Singlespeed and Chain sizes

[Trengot]

I have an old Raleigh arena that I use to ride to uni on. At the moment it has 2x5 gears with the old style shifters on the downtube. This is really irritating and more hassle than it's worth so am wanting to convert it to singlespeed. It has sliding dropouts so that bit shouldn't be a problem. If I just take the mechs off and put the chain around the chainset and cassette, is it going to constantly fall off?

Also I'm wanting to replace the chain, are five speed chains and singlespeed chains the same size?

[alexhill]

No, it'll be fine as long there is good tension and a dead straight chainline.

[Big Red S]

5 speed chains are narrower than singlespeed ones.

[The Joe Show]

Singlespeed specific chains tend to be standard BMX chain width (1/8" iirc) which are wider than geared chains.

If you leave the cassette on then yes the chain will jump around like noones business. Since it's 5 speed i'm also guessing it's not a cassette but a freewheel in which case you can just take it off and put a singlespeed freewheel on.

You can run a wider chain on thinner cogs but not vice versa (obviously). So you could buy a BMX freewheel (16t would be the smallest you can go, you can get 15t freewheels but theyre for racing and die within a few miles) and a BMX chain and run them with your existing chainset.

[Trengot]

The main problem is that I don't want to spend too much on it (i.e nothing if possible). Will try it as it is. And yeah it is a freewheel. Can't for the life of me get it off though, the right tool might help I guess.

[Alex]

My singlespeed XC bike uses an old 9 speed chain. It has not as yet broken.

So long as the chainline is good, I don't see the worry. It's shear that kills chains, not direct pulls.

[Big Red S]

The nice thing about singlespeed chains is they stretch less quickly than 9-speed chains. It doesn't matter on geared bikes, 'cause the mech'll always keep the tension, but on a singlespeed it's just nice to not have to slide the wheel too often.

[Trengot]

Now have it running but the smallest gear is the only one the chainline works well with. So I'm now riding with 49-14. By the end of next year I am either going to be dead or have immense legs.

[Rich]

[Trengot]

I went out to try it earlier and it seems easier than the equivalent gear on the roadie, possibly psychological but hey. And the ride to uni is only three miles or so.

Much as I would like to spend nothing on it, the crankset needs replacing (or at least one crank does and I've not seen cotter pin fixed cranks for sale), the brakes don't do anything and just by looking at the back wheel from a distance you can see the rim is all buckled and dented.

So restoration on a budget. Would these have the standard hub widths (100 and 130?) or would they fit my frame (95 and 125)?

Also have they changed standard threads in Bottom brackets in the last 20 years?

[Rich]

Honestly, ditch the bike and buy a new one. The restoration will cost >> buying another wreck and singlespeeding that.

Check police auctions for some cheap crap that'll go for nothing.

[Rich]

Oh and re: fitting new wheels into old bikes, we do it by brute force and works.

[Trengot]

Honestly, ditch the bike and buy a new one. The restoration will cost >> buying another wreck and singlespeeding that.

Where's the fun in that though?

[Rich]

The main problem is that I don't want to spend too much on it (i.e nothing if possible).

I dunno, it's possible but ya know, I think you will end up spending a lot more than you anticipate on doing it up.

[The Joe Show]

I went out to try it earlier and it seems easier than the equivalent gear on the roadie, possibly psychological but hey. And the ride to uni is only three miles or so.

Much as I would like to spend nothing on it, the crankset needs replacing (or at least one crank does and I've not seen cotter pin fixed cranks for sale), the brakes don't do anything and just by looking at the back wheel from a distance you can see the rim is all buckled and dented.

So restoration on a budget. Would these have the standard hub widths (100 and 130?) or would they fit my frame (95 and 125)?

Also have they changed standard threads in Bottom brackets in the last 20 years?

Those wheels will mostly likely be the standard OLD but you can just pull your frame apart and squeeze them in, 5mm won't matter. Or just change the axle spacers for slightly shorter ones. I run a standard width rear wheel on my old Falcon which is slightly small, i just pulled the dropouts apart by 5mm to get it in, no problem.

BB should be standard English.