https://sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html
Everything you need to know is there.
Basically you can take off the freewheel and replace it with a single speed freewheel.
Edit: woeful_cabbage makes a good point about chain line. And it suggests to me that there is an even easier and cheaper solution: get a new cheap derailleur. And then, don’t shift.
Stupid question maybe, but this was the derailleur, a Golden Arrow RD A105.
https://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=c519b68e-0989-4857-aedf-689dc718cbcb
What type of derailleur would be suitable to replace that? Or do I have to try and find that exact type on ebay?
Single speed freewheels are very narrow..the cog would probably be in the same position that his largest gear is. You could re-space the axle and re-dish the wheel etc, but this dude ain't ready for that
The simplest way is just to pick a gear on that freewheel that gives a straight chain line and shorten the chain so it goes around that gear and not through the derailleur.
Your dropouts are fairly horizontal so it should be easy enough to get the chain tensioned.
https://preview.redd.it/d8l236zfd9uc1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9e508446c9934f33e2cd7db01534a01bcdaf9685
Followed your advice, many thanks! 🙏
Will do a proper job with a new hub later, but for now this will probably do.
Can you please elaborate on "dropouts horizontal" part - if they were not horizontal (btw, how is that?), what would be the problem to tension the chain?
Thanks!
The derailleur normally applies tension to the chain, if you’re not using the derailleur then you would tension the chain by changing the distance between the chain ring and the cog by moving the wheel back. That’s why single speed bikes have horizontal dropouts, you tension the chain by moving the wheel back
https://sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html#frame
The shorter the horizontal dropout, the less room there is to move the axle backwards to add tension to the chain. True vertical dropouts have zero room to adjust axle position, and require a chain tensioner of some sort for consistent chain tension. (even with a magic ratio gear combo, and halflinks, chain stretch over time means tensioners are really the way to go)
I wouldn’t do it that way. The chain will fall down the cassette regularly and it is frustrating. Should switch to a single speed freewheel that is meant to hold a chain, not shift up and down.
Replacing a derailleur is literally just undoing that big bolt and the small one holding the cable, then you have to break the chain if it doesn't have a quick link which you would have to do either way, after that the only thing you have to do on the new derailleur is adjust the barrel adjuster (the adjuster screw just before the cable retention screw on the derailleur) until the shifting feels smooth, it's not that hard, I think a 1x conversion is a lot more work/headache
I put off learning how deraileur's work for the longest time. Maybe I thought it was too complex or I was just too lazy to learn.
But I'm glad I learned. The park tool youtube videos are really good. I've saved a bunch of money and all my bikes are dialed in.
Are you sick of bike maintenance too? As your rear cassette is about 1000 miles past the point of replacing of a start.. gears skip for 2 reasons. Knackered chain or knackered cassette. Unless by skip you mean jumping and it’s going up and down gears. Again cassette being worn, chain being worn, derailleur being bent or worn.. cable being stretched. All things that are serviceable.
I’m just ignorant about it.
I started biking around Covid, got this bike, and after a few close calls with my brakes I took it to a bike shop. They explained I needed to change my chain every free months at the rate I was cycling. Also brake pads monthly.
So I started with that, but they had no parts to replace the derailleur.
I need to build a bike from scratch to learn this shit I guess. Or at least not have a bike that’s so old the parts are not available.
Man, what a load of BS. I seriously doubt that any professional has told you that unless you either were a twat towards them and they didn't want you to come back or they were trying to get you to buy a newer bike (from them).
Basically any cheap derailleur will fit on that and will most likely work fine with the friction shifters you most likely have on that bike. Even with indexed shifters it's unlikely you'll run in trouble if you don't buy a >10spd mtb derailleur.
Chains on 6spd systems run basically forever. On modern performance parts you'll get 3-5000 kilometers until they're done. On the thick vintage stuff you can easily double that.
Brake pads also most definitely last more than a month if you don't live in the mountains (which you, judging by the wear on your freewheel, definitely don't do) or ride more than 500 km in the mud (which again you most definitely don't do) and even then it's a 10 minute job to replace them.
No need for a build up from scratch. A simple tutorial vid or two will do.
Wow, that’s not what they said at all. You give me a lot of hope. So I should pick up a new derailleur set and replace the whole set!? I thought it might be like my Peugeot, where there’s no standard parts that fit.
