can i use an old 5 speed cassette as a singlespeed freewheel?
 

i have a 10 speed road bike, i took off the derailleurs and took off some chain links so now its on the biggest chainring up front and second smallest cog in the rear. I don't know if those cassettes are made to handle the kind of torque/pressure i'd be putting on it every time i start up. i rode around and i felt vibrations randomly, i'm not sure if it's the chain wanting to jump to the next cog or something messing up internally with the cassette.
any help would be great. idk if i should ask you the road bike section or you guys >.<

It'll work.

It'll be handle the horrendous torque you produce.

Your knees will explode, though.

well it's not that high of a ratio. the smallest cog, now THAT would make my knees explode haha

It'll work, but your chainline might not be ideal which will cause the vibrations and jumping you describe. You're really better off to just spend the twenty bucks on a single speed freewheel and thread it onto your hub. Then have the wheel re-dished (if necessary) to get a straight chainline. Go for a lower gear ratio. Your knees will thank you.

well I would like to have the option of throwing the derailleurs and being able to shift again, i'm trying out the singlespeed thing cuz i wanna have a simple set up with less stuff to worry about, I just don't want to damage the cassette if i decide to go back to 10 speed.

and another question, how much tension should there be on the chain? mine isnt too tight or too lose, but i think the vibrations are when i lean in on a turn and the chain scrapes the next cog cuz of gravity, i wanna tighten the chain a bit but i don't know how tight is too tight.

just realllllly watch that chainline and tension. jumping chains make for great chin music

great username.:troll:

haters gonna hate.. lol
it's just a username bro! -_-

Screw bikes, no one here actually rides anyway.

It should be fine... check your chain tension to make sure it isn't binding as that can cause some shudder.

If you are running the 52 tooth ring you should be running an 18-19 tooth cog in the rear to give you a knee friendly ratio.

I'm assuming with a 5-speed hub you have a bike with horizontal dropouts. You should be able to push the chain at least 1/2" up and down with your fingers. Looser is better than tighter.

Both wheels of the derailleur move together horizontally so there's no difference in chainline with or without the derailleur.

we used to weld old 5 speed freewheels to turn our beaters into fixed gear single speeds for winter cyclocross.

if you want to turn it into a single speed, remove all the other unused cogs, buy some spacers, and move adjust the useable cog amongst the spaces to ensure the chainline is correct.

Just remove the derailleurs and pick the cog that works best. If your chain line is slightly off, then that's OK... just so long as it's not WAY off.

nope. you are too strong. 10 speed road bikes have a torque limit of 200 microwimpys.

If it's 5 speed, it's actually a freewheel and not a cassette.


+1

You should be asking in Mechanics.

First, there's no such thing as a 5spd cassette, unless you're missing cogs. Cassettes go on freehubs, which are different to screw-on freewheel hubs like yours, and started with 6 speeds in the 80s.

Second, there's no way you're gonna overload the freewheel pawls; they only ever slip if they get sticky and the spring stops working.

Third, I bet that vibration is a throbby sort of thing, and the frequency matches the chainspeed (think links per second). Worn chainring, which almost certainly means worn chain and cogs. A fresh drivetrain makes a big difference. I'd get a new ring and chain on there, swap the 5spd cluster for a BMX freewheel and re-dish the wheel.

...And what's with the handle, dude? Now I've noticed it, I look exactly like my avatar.

It only works if your bars look like this.


http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:H...quatro.jpg&t=1

Yes, although you have a huge gear. I would go with the small chainring and find a gear you like.

You're fine with the setup you have put together. The "vibrations" you felt randomly are most likely cause by the chain line. Make sure everything is tight and the chainline is relatively straight and it will minimize that.

You can--I've done it, but I didn't really like the look (what's the point of having a singlespeed if the casual observer can't TELL it's a singlespeed?). An alternative is to buy a BMX freewheel and a whatever spacers you need to get the chainline right. When I did mine a couple of years ago, the freewheel was $12.95 and the spacers were a buck each. I bought three, in 1, 2 and 4mm thickness, but used only one of them. Any BMX-oriented shop should be able to fix you up.