Originally Posted by
thewilson
currently I have a gap of about 10mm, is this an OK gap for riding a single speed or should I see if i can track down a smaller spindle? thanks!
what it is currently
As already mentioned, you don't need to worry about distance between chainring and chainstay. You want to check the distance between the chainring and the centreline of the bike (chainline). From Sheldon Brown's page, you have this equation:
Chainline = (OLD/2) - RearSprocketSpacingFromDropout
You'll want to adjust your chainring's distance from centerline to match. Within 5mm should be fine.