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Chain on SS conversion trouble
#1
So I finally got everything in order, got everything on my roadbike converted over to SS with the tensioner added. I start off on the bike and everything is fine until I go to slow down around the corner and the chain pops off the rear cog and the tensioner is thrown back out of place. There is plenty of tension on the chain with the tensioner and it works fine as long as I am pedaling but as soon as I slow my cadence way down to go around the corner off it comes. When it doesn't come off it makes a clank clank clank sound whenever I slow down. Any ideas?
The gear ratio is 46/16 if that matters with a Godspeed Tensioner.
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#2
How is your chain line alignment?
Good maintenance to your Bike, can make it like the wheels are, true and smooth!
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#3
Chain alignment is pretty close but I may have discovered my problem. My gpa had an old Nishiki bike lying in his shed so instead of buying a new rear wheel I used it because it already had a single cog on it. I threw it on there and it fit perfectly so I went on and added the chain and everything and I am afraid I ended up with a fixed gear instead of a single speed and since I have the tensioner on there anytime that I slow down or apply back force the chain comes off due to the fact you cant use a tensioner on a fixed speed. The rear hub on the wheel is a Shimano 5353?? Does anyone happen to know if this a flip flop or let me know if I could tell and if not what would I need to do to make this thing work. I am fine with either a fixed or single speed in the end. I just want to ride this thing already.
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#4
A flip flop hub will have threading on both sides. One side will just have a single set of threads for a single speed freewheel. the fix cog side will have stepped threads, the cog goes on the bigger diameter thread and the lockring goes on the smaller (reverse threaded) threads.

There are also hubs just made for fixed gear and can be threaded just on one side or both.

Unless you gpa had a reason to have an old track bike lying around, seems unlikely that the wheel you grabbed was intended for a fix cog. but you never know. It is possible to put a single fixed cog onto a normal threaded freewheel hub.

It is tricky to adjust chain tension for a fix unless you have "horizontal dropouts". If not, probably easier to change the cog on your wheel to a single speed freewheel and use the tensioner.
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#5
Yeah you are right about the chain tension. The hub on the old wheel just has threads on one side and the cog on it screws down on it and no threads at all on the non-drive side. So with my current parts it looks like I might be SOL uh? So moving on, would it be cheaper to buy a new freewheel and start from there or what would be my cheapest route to get this thing made into a single speed.
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#6
If you have a horizontal dropout, you should be able to shorten the chain, remove the tensioner, and tighten it up by sliding the axle in the dropout. Then you don't need anything else.

If you have a more modern vertical dropout, easiest thing is to by a single speed freewheel and swap that for the cog. $15-$20?

There is still a question of whether it is a standard freewheel type hub that someone put a cog on or an actual fix gear hub. You don't want to ever ride a fix without hand brakes on a standard hub. But with hand brakes, there's not really a safety issue, you just can't rely on backpedalling to slow down.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html

http://www.cicle.org/wordpress/2007/10/22/nuts-n-bolts-ten-dollar-fixed-gear-conversion-2/
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#7
Ok I am happy to announce that I am officially done!!! At the end I ended up changing: cranks, chainrings, cog, seat, handlebar tape, paintjob, front and back wheel, brakes. Plus added tensioner. Here are some before and after pics...
Before
<a href="http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k227/silverpoet34/?action=view&amp;current=51KJ6GhX3bL__AA300_.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k227/silverpoet34/51KJ6GhX3bL__AA300_.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

After
<a href="http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k227/silverpoet34/?action=view&amp;current=mybike2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k227/silverpoet34/mybike2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
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#8
Wow! That's a sweet new paint job! How'd you paint it?
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#9
I had it powdercoated Solar Black. Now I am debating on if I should have the rims powdercoated the same color and then get red wall tires to go on it. Do painted spoke rims even show up that well?
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#10
I say leave the rims as they are. I think it offsets the colors very nicely.
HCFR Cycling Team
Ride Safe...Ride Hard...Ride Daily
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#11
That is a beautiful bike, leave the rims as they are (in my opinion), the red in the crank is fantastic and is striking against the black.
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#12
Very nice bike!!
Good maintenance to your Bike, can make it like the wheels are, true and smooth!
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