Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Not quite a fixie, but 2 or 3-speed?

Anyone here have any luck converting a derailleur bike's rear cluster to a single gear, and removing rear derailleur, but leaving the front derailleur and 2 or 3 chainwheels intact?

I did it once, but not without the derailer. As Chrisgerne notes, the chain length would be problematic.

pauls component melvin chain tensioner is designed to do that. it can handle up to a 20 tooth spread. perfect for a 24 34 44 or 22 32 42 etc.

a friend of mine has one on his singlespeed (actually double speed) MTB and runs a 22 32.

if you were to throw a tensioner on a fixed....


that wouldnt work, would it?

It would curl up and die.
As soon as you go to skid, all the chain tension goes to the bottom of the chain, the bottom of the chain goes straight, and the top of the chain therefore goes slack. Really slack chain = asking for trouble, really slack chain while skidding = getting it in heaping quantities.
Which isn't to say people haven't done it, probably moreso with tensioners with small amounts of travel (only taking up a minimal amount of slack).

Make that into a dual tensioner setup (eww.. mucho ugly) and you're in business. The key to not breaking your toys is to make sure that when the chain snaps taut, there's sufficient travel in the tensioner to not snap it off.

I know next to nothing about fixed/SS, which is why I am here trying to learn, but I just wanted to say I recently saw mention in Cycling Plus magazine of the Schlumpf Mountain Drive and Speed Drive, and I found that Harris Cyclery carries them in the USA. It has one front chainring, no derailleur, and the shifting mechanism is internal. I have no idea (yet) if this will work with all frames but if alignment issues are OK then it might offer the oportunity to have a SS rear with a 2-speed front, offering a lower gear for hills and higher gear for flats areas. Anyone have ideas on this? Edited to add: It was the Dec-Jan issue of Cycling Plus.

I believe it is not recommended for fixed gears (not designed to handle backpedaling pressure, voids warranty) but I've heard good things about it for freewheeling SS use.
Best wishes,
Dr. hans

Was referring to the Mountain Drive...
Dr. Hans

Thanks Dr. Hans!