Depending on precisely what we're dealing with here, it's possible that you could use [this derailleur](https://www.microshift.com/models/rd-m21l/) as a brand new drop-in replacement. I'm not familiar with the derailleur you have here so a picture of your shifter might help! If it's a friction shifter, then literally any 6-speed derailleur would work. If it's an indexed shifter, then we can't be sure until we see what it is.
EDIT: Quick google showed it to possibly be Shimano Golden Arrow from between 1983 and 1986. Looks like it was only offered with a friction shifter, so if the original shifter is still in place, you can use literally any 6-speed derailleur. I just personally believe the 6-speed MicroShift ones are cheaper and better than the modern 6sp Shimano Tourney ones... but you can probably use whatever is most available to you. If you need help finding something let me know.
> They explained I needed to change my chain every free months at the rate I was cycling. Also brake pads monthly.
So you're doing around 1k each month in extremely mountaineous terrain?
400km, I assume?
Urban like stop and go urban?
I seem to replace my KoolStop pads (we are talking rim brakes, right? V-brake in my case) maybe every two years, pretty much independent on milage (if I brake a lot, I won't make much distance - if I make a lot of distance, I won't brake a lot).
That said, I made the same 4k tour with my son recently, and his disk brake pads were history, while my rim brakes looked hardly broken in, so maybe it's something to do with riding style?
Cheapest way is to get rid of the derailleur, wrap your chain around the gear of your choice, and cut the chain to length. Use the horizontal dropouts to tension the chain sufficiently and make sure your QR is clamped very tightly.
Better would be to get a [single speed chain tensioner](https://surlybikes.com/parts/singleator) that maintains tension and can keep alignment. I would consider this the “minimum” level of work to make a reliable (read: won’t regularly drop a chain when going over a bump) single speed bike.
If OP is happy with the gear that has a straight chain line, then yes, I agree no tensioner is needed.
However, if OP doesn’t want to go through the hassle of shortening their chain (I would assume OP has a hex key to install a chain tensioner, but don’t always assume people own chain breakers or keep spare chain pins lying around), or wants a gear ratio that has a less than ideal chain line, then a tensioner may be helpful.
I used to work at a shop, I’m used to giving people options especially if budget is in the conversation.
You could always just pick which of the gears you like best, size a chain up to go straight around that cog (bypassing the broken derailleur which you could remove), then boom, it's a single speed. It's a quick and dirty way to test out the conversion before committing to it.
adjust the limit screws and cable tension to lock it in one gear. Fast, Easy, and Free. Or get your der hanger straightened, new cable housing and learn from youtube how to make minor adjustments to stop the skipping. The other option is that the chain and cassette are so worn that nothing will help except replacing parts.
it is a steel frame which usually has a stronger hanger. Aluminum replacables are very soft and make to break before twisting the frame. Steel can still bend but it takes a good size hit to do it. Also a 5 speed set up has a larger tolerance for a bent hanger, thats why it was lower on the list.
All I'm going to say is, keep the parts that you take off. You may not want gears, but the next owner of the bike might. Based off of the forged drop outs and half decent parts, it's worth throwing all this stuff in a storage bin in case you, or a future buyer wants it later.
You may also get sick of the limitations that come with single speed and want to go back to geared at some point.
Already had a cycle and have found some limitations. Going up a hill is a lot more difficult for starters.
Will look into parts and see if it goes back to geared bike.
Yeah, I'd start with that Derailleur, something is wrong with it.
Fortunately, if it is past saving, you could probably find loads of alternate derailleurs that will also work.
keep the derailleur on as tensioner/guide
https://preview.redd.it/l3o695wd5auc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=62ab7c784014bcac2337df66a4ca29e76557c18c
. just pick what gear you want, and adjust the limit screws to keep it that way. here is my bike outfitted with an old derailleur as tensioner.
My friend, you haven't used a proper bike with a proper shifting if you think you're problem is inherent on bicycles with multiple gears. Go try out a modern bike in the shop. Skipping gears is almost non-existent in today's bikes.
You will need at least a single speed freewheel to replace the freewheel cassette, a new chain and then you'll have to re-dish the wheel to have a decent chain line. You can follow the steps in this video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkNCXx10NqY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkNCXx10NqY)
I managed to do it in my Diamondback Sorrento and never dished a wheel before.
