Building MTB Single Speed

Hi Guys,

I live in Forest Hill and am converting a 2004 GT Ruckus to Single Speed for commuting in.

Its vertical, so

In terms of new kit I will be buying:

Chainring: Which to get? As far as I see it the simplest options are Blackspire or DMR Saturn or Surly (which is stainless steel). However, as a noob I don't understand this talk of 104mm vs etc - how do I find out what size I need?

Ratio: What should I be aiming for? This will be mainly for commuting, and as some of you know, Forest Hill is quite hilly and I am a beginer.

Chain: Is there worth worrying about? Was going to get a SRAM single speed:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=31548

Finally, for the conversion itself:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=10009 - as I have vertical dropouts.

Is there anything else I need to get?

Bearing in mind I own no tools - what will I have to buy? Apologies for asking so mnay questions, I am just needing to sort this out ASAP before I go back to London so I can start riding right away, and googling all this is taking me too long!

Thanks so much

Chainring:

First you need to ascertain what BCD pattern your cranks are - different cranks have different bolt patters, and different length arms - your existing chain rings will probably have what the BCD is on them somewhere - your new Chainring needs to be the same bolt pattern and BCD to fit onto your exsisting cranks

Yo also need to make sure that the chainring you buy is for a 1/8 chain, as this is what you will be using for SS - The SRAM chain you have indicated is fine for that.

Chain Tensioner:

I would use a Surly Singulator, prob the best tensioner out there, they also do a spacing kit - most spacing kits are designed for shimano equipped bikes, so again check compatability

http://www.surlybikes.com/parts.html

Gering wise you probably want from 46-48t on the front and an 18t on the back - most OTP SS bikes come with this gearing and it is a good place to start.

Here is my converted SS with Surly Singulator, though the rear wheel has a DMR Revolver SS Hub - if you have the cash i would reccomend building a new wheel on a specific SS hub as it will be a lot better.

As for tools - prob cheaper to pay your local shop 40 quid to put it together, as the tools will prob cost more

I imagine the only things you'll need to get other than the usual allen keys/spanners etc, are a chain whip and cassette tool (to get the cassette off your wheel) and possibly a crank puller dependng on what cranks you have.

might want to check if you'll have any issues with chainline, ie: BB length.

If you want to do it yourself you will need a chain splitter, a cassette remover together with long spanner (big adjustable is good choice to get the leverage) a chain whip, some allen keys and a bin to put all those redundant gears in! All useful tools to have and good skills to learn if you can get someone local to give you a hand Anything else Ive missed?

Grazzer

So I should perhaps order the DMR without the tensioner, eg, this:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=2300

As opposed to this, which comes with it:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=10009

However, I will look into Surly, because I've heard good things about their front chainring.

In terms of getting the bike to do the work, I still wouldn't mind getting the kit myself - as I will want to do maintenance later, but it is still a decent thought if I want the job done ASAP.

I will go and have a look at the cranks now to see if I can find out the relevant info.

Cheers

Just been down to the garage:

They're Truvativ Hussefelts, AL 7075 T6. So I've googled this which I thought would be easiest to find BCD but cannot find the oldish ones I have.

They very much resemble this:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Truvativ_Hussefelt_DH_ISIS_Chainset/5360021257/

Can I just assume they are the same?

The other thought I've had is: Is this even worth it?

I will want to replace the tyres too, to something quicker for the road, but then why am I bothering with this heavy MTB in the first place.

That is the same conclusion i reached after i built mine!

But then what is the alternative?

How cheap can you get a respectable road frame for?

