single speed hub question

Joined
Nov 6, 2014
Messages
17
Location
Washington DC
Hi i'm converting a bike with rear hub motor and cassette to single speed.
i know a chain tensioner would work to correct for the fact that there are angles drops

my question is would it be worth it to weld new horizontal drop outs on to the frame, so i can pull back to get tension instead?

this would work on a fixie, but my fixie doesn't have rear hub motor... lol
 
You'll need a way to adjust the chain tension somehow. If the bikes dropouts don't allow some adjustment, then you would need a tensioner, or a derailleur.

If the bike is steel, then you could weld bmx style dropouts on to it. It just depends on how bad you want that clean fixie look.
 
The other possibility is a "magic gear", a front rear combination that doesn't need a tensioner. Sometimes this is achieved with a half link. There are charts which relate chainstay length to the possible configurations. I was able to do this with my drivetrain.
 
On a hard tail you can set the chain lenght, or bind it with horizontal dropouts. On a FS frame you need a tensioner, that could be any old derailer locked in proper position to be used as a chain tensioner only, or better a hard spring tensioner like the Shimano Alfine.

images
 
Sorry, I assumed he was referring to a hardtail frame since he asked about horizontal dropouts. The only full suspension frames I know of that don't have chain growth are URT designs or with the pivot and cranks concentric.
 
yeah i meant hard tail. i think i may just weld new drops. because I'm modding the rest of the frame also so why not right. save me hassle later on. now i have to figure out how to mig weld chrom molly
 
One benefit of that approach, is you can make the new drops so thick you never need a torque arm.
 
Back
Top