New poster looking for help

yeah, that's what i was talking about. the white industries hub is called an eccentric hub, you can use that with vertical dropouts. i think they're pretty expensive though, and you're limiting your choice of hubs later on.
so for a new build, i'd just get a frame with the right dropouts.
the reason for those converter kits is just so people who already have a freehub can go ss. it's not necessary for for perfect chainline. there are plenty of other ways to get it perfect

e.g. Avid Speed Dial levers / Shimano with allen bolt at positions marked L - H / others
EDIT - Sam your avatar... I know you're a stoodent but eating a gameboy? what are you gonna do at Uni - Learn?!

Tynan - do you know where I could get those white levers? The look lurvely. Are they in production or were they a lucky find?

It's just a Paul eLever - I stripped that and a Dura Ace caliper apart - and had them both powder coated white - and then spray painted all the silver bits black.

Paul lever from either paulcomp.com or freshtripe.co.uk.

I don't have a frame yet. All but one that I've looked at had vertical dropouts. I thought that without horizontal dropouts or an eccentric BB you needed a tensioner etc to run SS. Obviously not! "Or you can get a rear hub (that excepts a screw on freewheel) from White Industries that can tension the chain for you so no need for a tensioner even with non-horizontal drop outs." sounds perfect. I'll have a look for one. I'll have to go through that list of '"working" SS combos to find a tgood 'un i.e. cheap :-)

Do yourself a favour and get a frame with horizontal drop outs - or if you find a steel frame with non-horizontal drop outs get the drop outs replaced with horizontal ones.

I think fixed is for suicidal maniacs... not me just yet. I've just taken the rear disc off my hardtail. I'm going to see what it's like for a few commutes and decide, based on that, if I can run front only brakes.

If your front brake, cable, pads, lever or various mounts fail you will have no way to stop your bike. This is why you need two brakes.

A fixed wheels bike can be stopped (or at least the speed scrubbed) through the drivechain or the front brake - so if one fails there is always an alternative.

Running a single speed with one brake is very much more dangerous than a fixed wheel bike with only one hand brake.

Good point Tynan. I hadn't thought about brake failure issues. Two brakes it is!

Those white components look fab. I'm getting really excited about my 'project'.

I'm still looking for frames but I don't think I'll manage to find vert dropouts and don't want to start paying for frame alterations. I really need to keep this a budget build :-( I'd love to be able to get carried away with this one.

Are tensioners and vertical drop out SSs really much worse than horizontal dropout SSs?

no, they aren't worse. tensioners are a solution to the problem of ss/fix on vertical dropouts, whereas track ends are designed for SS/fixed use.

Those white components look fab. I'm getting really excited about my 'project'.

Cheers, you can get stuff powdercoated up at Armourtex in hackney, £40 per colour - so if you go in with a frame, a fork and a chainset you can get them all done for £40.

Top quality, very very hard wearing, no drying time ! :)

I'm still looking for frames but I don't think I'll manage to find vert dropouts and don't want to start paying for frame alterations. I really need to keep this a budget build :-( I'd love to be able to get carried away with this one.

Are tensioners and vertical drop out SSs really much worse than horizontal dropout SSs?

Frames with horizontal drop outs are fairly easy to find, there are loads about and they are no more expensive than frames with vertical drop outs.

no, they aren't worse. tensioners are a solution to the problem of ss/fix on vertical dropouts, whereas track ends are designed for SS/fixed use.

+1

What eeehhhh said.

You are kinda introducing a problem and then solving it, best not to have the problem to solve in the first place.