[jacksonpt]

Not sure what got me thinking about this, but... anyone run a SS setup in the back with a traditional der in the front for a 2 or 3 speed setup? There's no way I could ride a full blown SS, but the simplicity/reliablity of a SS setup in the rear is very appealing.

Anyone done it?

 

[splat]

Till Just recently , I had a 3 speed Road bike.
I used an old Sturmey archer internal 3 speed. I used that before I felt I could do the Fixed Gear thing.

 

[Westy]

I looked into doing it and it realized it would suck. Since you would still need a rear derailleur for chain tension you have all the same reliability issues. Not to mention 2 or the 3 speeds would offer you a crappy chain line. Doesn't ****mano make a 3 speed hub? Not sure it could take an offroad beating though.

 

[binary visions]

Well.. You'd have to run a pretty big chain tensioner, with a spring loaded system to take up the slack. At that point, you're causing chainslap, and you can still rip the tensioner off the back of the bike.. So what's the gain? If you don't like the finicky 9-spd, just buy 8spd components and a single chainring up front...

 

[BurlyShirley]

Jackson, that's kind of impossible, unless you run a derailleur or some other kind of tensioner in the back. Chain growth from switching rings in the front eliminates he possibility of the simple set up you want.

 

[jacksonpt]

Oh crap... you're right. I didn't think about chain tension. Oh well...

 

[Westy]

I ran a 1X8 last winter and liked it. I just used an unramped dual slolam ring up front and locked in the front derailleur as a chain retention device. The only problem I had was sometimes when backpedaled through bumps I would lose the chain.

 

[riderx]

There's no way I could ride a full blown SS, but the simplicity/reliablity of a SS setup in the rear is very appealing.

Sure you can. Resistance is futile, so just be done with it and go SS.

 

[blue]

Do NOT use a 3 speed internal hub....You'll waste your money, it won't take any sort of a beating at all. There's a reason they only get put on Electras and such.

They're also fixed, another thing you may want to look at.

 

[douglas]

go 8 (or 9) speed...my DH rig is 9 speed

 

[JRB]

With a Paul's Melvin tensioner you can run a 1 x 2. I set up one for a friend in Austin. It works well. The tensioner can't eat up enough slack for a 1 x 3 I don't think. I would just do 1 x 2 with a middle, granny, and bash guard.

 

[Echo]

There's no way I could ride a full blown SS, but the simplicity/reliablity of a SS setup in the rear is very appealing.

You could do it... Lord knows if my old fat ass can SS, anyone can

 

[jacksonpt]

You could do it... Lord knows if my old fat ass can SS, anyone can

Not on the trails I usually ride. I can't even handle some of the hills on my geared bikes. If it ever dries out... you'll have to bring the SS down my way for a ride.

 

[Nate at RIT]

You're talking with your old HT, right Jackson? Your body may sing a different tune than mine does, but you can run SS in that neck of the woods. Hurts like a bitch, but you can do it. I used to rock out with a 32-18 for everything but Merli-Sarnoski, and I'd run a 32-20 down there. So it can be done. You're not going to ride with your buddies for 3+ on their geard 5x5 bikes, but it's a blast to try it on those trails.

 

[fatpandas]

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/schlumpf.html

they make a two speed crankset. one chainring, and platentary gearing inside. seems pretty cool, and if you wanted to you could run that and a rohloff on a singlespeed frame (perfect chainline) and have 28 gears with somewhere in the neighborhood of a 900% range.