Cycling UK Forum

so i want to play with something and convert front and rear of normal multi gear bike to single speed will need to do front and rear will do it with a cheap horrible bike first
i want to convert to single speed with free wheel
what bits do i need and what work do i need do?
Cheers Ed

You need a frame which has the sort of dropouts that enable you to move the wheel backwards and forwards to adjust the chain, most commonly horizontal dropouts.
The common vertical dropouts keep the axle in one fixed place.

Then all you need is an Allen key to remove your rear dérailleur and a chain tool to remove some links.
Everything else can just stay there.

^^ tis true that.

the other thing is.....consider going fixed..

If you have a bike fitted with a freehub (cassette) type wheel then you could splash out on one of these to get your chainline right.

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/SKO ... t_sprocket

Or you could just split your cassette and move things about a bit.

thanks if i don't have the horizontal drop outs could i just build a basic chain tensionar as i am pretty hand down the workshop??
the link above is cheap so may get that and how do i split a cassete?
Cheers Ed

and i want free hub as it will be for longer rides and mini tours
Cheers Ed

Young Ed wrote:thanks if i don't have the horizontal drop outs could i just build a basic chain tensionar as i am pretty hand down the workshop??
the link above is cheap so may get that and how do i split a cassete?
Cheers Ed

The easiest way to keep the chain tensioned is to put your dérailleur back on.
Though by this point you are losing all the advantages of a single speed and might as well leave things just as they were. You can just disconnect the gear cables if you want.

If it does have vertical dropouts, you should probably give up on that frame for SS use and get another.

The cassette has three small bolts or rivets running through it, they can be undone or the heads drilled off. The bolts are not needed when a cassette is fitted to the freehub and the locknut properly tightened.

Young Ed wrote:thanks if i don't have the horizontal drop outs could i just build a basic chain tensionar as i am pretty hand down the workshop??
the link above is cheap so may get that and how do i split a cassete?
Cheers Ed

Yes.I made this one from bits i had to hand.It swings out the way for wheel removal
If you want to do it cheaper,get just the sprocket and use spacers from an old cassette given to you by your LBS.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shim ... wgodLHQAEQ

what is a lbs???
http://www.severnvalleycycles.co.uk/ima ... finder.jpg
check this link it's my other bike not the one i was going top use zoom in on drop outs do you think that is vertical or horizontal for me i would say it is half way between but prob vertical
Cheers Ed

Sorry,Local Bike Shop.
Vertical.It looks like the same bike as mine,what a coincidence!

yeah it sure does!
yours just said explorer and mine said trailfinder prob just very similar
is it a gear diffrence does your have 21 gears?
Cheers Ed

A few manufacturers sell kits with all you need for under £20. Try looking at DMR singlespeed kit, Gussett singlrspeed kit or Superstar Components. Kits usually contain a single sprocket, a tensioner and cassette spacers. I run a bike with a tensioner, along with 2 sprockets. The tensioner has enough range to run either gear, quite handy for longer rides.

Young Ed wrote:yeah it sure does!
yours just said explorer and mine said trailfinder prob just very similar
is it a gear diffrence does your have 21 gears?
Cheers Ed

It had 18,freewheel not cassette on the back.It was being chucked out,so i`rescued`it.
It`s great fun for local trips,and has made me re-assess what i thought of Aluminium frames
As an unexpected bonus,It`s also the only bike i have that i feel confident to ride`no hands`.

Young Ed, just do it as cheap as you can get away in the first instance. If the bug really bites, then fine, replace/rebuild with better bits as time and finance allow. I'd say go with Milfred's idea. You can get the kits on Amazon too (unless you're an Amazon hater ofcourse), in fact, what can't you get on Amazon?!

I've got "a few" bikes now, but the two fixed and two singlespeed freewheel bikes get ridden the most without a doubt.

Milfred Cubicle wrote:A few manufacturers sell kits with all you need for under £20. Try looking at DMR singlespeed kit, Gussett singlrspeed kit or Superstar Components. Kits usually contain a single sprocket, a tensioner and cassette spacers. I run a bike with a tensioner, along with 2 sprockets. The tensioner has enough range to run either gear, quite handy for longer rides.

If you have a cassette hub at present this is the easiest way to do a conversion. If you don't have a cassette hub then it is a slightly expensive way of buying a tensioner.

cheers