Thinking about going single-speed
 

My rear derailer seems to be having a hard time shifting gears. It also requires constant adjusting, which I really don't want to waste my time doing; so I have been looking into converting my road bike (vertical dropout :( ) into a single-speed, mainly because I like simplicity.

Today I went out on a short ride (7km; I was tired from the 45km I rode yesterday) and I only used one gear (52/18). Surprisingly, I managed to do it, although there are some hills that will require practicing I think.


I guess that's it; just wanted to share it with you guys :thumb:

Right on.

Do it! [and post pics]

Keep in mind that a [well built] SS will be noticeably easier to pedal than a geared bike using that same gearing.

• less weight from all the parts you can take off like the extra cogs.
• straight chainline.
• no drag from running the chain through the derailleur pulleys.

Go ahead & do it. I did it to my 24 speed last Spring when I broke my left shifter lever, I couldn't be happier with the bike. Don't worry about the vertical dropout, that's nothing that a chain tensioner or a half-link won't fix. I suggest using a half-link myself. I left the 52 tooth ring on & added a 20 tooth cog which gave me just above 70 gear inches. Perfect for the hills around here & I can spin nice on the flats.

you are gonna need some single stack bolts if you remove the extra chainring.

your spacer kit.

surly cog, i'm assuming you'll need a 3/32.

your chain, it's great for single speed use.

half-link to get your chain sized properly.

aside from the spacer kit I used all the above plus some new brake levers.


hope this helps. :thumb:

With the vertical dropouts you might need more than a half-link to get your chain snug. You won't need quite the tension you do riding fixed, but a tensioner or eccentric hub/bb might be necessary depending on your desired gearing.

I de-commissioned my geared roadie and built up a singlespeed roadie last year. I haven't regretted it one bit.

Thanks for the tips DavidLee. I'll keep note of this thread for when I start my project too.
Ernest

As long as you're just doing single speed and not fixed, just leave the derailleur on as your tensioner.

Beat me to it.

Just adjust the limit screws to put the derailer in the right spot.

Did you have to redish the wheel?

Nope, that's what the spacer kit is for. Just add & remove the individual spacers around until you find the proper chain line. Remember that the only thing you are removing from your wheel is the cassette. Good luck & post pics of your build should you decide to do it! :)

Leaving your derailleur on as a tensioner is the most ghetto thing you could do--unless it's a Campy Record or DA you won't get the clean feeling (or near silence) you get pedaling the chain through nothing. Not to mention that one of the main ideas of a SSFG bike is to cut that weight.

IMO I would get a purpose-built SS and keep your road bike as is. I'm very happy with my fixed gear, but sometimes I do wish I had a geared bike as well.

I'm yet to buy a single freewheel (my bike doesn't have a cassette), but I wonder if I can set my derailleur to one of the cogs and leave it there, removing the shifters. Is this possible?

of course. good way to decide how you really feel about it before you go through the trouble of altering your wheel. My main road bike had a derailleur issue so I just adjusted the limit screws to keep the rear in one place, and pulled the cables. simplest single speed.

It's possible but it's not the "best" way to do it. Part of the beauty of SS is the straight chain line and reduced drag since the chain isn't winding through all the little cogs on the derailleur.

I've been riding using only one gear since that first post. It's really great, not having to think about shifting. But, as a temporary fix, how would I go about adjusting the limit screws to keep it in one place? I fiddled with them a bit but I can only seem to keep it in the 2nd smallest cog (16t) or the 1st smallest (14t) , and those gearings are a bit too much for me.

I snapped my shifter cables and cut a small piece to tension the rear derailleur. I also removed the front derailleur. It was definitely an improvement, since when I had my shifters on the rear derailleur was constantly auto-shifting.