It seems that vertical dropouts are a huge problem as far as SS goes. You have to add a chain tensioner and all that garbage. so, I have this idea, and I was wondering if it would work.


Take a run of the mill vertical dropout mtn frame.

attach bullhorns, aero brake levers, and v or cantilever brakes, and, for a rear hub, use a internally geared hub.

Then, if you really did think you would need to shift, couldn't you add a barcon to your bull bars to shift? I believe Sheldon brown has a similiar setup on some sort of bike of his.

Would that work? Would it just be heavy? Is it just plain silly? Overly expensive? Just wondering, it sounds like it could work. -nrs

Basicaly you are going to have a geared bike.... why go through the cost of internaly geared hub? It would work but I can't see a reason why to do it, I've never used a internaly geared hub, but I don't think they would work well for off-road because of the abuse it would take.

Why not just get a White Industries ecentric hub if you don't want to use a tensioner, or if you select right gearing you can actualy get away without a tensioner this limits your choices ALOT though.

It's an idea that I've been toying with. Problem though. Most if not all internal geared hubs have axle nuts or spacers or whatever that align them in horizontal dopouts to keep the hub oriented properly so that the shifting works all the time and what not. They would have to be modified to work with vertical dropouts. Sheldon says it would work, but I need to look into it. The other thing is that taking the wheel off to change a flat goes from a pretty simple job to a significantly more complicated one. Way more complicated.
I'm still thinking about the idea and I haven't decided yet, but as is pointed out, they don't tend to work well offroad and rumor is that the shock makes them break off expensive parts. The SACHS are supposed to be more reliable that the shimano though, and the rolhoff 14 speed (at $800 for a hub) has been used for off road tandem racers so it's probably possible. You try it first and let me know.

Yes, it will work.

and how is this a singlespeed?

Seriously, though...I'm confused...I presumed an internally geared hub necessitates horizontal drops just as a SS/FG would...chain tension being the goal. Thats they way my sisters internal hub from 30 years ago worked.

Yep, internal gear hubs need the same tensioning arrangement as SS or fixed wheel bikes, either a horizontal dropout or a chain tensioner.
Internal hubs are good offroad in muddier conditions, where derailleur mechs get clogged, and the shock of landing on mud is limitted, but they are better for Just Riding Along rather than big-air stunts.

BTW you can get a FIXED wheel internally geared hub, its a colectors item by Sturmey Archer, found of high-end custom English racing bikes of the 1930s.

like multiple others have said, it would work..I rode next to a guy on ragbrai for a few miles that had a cannondale roadie he put a rolhoff on, he really seemed to like it. of course, being a vertical drop out rig he had a rolhoff chain tensioner that looked something like a cheap version of a singleator. that was his only complaint I think. I think I suggested he look into a soulcraft convert to keep the chain tight as the roller on that would be smoother than what he was using. lotta dough though. unless you really like the idea of an internally geared hub and have extra $, Id say if your gonna run gears just use a derailer? or was there another point to the setup?

Do you mean you have a choice of different gear ratios but it would still be fixed (stop by backpedaling)?

I did not know something like this existed. Why doesn't someone currently make somthing like this? A fixed gear with three different ratios would be the ultimate for hilly areas.

How long of a list do you want?

1. cost. millions to develop, millions lost due to poor sales
2. lawyers. millions to pay out when someone shifts into high gear going down hill then cant stop at the stop sign at the bottom.

Anyone else want to continue the list?

Bendix made internal 2/3 speeds with coaster brakes way back when.

Shimano makes a 7 speed with a coaster brake right now. 3 and 5 speeds with coasters as well. Man I could build up a weird bike.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by miamijim
How long of a list do you want?

1. cost. millions to develop, millions lost due to poor sales
2. lawyers. millions to pay out when someone shifts into high gear going down hill then cant stop at the stop sign at the bottom.

Actually, Bikesmith in Seattle makes a two speed fixed gear hub out of a modified coaster brake hub. And as someone's going to point out soon enough anyway, according to Sheldon Brown it's at least theoretically possible to convert a Sturmey Archer three speed hub to a two speed fix. One of the three speed SA fixed hubs from the 50s recently went for about $380 on ebay.
[QUOTE]
Anyone else want to continue the list?

Tell people they need a hand brake or two. I mean, really.
If it were really a prohibitive lawyer thing you couldn't buy a track bike w/o signing like a million disclaimers.

Bill