oxidizer

I just built my SS OnOne il Pompino; she looks and rides great.

Only problem is that I just signed up for the Almonzo Hundo and really want to ride it. I'm comfortable riding SS and FG in the city, but not so sure over 100 miles.

Here's my plan: I'll run a double (or a triple) crank and keep my nice White Industries SS freewheel. I already ordered the DA bar-end shifter(s).

Here's my problem: How do I run a chain tensioner from my track drop-outs? I'm stumped. There has to be some way to do it. Maybe someone has tried this before?

pacificaslim

You can use a bolt-on dropout to mount the chain tensioner or an old derailleur. This is one type, from Mr. Nemoto at cycleland.jp



Some more links:

Here's a good looking one from universal cycles: https://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...11&category=55:





And here's another one from: https://www.loosescrews.com/index.cgi...d=341815116956




You could just use a derailleur as your tensioner and here's a cheap one with built-in bolt-on dropout: https://www.loosescrews.com/index.cgi...d=341815116956

oxidizer

Great ideas. I'll check these out.

Has anyone tried this?

flargle

Egad just effing nut up you whiner. Yes, it will hurt. Deal with it.

oxidizer

The question is more technical, though I do appreciate the advice.

scruggle

If you are going to bother with
(1) a bar-end shifter
(2) a front derailleur (I assume this is what you are doing, since you ordered a bar-end shifter)
(3) a rear derailleur or chain tensioner to take up slack
(4) a derailleur hanger like above

Can I suggest getting a geared rear wheel and scrap the front derailleur/multispeed crank (or just get a different bike; this sounds like the biggest kludge ever).

EDIT 1: If you are using an Il Pompino I think you don't even have cable stops, something else you're going to have to deal with. This has disaster written all over it.

EDIT 2: Your Pompino is probably 120mm rear spacing so you can't even go with a geared rear wheel.

cnnrmccloskey

+1
Too much work for just 2 gears

seat_boy

You could always run two rings up front, and shift the wheel back or forwards manually to shift between the two different ratios. With the horizontal track ends of the Pompino, though, this may mean you have to adjust to the rear brake pads. But it would give you a bail out gear, at least.

scruggle

I don't mean to be harsh, by the way. Converting the Il Pompino to geared is tricky to say the least, and it'd be better to save you the hassle. Do you have a flip-flop hub? A second freewheel is probably the easiest, cheapest route. You could also get a 3-speed S3X hubbed-wheel (https://bikeisland.com/cgi-bin/BKTK_S...ls&ProdID=1708). It's a bit expensive ($299) but maybe not more so than your alternatives. Welcome to BF.

Chris_W

Get a proper bike with gears and a frame that is made to take them! Singlespeeds are often a useless waste of money, as evidenced by this thread.

winebelly

Its going to be tough. Costs will be more significant than you want for a temporary fix. I went thrugh a phase where i was thinking about doing this on a cross bike but with a hammerschmidt up front. It would seem to be the simplest way to do it but will cost around 400.

https://www.amazon.com/Truvativ-Hamme.../dp/B001QVZ0M0

scruggle

Show me a cross bike with ISCG mounts (you need them to mount the Hammerschmidt).

winebelly

Never said there was one

scruggle

If there are no cross bikes with ISCG mounts then why bother saying that 'a cross bike with a Hammerschmidt would seem to be the simplest way to do 2x1'? I figured I should give the OP and any other readers that detail before someone spends $400 on something they can't use because you said it was 'simple, but expensive'.

sooprvylyn

If you have a flip flop hub on your bike(which Im sure you probably do) you can get 2 different freewheels and then use a double chainring crank. Just make sure that the total number of teeth on the smallest chainring and biggest freewheel added together is within about 2 teeth of the total number of teeth of largest chainring and smallest freewheel added together. If you have relatively long track ends and/or plenty of tire clearance you can make it as much as 4 teeth different but that is extreme.

use the inside(smaller) chainring with the larger freewheel and the outside(larger) chainring with the smaller freewheel. Its a manual change but you can get a pretty big ratio difference this way without messing with a bunch of workarounds.

For instance(just an example):
run a 36F-18R you have a 2:1 ratio with a total of 54 teeth in the drivetrain
and on the other side
run a 34F-22R you have a 17:11(or 1.5454:1) ratio with a total of 56 teeth in the drivetrain

The latter setup will be approximately 1/4" shorter distance between BB and rear axle, which should not make much difference unless you have very little tire clearance. Basically every 1 tooth difference between the two gearing options will require 1/8" of room to play at the rear axle. The larger toothed combination will obviously result in the shorter BB to axle distance.

FYI you might need a half link to mess around with the different gear ratios if you are using larger tires.

BTW-I've done this with my bike and it took some trial and error to get it dialed in correctly. I suggest finding a geared bike similar to yours and find the two ratios you want to get close to for your ride. Then match the ratios to the best options based on the criterion above.

cnnrmccloskey

Hey hey hey... People waste single speed frames, they don't waste themselves

cudak888 

Get a Sturmey hub.

-Kurt

sooprvylyn

A sturmy hub is an option, but the track ends will need to be spread from 110mm to at least 114mm to fit even a 3 speed hub. Then you will need to find a way to run the gear chain along the frame, not impossible, but tricky. Then you will also need to run the shift cable without any cable bosses or braze-ons.

cudak888 

From 110? I'd expect it to be 120 oln.

Gear chain? Try gear cable. He'll have to use one whether he goes with a Sturmey hub or a derailer, unless he wishes to use a cableless, 2-speed Bendix kickback hub.

Full housing, tie wrapped, if you're a Grant Peterson follower - or a slob (same thing ). Those who wish to be less crude can use a clamp-on, over-the-BB cable guide, and a cable stop further up the frame leading to a bar-mounted shifter.

-Kurt

winebelly

I dont want to argue about it, but you could get an ISCG adaptor plate. Its no more far fetched than other ideas thrown out on this thread. Obviously, I would expect someone to do some of their own independent research.

squirtdad

As suggested if there is enough room in your track ends.... flip flop hub, double up front..... stop, loosen/take of wheel, change gear.

this is what rivendell does with their SS https://www.rivbike.com/products/show/quickbeam/50-150

scruggle

Who's arguing? I'm just making sure the readers of this thread aren't given bad advice. SRAM even says not to use the Hammerschmidt with an ISCG adapter. Also, if you think people should do their own independent research, then no answer is better than a misleading one.

crushkilldstroy

Another thing you can do is trade your WI 17t freewheel for a WI Dos Eno freewheel and then you don't even have to flip flop your flip flop. Or you could go nuts and get a 16/18 for one side and a 17/19 for the other. Set up with the proper chain length, you'd be fine on all four.

Or for the money you've spent on that, you could just lace in a used 8sp Alfine. Although a 120/135 stretch may be a bit much.

cudak888 

If he wants a 2x1, all he needs is the flip-flop hub, actually.

-Kurt

sooprvylyn

You are correct, I shouldnt drink before posting, I get my numbers mixed up.



I know there is a cable, but there is ball chain going into the hub, I was referring to this part.



Well he can use duck tape too, if he doesnt care about aesthetics at all. Since he is riding a single speed bike I assumed he wanted to keep with the clean look that singles are famous for.