Originally Posted by
waxnomadic
I just got a Nova, as well, and am doing the opposite...stripping of the gear cluster and making it a single-speed. Putting a 16T freewheel in the rear almost worked without a chain tensioner so I'm going to try a 17t before I resort to a tensioning device. It would be nice to find a "magic gear" combination, so I could try a fixed hub later, if I want.
Well, I finally got a 17t single-speed freewheel (to replace the stock 7-speed one) and it seems to be perfect chain tension with the stock crank. The only other moification was to "flip" the hub axle around to make for a straighter chainline & re-dish the wheel a bit. It seems to be a good gearing, too, but I have yet to ride it much with this setup. I'll see how much the chain "stretches" over time. If need be I can always switch to an 18t or 16t w/halflink to make up for any future slack. This could prove useful for anyone who wants to run an internal gear hub without a tensioner, too.