[Konabumm]

Seem like the 2008 company trend is to drop 26er SS bikes and only build 29er SS bikes

So has anyone used white industries E hub? Seems like thats going to be the only real way to run a good new 26er SS setup

 

[zebrahum]

Do you mean the Eno or the eccentric Eno hub? I have an eccentric Eno and as far as I'm concerned it's the only way to convert a geared bike. You can dial it in just like a EBB or a horizontal bike.

I don't think all companies will drop their 26s, guess only time will tell. I'm not giving up my 26ss anytime soon, but I have to admit the 29s make a nice single especially with tubeless and light wheels.

 

[Konabumm]

Do you mean the Eno or the eccentric Eno hub? I have an eccentric Eno and as far as I'm concerned it's the only way to convert a geared bike. You can dial it in just like a EBB or a horizontal bike.

I don't think all companies will drop their 26s, guess only time will tell. I'm not giving up my 26ss anytime soon, but I have to admit the 29s make a nice single especially with tubeless and light wheels.

yeah the Eccentric hub - I have a normal eno hub and I love it.

I have been shopping around for a new SS frame and all I have found is 29er - almost every company has dropped their 26er SS

 

[BikeGeek]

- almost every company has dropped their 26er SS

That's right, the big guys have moved on to the next "cash cow," but there are still companies doing them.

Soma, Voodoo, Salsa, Surly, On-One, and Kona all come to mind for OTS stuff. There's tons of companies doing custom.

 

[SuspectDevice]

I'm kind of hoping that Singlespeed bikes with moving parts attached to the frame go away all together....

Singlespeeding is fun. But an ebb or sliding drops is a great way to add at least 1/4 of a pound to a frame for no benefit whatsover versus a good tensioner or eccentric hub...

If you have to be some kind of "purist just run v-brakes and fork ends. Don't run nice tubes and good geometry with heavy, creaky crap.

 

[BikeGeek]

Singlespeeding is fun. But an ebb or sliding drops is a great way to add at least 1/4 of a pound to a frame for no benefit whatsover versus a good tensioner or eccentric hub...

If you have to be some kind of "purist just run v-brakes and fork ends. Don't run nice tubes and good geometry with heavy, creaky crap.

What makes those folks more of a purist than the guy telling them what not to run on their bikes? Personally, I couldn't care less about 4 oz. I never had much luck with tensioners and can't afford an ecc. hub. I'm not a purist, I'm just a guy who likes to ride his bike.

 

[TreeSaw]

What makes those folks more of a purist than the guy telling them what not to run on their bikes? Personally, I couldn't care less about 4 oz. I never had much luck with tensioners and can't afford an ecc. hub. I'm not a purist, I'm just a guy who likes to ride his bike.

I don't mind any weight added by my EBB, but I am just a hack so it doesn't really matter to me anyway

 

[Konabumm]

What makes those folks more of a purist than the guy telling them what not to run on their bikes? Personally, I couldn't care less about 4 oz. I never had much luck with tensioners and can't afford an ecc. hub. I'm not a purist, I'm just a guy who likes to ride his bike.

I think they all really have a place - EBB are cool for SS bikes. But if you find an awesome none SS frame then a Ehub is great. But I'll agree that I have never seen a chain tensioner work worth a damn (just doesn't feel the same.)

 

[zebrahum]

Myself and 5 of my friends all run the White eccentric hub. No problems, and I can't think of a better way to run SS on a bike. I'd most certainly consider it over an EBB because I f'n hate creaking, and I have little paitence for removing and lubing the BB every week.

 

[Konabumm]

Myself and 5 of my friends all run the White eccentric hub. No problems, and I can't think of a better way to run SS on a bike. I'd most certainly consider it over an EBB because I f'n hate creaking, and I have little paitence for removing and lubing the BB every week.

I'm glad to hear that - I'm really thinking thats the route I'm going to go.

 

[James]

Myself and 5 of my friends all run the White eccentric hub. No problems, and I can't think of a better way to run SS on a bike. I'd most certainly consider it over an EBB because I f'n hate creaking, and I have little paitence for removing and lubing the BB every week.

The only issue I had with it was that it can be kind of a pain to re-install trailside, brake setup, etc. I suppose that's also partially a function of me not being totally good with setting it up...

 

[hooker_47]

I think they all really have a place - EBB are cool for SS bikes. But if you find an awesome none SS frame then a Ehub is great. But I'll agree that I have never seen a chain tensioner work worth a damn (just doesn't feel the same.)

I'd agree, but I put a Rennen tensioner on my last SS build-up, and it works like a champ. Not as smooth as the tension on my Kula 2-9, but damn close. It makes all the other tensioners look like crap.

Only disadvantage that I can see is that you have to carry some kind of wrench to remove the rear wheel, but I always carried a 6" crescent with me, so no problems there.

Given a choice, I would run one of these tensioners over any EBB, and probably choose it over the ENO hub too. Just so much easier to use, in my opinion.

 

[Biscuit]

I've been running my eno-eccentric for almost a year now on a Jamis Dragon steel hardtail (reynolds 853 - super light for steel and CHEAP).

- brakes are a total PIA to set up. Once they're set, your golden.. but it's a pain. White Ind sells an eccentric disk adapter that works, but the little allen set-screws are impossible to get to with the wheel on the bike. Sorta frustrating, but once it's on, it's on.

- I'm 90% sure you need the special White Ind freewheel tool to install & remove freewheels because the eccentric axle is so big. Some other tools might work, but be warned.

- It requires allen keys to remove wheel.

- Tensioning the chain is pretty easy, but requires a little practice. Probably easier than an ebb.

- Depending on your chain length, the eccentric hub can/will change your geometry. I actually like the ability to run my chain on the longer side so by bb is lower and my ha is slacker.


When this frame goes, I may just find another Jamis because I like it so much. Otherwise I would seriosly consider a Kona with the sliding dropouts, or custom with the "pork slider" dropouts.

 

[Biscuit]

You can also look into half-links for your chain. You can dial the chain length to fit the frame, rather than adjust the frame to fit the chain.

Problem is if you bust a link, it can be hard to find a replacement.

 

[coiler7]

I've built several SS bikes; with converted cassette to SS rear hubs with chain tensioners, disc braked, suspension forked, stock rigid AL fork, etc. Even here in the wet Pacific NW, I still prefer the V-braked "Purist" rigid SS I ride presently; White Industries ENO rear hub & Winwood composite fork (disc compatible). I use a 16t & 19t (ACS) on the flip flop rear hub. Anyway this classic bike is simple to maintain, fast and @ 21 lbs, fairly light for a bike with a steel frame (OX III tubing).
To flip the rear (non-disc) wheel takes me about 4 minutes & all you need is an allen tool & a hub wrench (tho I usually don't bother w/ the hub wrench - just set the eccentric hub & chain slack w/ my index finger).
Now, I've had all kinds of the newer hardtails in the past 10 years but still like best the old school geometry w/ the longer chainstays because it makes for a more comfortable ride on the longer tours . Also, when you're really tired, the slack head angle helps in descending thru rough technical stuff & riding over logs. The rim's sidewalls do tend to wear out after about 2 seasons compared to a disc brake wheelset but thats just a minor issue to me. For me, rim brakes & a standard wheelset trumps the more complicated, heavier disc brake system.

RIDE ON