Originally Posted by
NitroPye
Building up a new MTB and I stripped the drivetrain off my old bike and put it on the new and decided to build up the old as a SS foul weather bike. I was going to just toss on the performance bike single speed kit (
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/...slisearch=true), but got to thinking: If I kept my old cassette on and put a chain tensioner on would I then be able to have a manual 8 speed?
The only problem I can think of would be the chain tensioner needs to be properly aligned but then again I've never used a tensioner I figured it was just like a rear derailleur sans shift springs et al.
No. You need some way to line the chain up with the cog you want (it's not going to just stay there) and you need a way to take up the extra chain when you go to a smaller cog. You could use an actual derailleur with something to hold it in position - like a shifter. - TF