long term review of a single speed conversion?
 

I'm considering single speeding my 2013 Kona (vertical dropouts). I've done a lot of reading and have a good idea what I would want to do.

Anyone use a single speed conversion long term?

What did you use as a tensioner? How has the tensioner held up? Have you had problems removing the wheel to fix flat tires?

There are a lot of cheap spacer/cog kits out there. Do they hold up okay or am I better spending $30 or $40 for a Surley cog?

I use the bike for commuting along with my fixed gear. Since my commute is about an hour I want something that will hold together.

I have learned in the past that going the cheap route usually ends up costing you time and money along with a side of frustration. If you can do it, go with the better cog like the Surly. I use them on my single speed and it was money well invested. Buy once, cry once is something I heard a few years ago and it really stands true. Don't buy garbage hoping that it will be quality stuff and save you money. Buy the best that you can with the money you have.

Also, depending on what cog you need, I have a Surly 14t that was used once and swapped out for a 13t. We could talk if this interests you.

I'm looking for a 14t cog and sent you a PM. Thanks.

Converted a 1987 Peugeot Ventoux to SS in 2005.
Spent $18 when I bought & installed a SS freewheel, tossed the shifters/derailleurs/cassette/extra chainring.
Horizontal dropouts, so no tensioner used.
After about year, I bought a cheap flip-flop rear wheel so I could try it fixed. ($120-ish).
Bolt-on axle, so again, no tensioner.

Rode the bike full-time until 2007, when I bought a Steamroller.
Kept is as foul-weather ride until 2012, when I broke the frame.

More specific to your needs:
I SS-ed my Kona Entourage, a 170mm DH bike.
I installed an Alfine tensioner, which was suggested to me by SS DH mates who tried several options at Whistler bike park. It has worked flawlessly for me over 2 summers so far. [one DH run is probably more abuse than you'll put on a commuter in its entire lifetime.]
I have tried several brands of cassette cogs, and Surly are the only ones I'll buy anymore.

That's exactly the kind of information I was looking for, thanks. I will definitely spring for the Surley cog. I was leaning in that direction but I wanted a voice of experience.

I'm considering a misfit psycles B*ner as a tensioner but I might think twice about the Alfine based on your recommendation.

SS '79 trek 710 w/horizontal dropouts, been riding it for six years.

Fixed '86 trek Elance w/horizontal dropouts, been riding it for eight years.

SS '87 Stumpjumper w/horizotal dropouts, been riding it for ten years.

SS '95 custom titanium, w/vertical dropouts and WI Eno Eccentric hub, been riding it for 10 years.

SS Gary Fisher, w/vertical droputs and "magic gear" and coaster brake hub, been riding it for seven years.

Fixed Performance Ascent aluminum frame w/track forks, been riding it for four years.

SS Performance Ascent aluminum frame w/track forks, been riding it for four years.

SS generic carbon frame w/vertical dropouts and ENO Eccentric hub, been riding it for three years.

SS generic carbon frame w/vertical dropouts and Beer Components Eccentric BB, been riding it for two years.

trying desperately NOT to purchase the Planet X Pro Carbon Track frame and build up yet another bike i don't need. i'm into my second month on that, and starting to slip... :)

i have a mix of 3/32 and 1/8 cogs and chains and am moving to 3/32 for all of them. i buy the cheapest and lightest cogs i can find and have never had a problem with any of them. the SS freewheels i use are the ACS Crossfire models. and have been very satisfied with them.

You know...if you did have a couple more bikes you would have a full two week rotation. :)

I converted my Shogun to SS a while ago. I'm running older Campy C-Record hubs that take a thread-on freewheel, so that was easy. Never used a tensioner.

In your profile info you just list the Shogun which kind of answers my question (or maybe it's the question that was never asked), "Do people drive their SS conversions long term."

With the large amount of cheap conversion kits (both in price and quality one might suppose) do people stick with them or do they find them so frustrating to keep adjusted that they eventually abandon the conversion and buy a single speed?

I made the decision to singlespeed my Kona. I ordered a Surly cog and an Alfine tensioner. I guess I'll see how well it works long term.

Are you converting with a freehub body? I've never tried that. Mine was as simple as removing the old multigear freewheel, threading on a SS one, switching to a single chain ring, and shortening the chain. I'm really happy with the way it turned out, so it's staying single. If/when I ever want gears again, I'm probably just going to get another bike.

Yup.

I'm converting my Kona to single speed. The problem I had was that there was tons of information out there about how to do it, how easy it was, how this tensioner is crap compared to this tensioner...you get the picture.

There's also tons of conversion kits out there; all of which receive glowing reports. I've been interested in people who made the conversion and still ride it two years later.

At the end of my wading through billions of posts and reading gazillions of reviews I took the plunge. Two years from now someone can ask me if it was worth it and I hope I'll have an answer.

For my freehub SS I do like the Surly cog, or any other SS cog with wide splines that won't chew into the freehub. I can't say much for tensioners, I have a DMR which I like a lot but it doesn't use a spring to automatically tension the chain. Can your frame can accommodate an eccentric BB? With that option you can get the nice clean SS look.

I looked into the eccentric BB but to be honest I couldn't figure out what I needed to make it happen. By this I mean I don't have enough of a background to figure out what I needed.

I read a lot, looked at installation instructions, but didn't feel competent to take the plunge.

Love your avatar by the way.

Can't blame you. Since I stopped working as a bike mechanic I stopped giving a damn about keeping up with the different BB "standards" available. Although it shouldn't be diffult to find out what your frame has an ordinary threaded BB or say BB30 or PF30. My 2012 Kona Unit has a traditional threaded BB

i recommend reading up on the White Industries ENO Eccentric hub.

if your frame will accept a 126mm, or 130mm, or 135mm (disk only) OLD rear hub. you won't need to worry about your vertical dropouts, bottom bracket, or using a chain tensioner. look up OLD if you don't know what that term means WRT bicycle frame and wheel dimensions. :)

it's a flip-flop hub offered in 28, 32 or 36h drillings and supports fixed cog or single-speed freewheel.

I looked longingly at the eno hub. The cheapest Canadian price I could find on it,including tax and shipping and the cost for lacing the back rim was pushing 300 bones. It was hard for me to justify at this point. I could purchase another single speed off of kijiji (CL) for an extra $200 ( I've seen Steamrollers go for that price).

I decided to go for a cheaper option and see if I like it as much as my fixed gear.

I decided to go with the derailleur as a tensioner. I used a Surly 14T cog with the original 38T chainring. The spacer kit is an eBay buy from Bike Dome Works and came with a 15T cog.

I like the fact that wheel removal is easy with the derailleur. I have a one hour commute and have had to do roadside repairs. If I wish I can put a larger cog beside the 14T cog and use the barrel adjuster to switch cogs in case I'm feeling less energetic on a given day.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=496786http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=496787

Looks good as long as the derailleur is locked in place by the limit screws.

Yes, I adjusted them. Thanks for the insight and for your contributions to my post.

I converted my 1990's Rockhopper with vertical dropouts to a single speed years ago. Got by with a magic gear ratio for awhile till I didn't. Got tired of the chain popping off.

Could have just gotten a tensioner but there were issues with the original hub so I ponied up for an Eno Eccentric hub and had it laced to Velocity Aeroheat. Much better. Really is a nice, well built hub. Not cheap but they come up on eBay fairly often.