Single gear bike
darrell1967
Posts: 470
Hi,
I’ve got an old Dolan frame and some odd parts including a Tiagra 4600 chainset, brakes and 10 speed cassette.
Can I run this without a derailleur with the chain on the 6th cog for example?
I’m thinking of building a simple bike to go up the gym on.
Cheers
I’ve got an old Dolan frame and some odd parts including a Tiagra 4600 chainset, brakes and 10 speed cassette.
Can I run this without a derailleur with the chain on the 6th cog for example?
I’m thinking of building a simple bike to go up the gym on.
Cheers
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Comments
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The tricky part is getting the chain the right length and tension so it doesn't bounce out the sprockets.
The simple solution is to use a chain tensioner - like a rear mech but doesn't move up and down, just the spring bit.0 -
I’ve just nosed at tensioners on eBay. Only £20.
Why is it hard to get the chain length correct? It was straightforward on my old BMX or is it because of the drop-outs??0 -
If you have a tensioner it shouldn't be hard to get the chain length right.darrell1967 said:I’ve just nosed at tensioners on eBay. Only £20.
Why is it hard to get the chain length correct? It was straightforward on my old BMX or is it because of the drop-outs??1 -
Will it work ok to go from the 4th or 5th sprocket to the chain wheel??elbowloh said:
If you have a tensioner it shouldn't be hard to get the chain length right.darrell1967 said:I’ve just nosed at tensioners on eBay. Only £20.
Why is it hard to get the chain length correct? It was straightforward on my old BMX or is it because of the drop-outs??
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You haven't said what the frame is, or whether it has vertical or horizontal dropouts. Unless you are running a straight chain line, it is likely to be at best unreliable, or at worst, unworkable.0
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Its got vertical drop-outs.0
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Yeah your BMX would have had horizontal drop outs, which you use for getting the chain tension0
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So vertical drop-outs can’t do that then? Hence the chain tensioner.elbowloh said:Yeah your BMX would have had horizontal drop outs, which you use for getting the chain tension
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Chain line and chain tension (or slack) are going to be the biggest issues. All very well saying 'put the chain on the 6th sprocket' - but unless the chain line is straight, it's not going to want to stay there. You can get single speed freehub spacer kits which will help you achieve a straight line, by replacing the cassette with a single sprocket and spacers.1
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You can use a single sprocket and lots of those plastic spacers from cassettes if you can't get hold of one of those those kits as above..
The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
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Thanks guys. I think I understand it all now.0
