[Agent Z]

I've been out of the loop for awhile. Got a ROADIE bike for transportation and really like the fact that everything works and nothing breaks.

So I'm thinking about converting my Karp Armageddon to single speed, since I can't stand the broken parts anymore (not to mention the noise and friction coming from the Blackspire chainguide). I haven't raced in 3 years and probably won't again. I mainly ride this bike at Northstar at tahoe. Has anyone done anything like this? I'm planning to do the same for my Azonic DS bike, which has horizontal drop outs. The Karp has normal dropouts so I need some sort of tensioner. Any ideas?

 

[Grimey]

chain growth

 

[Agent Z]

How does the Rohloff fix this problem?


What if I just kept the derailleur on with no cables?

 

[dexterq20]

Single-speeding a DH bike sounds a little sketch. And don't Karpiels have major chain growth during compression of the suspension?

 

[Rik]

Singlespeed on a dually would be a nightmare... with a dually, it helps to be pedalling at an optimum RPM to take into account the action of the suspension. Running a singlespeed setup, you're going to be outside that optimum RPM a very large percentage of your riding time, so expect to have fun bouncing down the trail.
You can always give it a go, use either your current derailleur (which sort-of cancels out the "less stuff to break" part of SS), or get one of those sexy Rohloff tensioners.

 

[DHS]

only work with, Lenzsport, BMW, and anything else that pivots around the BB.
no chain growth.

 

[DHracer1067]

bmw doesnt really pivot around the bottom. just like a single seatstay with a cog on it so the chain never grows. then a chain to go up there and make it go.

 

[RhinofromWA]

Singlespeed on a Rotec (2002) model

Flexy69's old bike from up in Vancouver BC.

 

[thevan]

i have a lenz sport pro d. a rode and raced it all year(mostly cuase i coud'nt afford the drivetrain ) with it setup single speed, with 9" of travel. it wasent the best for racing some courses, but suprsingly was'nt that bad for most.... I ran a 38-16... and i did'nt have to run a chain guide. it was sweet i never had a drive train problem once. and it was really quiet! now i have a derailer and it is niceer for races, cuase you can keep the correct cadence and all. But there was also somthing to be said for just pedal and go....
yeah so get a pro D ...i might sell mine

 

[buildyourown]

I think the SS would work just fine on a bike with minimal chain grow and a tensioner. You could either use the Roloff or one of those singleators that are designed for ss conversion. The Canfield F1 is a good example. My BB7 has the same pulley and its chain grow is very small.

 

[mandown]

i think bender ran a banshee scream with a single speed set up at red bull last year. he probably just had a deraileur set up on the single cog as a tension device. you could probably replicate this with no problem, and it would adjust for any chain grow/shrink.

as others have said, you can do it if the pivot is around the bottom bracket (kona had the "A" for one year, it was a single speed with 3" of rear travel). or you can have it set up on a bmw where the pivots are the same as the center of the cogs on a swing arm.

good luck with it.

 

[xy9ine]

i ran ss on my tmx. worked well @ whistler - completely silent drivetrain. not so good as a trailbike.

 

[joelsman]

my friend made his dh bike into a single speed, it had a risse rear end,(nonhurst 4bar) he used a singlenator.

again alot depends on the chain growth

 

[chillindrdude]

you couldn't race NORBA on it...i think they require a bike with derailleur and gears

 

[buildyourown]

you couldn't race NORBA on it...i think they require a bike with derailleur and gears

The honda doesn't have a derailleur.
And at the grassroots level, they don't care. We have guys racing on singlespeed full rigid bikes.

 

[Scurry]

cove g spots would work, so could you race expert class with ss (norba)?

 

[syadasti]

SS Canfield F1 with Rollager(sp?):

Lance Canfield has also been running his F1 SS with a derailluer acting as the tensioner I think?

 

[jace]

SS Canfield F1 with Rollager(sp?):

that's not a Rollenlager...they have to be run through the qr/axle, i.e. impossible to mount on most DH bikes.

 

[RaID]

you couldn't race NORBA on it...i think they require a bike with derailleur and gears

doesnt need a derailler but at least 7 discrete gears

 

[lanman]

The honda doesn't have a derailleur.
And at the grassroots level, they don't care. We have guys racing on singlespeed full rigid bikes.

The Honda essentially has a derailleur in the gearbox, u need at least 3 working gears in Norba

 

[flymybike]

JD's ss (polished shown above) uses a tensioner that we came up with that uses a deraillieur spring and a MRP roller and a custom arm and hardware. He has a Profile 28 tooth and a KMC grind chain. He has ridden it that way all year with zero problems. I have a 105 road der tensioning mine and it's been 4 months and zero probles or maintenance. We tried to set them up with no tensioner but the virtual pivot moving makes it impossible. Check out www.canfieldbrothers.com for more pics.

 

[flymybike]

would it make sence to have a triple up front and ss in the back to get the 3 required gears to race with? Maybe a 28/34/40 combo for slow, medium, fast gearing.
discuss

 

[Scurry]

would it make sence to have a triple up front and ss in the back to get the 3 required gears to race with? Maybe a 28/34/40 combo for slow, medium, fast gearing.
discuss

Yes but you would still need something like a derailer to tension and I am sure you would drop chains a lot.

 

[flymybike]

Yes but you would still need something like a derailer to tension and I am sure you would drop chains a lot.

Yes a tensioner of some sort is needed. There is alot less required of a tensioner than a derailliur. I have had good luck with my ss w/ 105. No adjustments or dropping the chain in over four months. I was having shifting issues nearly every ride before that. I'll be running it this way for the Red Bull Rampage. :heart: Hope this doen't jinx me!

 

[bigkonarider]

Tried it & had more problems with the chain coming off.You gotta have the gear sanwitched in back there or else.....
I guess there is lees weight w/o pod/cable/cassette & maybe just using a singeator?
I have a hardtail SS & it rocks-but for Freeride & DH it's really nice to just be able to pick a gear that works that day & use it,rather than being bogged down in slow corners straining or Spinning out somewhere else..
SEE my thread in POLITACAL DEBATE please !!
http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1286978&posted=1#post1286978

 

[DRB]

cove g spots would work, so could you race expert class with ss (norba)?

NORBA only requires that a bike being raced in Dual Slalom and Mtn X have 3 working gears. (There is a requirement for certain trials bikes to have 5 gears) So SS for a downhill would be fine.

 

[flymybike]

You have to have a straight chain line or it will hop off. I just have a single gear and spacers on the hub. Maybe I need to ride harder! hahaha

 

[Nately27]

i raced my kona stab as a singlespeed with a full cassette and a 105 derailleur. During practice I just found the best gear for the course and used it. I ran it because i couldn't get a SRAM in time for the race, but it being a SS didnt really hold me back on that course. Its definately different not worrying bout what gear your in. just pedal till your legs cant move any faster. even with a derailleur as a chain tensioner, the amount of slop and maintenence is a whole lot less than if you ran gears.

 

[flymybike]

i raced my kona stab as a singlespeed with a full cassette and a 105 derailleur. During practice I just found the best gear for the course and used it. I ran it because i couldn't get a SRAM in time for the race, but it being a SS didnt really hold me back on that course. Its definately different not worrying bout what gear your in. just pedal till your legs cant move any faster. even with a derailleur as a chain tensioner, the amount of slop and maintenence is a whole lot less than if you ran gears.

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