single-speed bikes/jockey wheels...

mazcp
mazcp Posts: 953
edited June 2007 in Workshop
Is there a reason why some single-speed bikes have jockey wheels? I saw pictures of one advertised for sale, but I don't understand what purpose they would serve.
Thanks

Comments

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    its for tensioning the chain. that is all

    Mleh Mleh Mleh
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    because the frame is unsuitable for single speed.


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  • hazeii
    hazeii Posts: 233
    If it has a jockey wheel involved, it's not designed as a single-speed bike.

    It almost certainly means the frame was designed to work with gears - generally, that means there is no option for moving the rear wheel back/forth to set chain tension, so a "chain tensioner" (basically a cut down derailleur) is required to take up the slack.

    The optimum for single-speed is a frame where there is a way to move the rear wheel back/forwards to get the chain tension correct (e.g. "horizontal dropouts", "track ends", "sliding dropouts").

    Having said that, a geared frame with a well-set-up tensioner is not a bad way to try S/S but it is a cheap hack - so be careful if you are looking at one advertised as such, it should be going for a *cheap cheap* price.
  • mazcp
    mazcp Posts: 953
    @hazeii...yes, you were right...it's a geared-to-ss conversion job. Here it is.
    Thanks.
  • hazeii
    hazeii Posts: 233
    I quite like that, and the sloping dropouts means no chain tensioner is required. Looks like there might be a bit of toe overlap though.

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