Single speed - road bikes only

[CAAD4]

A Nice fun ride.

[Wyatt Earp]

Love that yellow chain on the Langster, where did you get that from?

 

Came standard on the bike ,it's a KMC SP chain.

[Tankman]

A Nice fun ride.

 

Nice, like the valve caps!

[Tankman]

Came standard on the bike ,it's a KMC SP chain.

 

Like ... but want one green and one blue!

[LOOK695]

So what should one look out for when considering a SS road build when looking for a frame? Are spares readily available for headset and BB, or can they be converted to newer spec technology? How strong are the lugged frames as the pic of the Pinarello?

["Stevens"]

Marshall what model Langster is the white one? My mate has the red and chrome one and it's Special..

Love the specialized....

[Jonkie]

So what should one look out for when considering a SS road build when looking for a frame? Are spares readily available for headset and BB, or can they be converted to newer spec technology? How strong are the lugged frames as the pic of the Pinarello?

 

You don't have to buy a single speed frame. Any standard roadbike frame will do. You can buy spacers and sprockets for normal roadwheels online together with a chain tensioner. There is a couple of threads on the hub about single speed bikes, read them and you will catch on very quickly.

["Stevens"]

I just want to give my 5 cents worth of info.....a successful SS build is a function of the chain stay length and the gearing you choose. It will dictate how much tension is on your single speed tensioner. If you go with standard 9-speed chainring, cog and chain, there is a good chance that you would not have enough chain-wrap around your cog. Even if everything is brand new, the chain will skip on the rear cog when pedaling with power.

1/8th inch track components are more difficult to source but far less likely to skip on the rear cog.....nough said......

[Wazza_pe]

Sorry, but that logic just doesn't make any sense to me. If the size of the rear cog is the same in both scenarios, a 1/8" chain cannot 'wrap' around said cog any more than a 3/32" chain. Each chain will engage the same amount of teeth on the rear sprocket in either scenario.

 

I have bikes running 1/8" and others running 3/32", and there is no difference in performance. I've never experienced a chain skipping under power.

Edited August 26, 2013 by Wazza_pe

["Stevens"]

Sorry, but that logic just doesn't make any sense to me. If the size of the rear cog is the same in both scenarios, a 1/8" chain cannot 'wrap' around said cog any more than a 3/32" chain. Each chain will engage the same amount of teeth on the rear sprocket in either scenario.

 

I have bikes running 1/8" and others running 3/32", and there is no difference in performance. I've never experienced a chain skipping under power.

Hi Wazza When I built my bike I fitted 48 x 16t 3/32" and the chain skipped over my Surly steel cog regardless of which chain I tried. I then fitted a 49 x 16t 3/32" (which tightened up the wrap around the cog just a bit more) but it still skipped when excellerating hard.

I changed everything to 49 x16t 1/8" and that was the end of my problems. "Fatfoot" cogs have much wider teeth and obviously make better contact with the chain. If you run 42 x 21t for instance, you would also automatically get better wrap. think about it!

[CET]

here is my build, still need to do custom paint on the frame

 

[ichops]

Hi Wazza When I built my bike I fitted 48 x 16t 3/32" and the chain skipped over my Surly steel cog regardless of which chain I tried. I then fitted a 49 x 16t 3/32" (which tightened up the wrap around the cog just a bit more) but it still skipped when excellerating hard.

I changed everything to 49 x16t 1/8" and that was the end of my problems. "Fatfoot" cogs have much wider teeth and obviously make better contact with the chain. If you run 42 x 21t for instance, you would also automatically get better wrap. think about it!

Surely the angle of wrap decreases with an increase in diameter of the chain ring = less wrap > what am I missing here as the cogs remained 16t in both cases ?

The logic in the above post doesn't work (49 gives better wrap than 48 ? due to diameter increase angle of wrap must decrease)

[ichops]

Tommasini SS

I rode an identical Tommassini - same colours - for 13 years in JHB - but it was full on geared

Now I see this and I would love to have my old bike back which would be an impossible find

So if you ever want to sell yours give me a PM !

[raptor]

Here is my 1

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee122/graaf01/20130828_110453_zps5563646f.jpg

[divernick]

I hate tensioners #justsaying

[Wyatt Earp]

I hate tensioners #justsaying

 

Not as much as I hate magic gears.