I've singlespeeded mine, but it's still for off-road use, I just can't be arsed with maintaining gears. I bought spacers and cog for rear cassette. Fire-eye chain tensioner (£10 CRC flood sale) and 32 Middleburn ring up front (£10 CRC flood sale too). It runs nicely.

when my ss and fixed road bikes are in peices, which they frequently are, i ride a rubbish halfords ss MTB.

my SS conversion was a simple case of removing the derailiur and trying gears til it fitted. i broke my casette apart and respaced it on the freehub. i dont have the perfect ratio but its actually pretty close to right.

chain wear is pretty heavy though, but with that said i havnt changed the current one in about 2 months and its not too bad.

it works for me but i wouldnt want to do it this way with a bike i actually cared about.

when my ss and fixed road bikes are in peices, which they frequently are, i ride a rubbish halfords ss MTB.

my SS conversion was a simple case of removing the derailiur and trying gears til it fitted. i broke my casette apart and respaced it on the freehub. i dont have the perfect ratio but its actually pretty close to right.

chain wear is pretty heavy though, but with that said i havnt changed the current one in about 2 months and its not too bad.

it works for me but i wouldnt want to do it this way with a bike i actually cared about.

So you still had a cassette on it?!

Also, is it true that, other than weight, there is no difference between a 32-16 and a 48-24 - surely that isn't true is it?

That is the same conclusion i reached after i built mine!

Your bikes is fffin sexy!

Must be a hoot still, im sure you can blast over steps etc unlike a fixed road bike.

Guys,

Can I buy some road rims and use them on the MTB hubs?

Can someone give me some details on what I need to build a new rear and front wheel - replacing, therefore, the rims, tyres, hubs.

I am going to keep my disc breaks because I like them.

And if I am going to buy some new wheels - should I go 29?

thats a lot of work - rebuilding your wheels for the sake of saving a pair of hubs.
if you want to keep discs then I would use the wheels you have got.
I suggest giving it a try using what you have + spacer kit + tensioner + chainring.. 44-16ish
If you want a road frame then you won't need disc brakes.
If you want a 29er then you are better off buying one complete second hand they have a high turnover.
You will end up getting another bike anyway, surely.. ha!

I've singlespeeded mine, but it's still for off-road use, I just can't be arsed with maintaining gears. I bought spacers and cog for rear cassette. Fire-eye chain tensioner (£10 CRC flood sale) and 32 Middleburn ring up front (£10 CRC flood sale too). It runs nicely.

Very nice Gabes, it's looking good!

thats a lot of work - rebuilding your wheels for the sake of saving a pair of hubs.
if you want to keep discs then I would use the wheels you have got.
I suggest giving it a try using what you have + spacer kit + tensioner + chainring.. 44-16ish
If you want a road frame then you won't need disc brakes.
If you want a 29er then you are better off buying one complete second hand they have a high turnover.
You will end up getting another bike anyway, surely.. ha!

Yes, I will keep the frame, go to single speed (not fixed) - but what about the wheels?

Is there any way I can get rid of my bulky tyres and get some sort of road tyre on my existing hubs?

depending on the rim you should be able to get skinnier tyres.
I have found that medium tyres are more comfortable and feel stable on typical MTB rims. The weight difference is unnoticeable.
Try these for cheap or go for brands e.g schwalbe

depending on the rim you should be able to get skinnier tyres.
I have found that medium tyres are more comfortable and feel stable on typical MTB rims. The weight difference is unnoticeable.
Try these for cheap or go for brands e.g schwalbe

Ah great - so you can get slicks but with MTB width. Sound like a good compromise.

if your bike has syncros big box rims, then their width is 25mm, and the approximate skinniest tyre you should use is roughly 44mm, or 1.75".

Like these:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=24556

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=24629

??

I've singlespeeded mine, but it's still for off-road use, I just can't be arsed with maintaining gears. I bought spacers and cog for rear cassette. Fire-eye chain tensioner (£10 CRC flood sale) and 32 Middleburn ring up front (£10 CRC flood sale too). It runs nicely.

Thanks for the reminder on the flood sale. I'm thinking of picking up some kit to convert my MTB to singlespeed... an idea I was kicking around 4 years ago and never got round to.

Like these:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=24556

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=24629

??

I had 2.0 big apples, they are nice tyres, and the extra cushioning was novel.
I currently have a city jet on the back and a CST on the front.
Having used all the tyres I won't presume to tell you what to buy.
[ Big apples are 790g versus 590 for the CSTs. ( I know I just siad it doedn't make a difference.) ]