Single Speed Conversion

[fsymon]

Hi,

I'm looking to convert my old road bike to a single speed freewheel. I'm unsure on some aspects though, obviously I'd need spacers to fill the space left by the cassette but do I need a single speed freewheel cog or a normal fixie cog at the rear to allow me to freewheel?

Thanks in advance,

Fraser.

[mattsccm]

Right then...
It sounds as if you have a bike with a modernish multi geared rear wheel.
Lets assume it a has a cassette of some type . You need, basically, to ditch all the sprockets bar the one you want to keep. You slide that onto the freehub with spacers either side to keep it in the right place to keep the chainline right. Good spacers are those from old cassettes, you'll need several cassettes worth. Ask your bike shop for permission to root in their bin for the rest.
Or you buy and fancy SS conversion kit which has nice shiny spacers. Sometimes these sprockets are simpler and may be rumoured to be better than the shaped ones that are part of a cassette. Hmm

If you have an old freewheel you get that off and put a SS one on. You may then have to play with chain line but maybe not.
Either way you cut the chain to fit.
If you have vertical dropouts you have to worry about getting the right sprocket combo to get the chain tight or just maybe you can file the dropouts a touch. There was a recent thread here about that.
A fixed sprocket is no good. It screws on to the old style threaded freewheel, ideally one designed for a fixed as that allows for the correct lock ring as well.
If you don't know if you have a freewheel or a cassette ,maybe post a pick here of the sprocket area with the wheel out of the frame.

[landsurfer]

Planet x do a kit with chain tensioner to convert multi speed cassette hub to single speed.

[Annoying Twit]

Planet x do a kit with chain tensioner to convert multi speed cassette hub to single speed.

I'm not sure about chain tensioners. They look like a complex solution for a type of bike (singlespeed) where simplicity is, in my view, one of the most important advantages.

[landsurfer]

My winter bike is a single speed without a tensioner. But it is a track frame with track dropouts.
A standard road frame benefits from a chain tensioner especially if it has vertical drop outs, in fact it won't work without one, to be honest.

[Annoying Twit]

My winter bike is a single speed without a tensioner. But it is a track frame with track dropouts.
A standard road frame benefits from a chain tensioner especially if it has vertical drop outs, in fact it won't work without one, to be honest.

My single speed is a single speed from new with suitable dropouts. I greatly appreciate the simplicity. But, if a tensioner is necessary for a conversion, then that's that

[jk49]

I've run 2 s/s road bikes and a 2 hub gear bikes, all with chain tensioners. Although it would be undeniably better from an aesthetic point of view to not use a tensioner, in practice I have had no problems with either of the types I've used. Once set up they are really fit and forget, for at least a year anyway. An added advantage is no need to keep tweeking the chain tension with the sprung version, and maybe 10 seconds work with an allen key every now and again on the other. I just wipe them with an oily rag when I clean the chain.
Also +1 for the spacer kits for shimano freehubs from ebay etc.

[Redvee]

Sometimes these sprockets are simpler and may be rumoured to be better than the shaped ones that are part of a cassette. Hmm

When I converted my MTB to SS I used a cassette sprocket to get me on the road and cause they were available in varying sizes after splitting the cassette but I did drop the chain quite regularly despite have a good tension on the chain and chainline.

[breakwellmz]

These work better-

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shim ... lsrc=aw.ds

[Threevok]

These work better-

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shim ... lsrc=aw.ds

Agreed - I also use the Gusset ones

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/s?q= ... at=product

Both have teeth that are longer than your normal cassette sprocket and have no shifter ramps - making them less likely to drop the chain (it's never happened to me)