Converting to Single Speed

kevinharley

Hi all,

Most of my mates are running, or are about to convert, their hardtails to single speed, ready for low maintainence winter mud riding, and I think I'll do the same. I've been loaned some spacers and a chain device, and have a vague idea of what I need to do, but would welcome some more comprehensive "do's and don'ts" ...

The Bike is a 2011/12 Boardman Team, 10sp cassette. As this is the only bike I have, the conversion is likely to be temporary, ie over the worst of the weather, and I will retain all the bits I take off to put them back on in the Spring, or if going somewhere where I need a greater range of gears. My questions are:

1. What gearing do people advise? Riding is mostly local north Leeds - yes there are hills, but not too steep, or not too long. Mate is running a 2:1 ratio; think I would probalby run something a bit easier to begin with.

2. Can I use a cog from the current rear cassette? Do I just use the spacers I've been given, plus the lockring on the current cassette? Any advice on the number of teeth for the rear cog, ie is it better to have more teeth in order to avoid skipping problems?

3. Front chainwheel - I would rather just use one of the existing chainwheels and remove the other (probably remove the outer) - can I do this? Do I need to fit anything where the outer chainwheel was? Is the choice between fitting a bashguard, or using shorter chainwheel bolts? Idealy, I would just like to take the outer one off and leave it at that ... but can I?

4. Presumably I will need a shorter chain - should I just shorten the current chain, or buy a new one?

5. Presumably I can remove the rear and front mechs with cables still attached, so that it is easier to re-install when the weather gets better?

Any other advice, or answers to questions I didn't know I needed to ask?!!

Cheers

nicklouse

what is the rear hub body made from? steel or aluminium?

1 2:1
2 dont bother
3 best to get the correct one. bash/guid ring/spacer or shorter bolt sets.
4 yes or yes
5 what mechs do have now?

and have a read

viewtopic.php?f=40073&t=12534960

kevinharley

Ok, so I've bought this (cheap, from someone here on BR!) ...
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=10009

I don't want the expense of a new singlespeed chainwheel, so either want to use one of my existing chainrings (can I do this, and if so, do I need to keep with a 10sp chain?) or buy a specific singlespeed chainring and singlepeed chain. Have been looking at Chainreaction, Superstar etc for cheap bits, but am confused as to what exactly I need - confusion not helped by reference to BMX etc as part of singlespeed set ups!

So can someone help me out, and give me some links to cheap as chips ...

- Front chainring for singlespeed, prob 32/34 teeth

- Spacers or shorter bolts, so that chainring will fit to current chainwheel

- Singlespeed chain (plus compatible powerlink)

Anything else I need?

Thankyou!

nicklouse

so what is the answer to my first question?

and the rest you are now asking is buying advice.

warpcow

FSA DH chainrings are cheap and good. Generally cheapest from CRC. Ditto Brand X short bolts. Then any 8-spd SRAM chain and you're on your way.

Don't use your existing chainring, you'll only end up having to change it when you've worn it out riding SS all winter.

kevinharley

nicklouse wrote:

what is the rear hub body made from? steel or aluminium?

Sorry, kind of forgot you asked that bit amidst the confusion (for me!) of going singlespeed.

Not sure how I would know whether the hub is alu or steel - its a Formula Disc hub, from a Boardman Team MTB - are you able to tell the answer from that? Also, why is this important - does this determine singlespeed conversion options?

And yes, I do need buying advice - not cos I'm lazy, but because I'm confused - for example, done a search on chainreaction for singlespeed chainrings and get one option only (which has too many teeth), or search for chainrings and get a multitude of options, but I don't know whether they are what I need. Ditto chains - do I need a specific singlespeed one, or a standard 7/8/9/10sp one and shorten it? :?

Chunkers1980

It all depends if you want to do it properly or not. Geared parts do work, SS specific works better.

If you have an alloy freehub, you need a wider based cog as it would dig in, steel, it doesn't matter so much.

nicklouse

kevinharley wrote:

nicklouse wrote:

what is the rear hub body made from? steel or aluminium?

Sorry, kind of forgot you asked that bit amidst the confusion (for me!) of going singlespeed.

Not sure how I would know whether the hub is alu or steel - its a Formula Disc hub, from a Boardman Team MTB - are you able to tell the answer from that? Also, why is this important - does this determine singlespeed conversion options?

yes as the kit you have now bought is not suitable for an ally freebody.

get your cassette off. get a magnet and see.

loads of rings

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Sear ... chain+ring

chain depends on the width of your cogs and rings.

The Rookie

The Formula's I have come across (Carrera's) are all steel freehub's.

kevinharley

Bu**er!

My current chainwheel is an FSA Comet 2x10, but has only 3 arms (as opposed to the more regular 4 or 5) ... can't seem to find any 3 bolt chainrings at 32/34 teeth that would fit ... all I can find is a 30t inner ring from Wiggle - is this going to do the job?

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/fsa-super-386-m ... chainring/

nicklouse

kevinharley wrote:

Bu**er!

My current chainwheel is an FSA Comet 2x10, but has only 3 arms (as opposed to the more regular 4 or 5) ... can't seem to find any 3 bolt chainrings at 32/34 teeth that would fit ... all I can find is a 30t inner ring from Wiggle - is this going to do the job?

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/fsa-super-386-m ... chainring/

or change the size of the rear cog.

First check the freehub body.

what is ring sizes do you have now?

kevinharley

I will check the freehub before doing anything else! :oops:

The cog that comes as part of the singlespeed kit is 16t ... so running the 30t from wiggle up front will make it easier to pedal uphill, but will spin out at a lower speed?

Current chainset is 27/42 ... can I get a smaller rear cog (eg 14t) and just run the current 27t inner chainring up front (with some shorter bolts)?

nicklouse

single cog kits can go down to 11T but they may not work with your spacers. 12T should and 13 or 14 will.

The Rookie

Most trails bikes run 22/14 (ish) so 14T is commonly available (in fact I have one in my 'box 'o' shite'!)