chain, or use a tensioner again, or find the magic ratio.
Loads of info here http://www.sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html
Cheap way
Take your Shimano cranks, take off granny and big ring, put middle ring other side of the spider. May need washers for the chainring bolts.
Take cassette off, use the loose ring back on the hub with spacers so that the chainline is as straight as possible.
Either buy a tensioner or hack an old rear mech to bits and use that.
More expensive way
Choose a crank set up and then buy a singlespeed specific chaniring, i.e. no ramps or small teeth like here
Buy a screw on type hub and use a screw on BMX type freewheel.
Buy an SS chain.
You can either have your frame dropouts changed to trackends to tension the chain, or use a tensioner again, or find the magic ratio.
Loads of info here http://www.sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html
MikeD
Senior Retro Guru
I'd stick to a cassette hub. Screw-on BMX freewheels aren't all that robust or reliable, unless you spend eighteen billion pounds on a White Industries one. Cassette doesn't look so neat, but it'll last better. And as a bonus, you'll be able to get the sprocket off in a couple of years time
I use a Shimano DX BMX freehub that's only got room for one sprocket, with a longer axle and suitable spacers (they're 120mm as standard).
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MikeD":w5rxk5mx said:
I'd stick to a cassette hub. Screw-on BMX freewheels aren't all that robust or reliable, unless you spend eighteen billion pounds on a White Industries one. Cassette doesn't look so neat, but it'll last better. And as a bonus, you'll be able to get the sprocket off in a couple of years time
I use a Shimano DX BMX freehub that's only got room for one sprocket, with a longer axle and suitable spacers (they're 120mm as standard).
Yeah, you're right, I'm just a little biased because that's what I run, I think they look much neater though. I did say it's the more expensive way
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I'm currently hunting you single speeders down and fitting gears back on...
wierdos... :roll:
wierdos... :roll:
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hamster":235cl703 said:You must need so many gears living in east Anglia...
From another singlespeed pervert....don't knock it until you have tried it
yes its flat so I can ride fast - more gears, better my bike is, innit.
Disagree , many trials riders still use a freewheel as the only hubs strong enough are made by Chris King and Hope ( and the Hopes don't like mud ) . A freewheel has it's ratchet directly bellow the teeth within itself whereas a cassettes ratchet can be as much as an inch to the left , not the best mechanical principal . Many bmx cassettes start to skip and get weak after very few miles and that's without getting covered in mud which is another plus to the freewheel , when it's looking crap and the clacks aren't as loud as they used to be unscrew it , throw it in a bin and screw a new one on ; do that with a cassette hub .
I get ACS freewheels for £10 and as the only other parts that can wear are the cartridge bearings the hub could potentially last forever .
