Single speed conversion for vertical dropouts
 

My friend the n00b just overpaid for a schwinn 434 for a SS conversion, he didn't realize that the bike had vertical drop outs.

I like the looks of this, anybody have a set up like this? It seems to be a good choice over a spring loaded tensioner.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rlse9h74Q8Y

Ghost rings are cool, but why did he throw the bike to the ground?

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=231146

I didn't get that part either.

ghost rings look cool, but i don't trust them. you are talking SS and not fixed gear right? if so, just run a tensioner, it's not so bad. i recommend the surly singulator, it rules.

I wouldn't use a ghost ring for daily use. I've run one on a tallbike and found it to be unreliable, plus it is one of those things that won't just pop out/fail while cruising along, it will be while pushing hard and result in pain.

IMO get a real tensioner, it isn't worth busting your nuts or face on a ghetto setup to save a couple bucks.

Thanks for the tip guys.

If you dont want a tensioner what i did was adjust (shorten the chain) to fit with the freewheel in the vertical dropouts and the chain ring. you can also change the size of the chain ring to get a better chain tension, worked for one of my bikes.

Magic gears are cool, but a tensioner allows you to run whatever gear you want, and takes out a lot of guesswork.

I'm in the process of doing the same thing. I never really liked the idea of a ghost ring because it looked too cluttered. I will probably just use a singleator but that is not perfect either. I removed the old derailleur only to put on something that looks just like a derailleur. Has anybody had any luck with using half links to attain the magic gear?

I like the look of the ghost ring, the real problem is chainstay clearance

I like the ghost ring aesthetic, the real problem is chainstay clearance....

How about an eccentric bottom bracket? I'm thinking about adding one to my parts bin.

I think thats pretty scary, Just more chances of getting your jeans caught if you dont roll them up

Do you need an oversized BB for that? Otherwise, what cranks would work?

It's a little spendy but imo worth it if you want to convert a frame you really like to ride: http://www.forwardcomponents.blogspot.com/

Note that I can't comment on quality as I haven't tried any of the EBBs out there. I've just always thought they were a neat solution.

you can get an eccentric hub, that doesn't need any special frame... but if you are looking to run a ghost ring you probably aren't looking to spend $130 or so.