how much slack can i get away with on fixed

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

hello all,

i've been riding my full sus bike ss without a tensioner for about 2 weeks now. i have a half link chain so i can get the perfect chain length including allowing for chain growth, this does leave it a bit slacker than your typical ss. i hasn't slipped skipped or missed a beat. now i fancy trying to do a fixie conversion using an old sprocket drilled out to fit the disk studs. do you think it will work ok with so much slack? i've been really hammering it on the trails to see if it will skip but so far it hasn't. bonus as well, i don't have the whirring noise of the tensioner (dmr spring type), nice silent ss at last. just fancy seeing if it would work fixed for commuting on tarmac.

 

[RedBike]

I'm glad you put commuting tarmac on the end of that post. I was rather worried for a bit. I much prefer fixed wheel to SS but I wouldn't dream of trying to ride fixed off-road. I have enough trouble with fixed wheel on the road!

If the chains slack on fixed wheel you get this annoying jolt / delay as the slack in the chain is taken up, the chains also far more likely to come off. Your best bet really is to try it and see how you get on.


If possible you want to keep a rear brake. If the gearings high enough to pick up some speed on the downhills then it's just too high imo to provide any form of controlled leg braking.

Using your legs to brake via fixed wheel will put your frame under huge stresses. I don't know how this will effect your suspension linkages? I don't think i've ever seen a full suspension fixed wheel bike!

 

[RedBike]

Perhaps you could just get a very cheap old steel road bike and convert that to fixed wheel instead?

That would save having to switch your MTB over all the time between fixed and singlespeed and a road bike would probably be easier for a tarmac commute.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

just something i fancy doing red. i did think about the delay because of the slack. it isn't going to cost me anything so i might give it a go later on today maybe tomorrow. i have seen someone on the trails with a fixie. he did the rivington carnage on it and was way in front of me. he did have both brakes tho.

 

[RedBike]

Btw, i've cracked. The MTB is now single speed ready for setting off and riding the entire pennine bridleway (Including the MTL) tonight.

This ride is either going to convert me or put me off for life!

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

hehe she got you. yeah the pbw is going to be tough going ss that's for sure. good luck.

 

[Joe24]

You need to practicing your pedaling if you get a jolt in the slack spot!!!!
I have a slack spot on my fixed, and dont get a jolt at all, or anything for the matter.

You can get away with a decent amount of slack.
I found i can have more slack now im running an all 1/8th drivetrain, rather then 18th chain and chainring, and 3/32sprocket. I used to hear the chain jump more with thr 3/32 sprocket.

 

[RedBike]

hehe she got you. yeah the pbw is going to be tough going ss that's for sure. good luck.

She actually told me NOT to go single speed. It was the mud that forced to change.

I didn't know what to make of single speeding. 34/18 was seriously slow with fresh legs on the road. I just kept constantly spinning out. With tired legs I struggled on the slightest uphill drag.

btw, I didn't even make it to the start of the MTL, 20+hours riding with some seriously heavy camping gear was more than enough for me.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

i've found that having butterfly wheel nuts helps get the chain tension perfect, very easily. i think it may need to be done before each ride though.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

hey red,
you planning the weekend we're meeting up in september as a ss run?

 

[RedBike]

Having tried single speed my preference is still for gears so by September i will probably have gears again. - Only time will tell though.

I'm still seriously looking for a 29er that will take a rack. There's a strong chance that will either have a hub gear or single speed.

 

[RedBike]

Have you figured out how to do this yet?

What gear ratio are you planning to use? I don't think I would apprechiate trying to spin down a bank with slicks on using 32/16

 

[trio25]

red I think hub gears make sense for you!

Fixed full-suss sounds crazy!

 

[RedBike]

Yes, I would definately prefer a hub gear.

I'm looking at getting it single speed to begin with (to save money) then upgrading to a hub gear at a later date.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

was crazy, didn't try it. the sprocket i had in mind already has holes in the wrong place. i am thinking of ordering one from velo solo. but got to deal with commute problem first.