SS now means SEVEN speed!

[Craig Nicholson]

Well I made the decision today that I've just not got knees that are upto Single speed and after thinking long and hard, the lavadome is going to go seven speed!

Rear mech saves getting a tensioner, crankset can go 36/38t Single ring and maybe bash ring.

What's your thoughts? It is something that the hardcore ss guys might frown upon but I think it's the best I can do to go ss without eliminating the ability to walk! It'll be used mainly on road and light offroad (old railway lines and round the local flash etc)

Opinions please?

 

[Moqi]

Single or seven

My Fire mountain that I built - see http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=53034 is running 9 speed and its works ok.

Can't see me going singlespeed - not fit enough!

 

[perry]

as someone who loves one gearing i say its great . it takes a knowledgeable rider to buck the trend and say its not for them and actually set the bike up for their own personal use and not what everybody else is doing

im doubly happy because you said seven speed and not the god awful forum blurgh of typing 1x7 . 1x9 . 3x8

you might want to consider a chain retention device . something like the dmr chaincage or an old front mech with the limit screws wound in . with the chain flapping around over rough ground it could come off the chainring and normally the front mech would stop it bouncing off the top

 

[Moqi]

chain retention

I got a chain assassin off somebody on here. I'm sure he had 2. I'll trawl through my messages and try to locate if you want.

 

[Craig Nicholson]

Great! I'm not going mental then! ha ha

I got the idea searching google for single speed info and seeing if my knees were going to cope. One of the sites suggested leaving the rings on the front and just manually changing them if needed but trying to use just one as much as possible. That got me thinking and as I've been finding it hard to get a cheap front mech anyway, it all made sense!

You'll have to forgive my lack of knowledge but what is this assassin/chain retention you speak of? Anyone got pics?

 

[Craig Nicholson]

Ah, is that one on the front of bobgarrod's Kona?

Great idea but is it not just one more thing to go wrong? Doesn't it sort of defeat the idea of slimming down? How important is it in the real world?

 

[barry2017]

This is a deeply unfashionable sounding piece of kit, but how about a hub gear?
I've had a lot of fun riding a bike with a 4 speed Sturmey-Archer hub this weekend. It feels closer to singlespeed than a derralieur, but a bit easier to live with.

 

[Andy R]

Well I made the decision today that I've just not got knees that are upto Single speed and after thinking long and hard, the lavadome is going to go seven speed!

Opinions please?

I think that it's a bit of a fallacy that riding a single speed will "wreck your knees" - I think that in-the-saddle climbing (which you don't do a whole lot of on a SS) is a lot harder on the knees (and lower back too...).

If you've tried it and found that it didn't work for you maybe you were using an suitable gear for your terrain? A lot of recommendations are for 32:16 but I find 32:18 or 19 a lot more usable around here. Forget what other people are using, gear for your riding area and your abilities - start a bit low, and up the gearing once you get used to it (as you soon will).

If I were you (and really wanted gears, but like the SS simplicity) I'd be tempted to go the Shimano Alfine IG route (or even the 3 speed Nexus IG hub) with the Forward Components EBB conversion. No ugly tensioner or rear mech flapping around, no more chain dragging through the water and mud (courtesy of that rear mech). In fact, my 2006 RM Blizzard may well be getting this very same treatment soon, although currently it's set up as 2x9 at the minute. That's if I don't just sell it or convert it to SS of course.....

 

[Craig Nicholson]

I get you Andy - and haven't actually tried SS because I already have knackered knees. It's an old rugby injury which flares up with normal riding on occassion (like when I did Whinlatter at the weekend).

So I really don't want to push them at all really and hence wouldn't want to try ss just incase.

Tha alfine /imotion idea is a good one but the parts gost money and I have the bits for the initial idea already plus no job so......

 

[Neil G]

I'm running a commuter Fire Mountain seven speed with a 36 chainring and it's pretty versatile