Single speed ghetto style

[Deleted member 41544]

Hello single speeders, I'm thinking about going single on a retro steel mtb, I like the thought of reaching cycling zen and minimal maintenance. Could I do it by taking a sprocket from an old 8 speed cassette and a middle chainring and replacing the rear mech with a tensioner? I know I won't go to jail or die for doing so but why do people recommend against it? There is all sorts of info out there which is making the simplicity of single speed not so simple, so I'd like to call upon you experts opinions and experience. Thanks

 

[User32269]

Will watch with interest, you going to put photos up? I'm undecided with an old Raleigh Pioneer frame I'm building up now. Got a 90's shimano alvio group set I was going to throw on, but now tempted to go single speed. It's going to be a complete rat bike from the stuff in my shed.

 

[Deleted member 41544]

It's a diamond back ascent frame, bought for £25 off e bay and put an 8 speed lX Groupset and wheels from another e bay bargain, so with other bits about £100 into this bike, but had two cases of squeaky jockey wheels in 2 months and it's nearly as heavy as me,
I might just go for it and even try and make the chain tensioner.
Will it even need a tensioner if the dropouts got he right way?
Will put some pics up

 

[Sharky]

You might get lucky with a half link chain and not oneed a chain tensioner.
The "velosolo" shop have spacers to turn a cassette intoa single speed.

Good luck

 

[TheDoctor]

You can do it that way, certainly. A dedicated SS sprocket doesn't have all the grooves and shaped gubbins that makes the gears change smoothly, so tends to hold onto the chain better. Use some single chainring bolts (about a fiver a set) to fit a single chainring from the chainset you've already got.
If you've got horizontal-ish dropouts, you won't need a tensioner either.
It's certainly going to be lighter and simpler.
I had a carbon road bike with 105 groupset and Mavic Open Pro wheels.
I also have a SS built up with random stuff from the spares heap, bits from Wilkos and a rack. They weighed the same

 

[bonsaibilly]

You can get a single speed converter for about a tenner which is basically one rear cog and a bunch of spacers. Turns a rear wheel into a single speed. Careful about width of wheel axle compared to an old frame's rear width.

Single crankset about 20 quid.

 

[Deleted member 41544]

So far I've got a new rear sprocket, a chain tensioner, a narrow wide ring, single ring bolts and an 8 speed chain, so not gone ghetto at all other than I'll ne leaving the shifter pods attached to brake levers cos I don't want to ruin them and buying cantilever levers is confusing

 

[Drago]

The Ascent was a decent bike. Depending on the year the loonies over at Retrobikes can get quite excited by them.

 

[Deleted member 41544]

The Ascent was a decent bike. Depending on the year the loonies over at Retrobikes can get quite excited by them.

It's a 1992 frame and I think the Groupset and wheels are around 1994 it's 8 speed Deore lx it's a good bike for one so old, just want to rid it of moving bits, cos it gets very muddy

 

[fossyant]

The Ascent was a decent bike. Depending on the year the loonies over at Retrobikes can get quite excited by them.

Oi.

I have one in service. All XT and LX equipped !!! Down and dirty 2 weeks ago ! Apologies for the mudlap - it stops the winter gloop up me bum !

 

[Deleted member 41544]

I like the aggressive look of them, I put some skinny slicks on mine now and it looks a bit whimpish so gonna put the knobblies back on its not worth the one mph gain in speed when on the tarmac

 

[ChrisEyles]

I was tempted to try the same on my old rigid Marin, the low-maintenance super-simple feel definitely appeals... until I tried a couple of hours riding in just one gear and nearly died on every single climb before cheating on SS with my beloved granny ring. I'd love to try a fixed gear on the road at some point too, but Devon is just too hilly for it to work on the amount of bike time I'm able to put in at the moment.

Should be a fun experiment though, hope you get on with it well! Did you buy a chain tensioner too or are you going to fine tune it with the drop-outs?

 

[Deleted member 41544]

I was tempted to try the same on my old rigid Marin, the low-maintenance super-simple feel definitely appeals... until I tried a couple of hours riding in just one gear and nearly died on every single climb before cheating on SS with my beloved granny ring. I'd love to try a fixed gear on the road at some point too, but Devon is just too hilly for it to work on the amount of bike time I'm able to put in at the moment.

Should be a fun experiment though, hope you get on with it well! Did you buy a chain tensioner too or are you going to fine tune it with the drop-outs?

I'm in two minds, most of the cycling I do is from work in Sheffield to home in West Yorkshire, about 30 miles. There's very long climbs too, just don't know if it's do-able in one gear. I've got the tensioner, sprocket and narrow wide ring. Might buy another cheapo's bike/frame and go single on that and maybe a divorce too!

 

[ChrisEyles]

I found the long draggy climbs to be do-able (though obviously not as comfortable as on a geared bike), and I probably even got up them a bit quicker than I would in a lower gear. It was the steep 15%+ bumpy off-road slopes where I just ground to a halt that killed me. So I reckon the viability depends very much on the route you'll be using it on.

I've got a SS 1950s roadster which I have done some longer 60 miles plus on-road rides (back a couple of years ago when I had time to ride a lot more), and really loved the low-ish gear on it (I think it's a 44/19 with 26" wheels so ~60 gear inches) - made the hills much more enjoyable and I never really minded spinning out on the way down.

Will you be using the bike off-road too, or just for commuting? FWIW I reckon that a SS mountain bike is probably best for taking to a trail centre for a quick couple of hours blast, where you know all the climbs have been designed to be challenging but fair, rather than for the long OS map and big lunch with thermos of tea rides across Dartmoor I enjoy most.

 

[Deleted member 41544]

It would be on and off road, the national cycle network 67 runs a mile from my door right past my work 30 miles away, after a couple of close calls with motorists I decided less on road and more of that type of cycling would be good But also there's routes that come off this just stay off road too so there's plenty of variety too, it just takes a long time off roading. I had it down to 90 mins on road