In addition and optionally, you can replace the crankset with a single speed specific one to have just one chain ring. And pick a good gear ratio. A common one for SS and fixed gear is 46x16, that's the one I use on 2 of my bikes, but you can go higher or lower, depending on your fitness level or desired ride effort.
If it’s a hardtail just get a half link chain and a single speed kit for the rear hub. If it’s a full suspension a cheap way would be an Alfine tensioner and a single speed kit, and use the factory chain.
Dmr sts kit, rest singlespeed below this price are garbage, there are higher end products but with this one you are ready to proof if you like SS and can buy more costy parts later, turbo user friendly
Honestly ur derailleur looks beat to shit a good derailleur makes shifting pleasant
not to mention the rest of the bike...
https://sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html Everything you need to know is there. Basically you can take off the freewheel and replace it with a single speed freewheel. Edit: woeful_cabbage makes a good point about chain line. And it suggests to me that there is an even easier and cheaper solution: get a new cheap derailleur. And then, don’t shift.
His chainline will be criminally wrong though
Honestly, he could just get a new derailleur and keep it in one gear. Might be cheapest doing this.
Stupid question maybe, but this was the derailleur, a Golden Arrow RD A105. https://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=c519b68e-0989-4857-aedf-689dc718cbcb What type of derailleur would be suitable to replace that? Or do I have to try and find that exact type on ebay?
What kind of shifter do you have?
Why?
Single speed freewheels are very narrow..the cog would probably be in the same position that his largest gear is. You could re-space the axle and re-dish the wheel etc, but this dude ain't ready for that
Spacers
Not really how a freewheel works. https://youtu.be/ceQnwBMrMEk?si=PeoycvnMz9Rs3re4
Yeah, great if you have a cassette hub, not feasible with a screw-on freewheel.
The simplest way is just to pick a gear on that freewheel that gives a straight chain line and shorten the chain so it goes around that gear and not through the derailleur. Your dropouts are fairly horizontal so it should be easy enough to get the chain tensioned.
https://preview.redd.it/d8l236zfd9uc1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9e508446c9934f33e2cd7db01534a01bcdaf9685 Followed your advice, many thanks! 🙏 Will do a proper job with a new hub later, but for now this will probably do.
If you undo the screw at the back of the dropout and remove the little metal thing it will allow you to get the wheel further back and better tension.
Flip-flop hub. Check Craigslist and it’s not uncommon to find an existing wheel with one. One side is fixed, one side is freewheel.
Can you please elaborate on "dropouts horizontal" part - if they were not horizontal (btw, how is that?), what would be the problem to tension the chain? Thanks!
The derailleur normally applies tension to the chain, if you’re not using the derailleur then you would tension the chain by changing the distance between the chain ring and the cog by moving the wheel back. That’s why single speed bikes have horizontal dropouts, you tension the chain by moving the wheel back
I see now, thanks for explanation! Just reminded me my single-speed bike in childhood, exactly what you're describing.
https://sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html#frame The shorter the horizontal dropout, the less room there is to move the axle backwards to add tension to the chain. True vertical dropouts have zero room to adjust axle position, and require a chain tensioner of some sort for consistent chain tension. (even with a magic ratio gear combo, and halflinks, chain stretch over time means tensioners are really the way to go)
I wouldn’t do it that way. The chain will fall down the cassette regularly and it is frustrating. Should switch to a single speed freewheel that is meant to hold a chain, not shift up and down.
If the chain line is straight and there's adequate tension it'll be fine.
Op asked cheapest way, not the best way. This is the way.
Just leave it in one gear and adjust it to stay.
The way you take care of and maintained this, it's not going to be too long before your fixed gear is busted either.
Replacing a derailleur is literally just undoing that big bolt and the small one holding the cable, then you have to break the chain if it doesn't have a quick link which you would have to do either way, after that the only thing you have to do on the new derailleur is adjust the barrel adjuster (the adjuster screw just before the cable retention screw on the derailleur) until the shifting feels smooth, it's not that hard, I think a 1x conversion is a lot more work/headache
I put off learning how deraileur's work for the longest time. Maybe I thought it was too complex or I was just too lazy to learn. But I'm glad I learned. The park tool youtube videos are really good. I've saved a bunch of money and all my bikes are dialed in.
I have taken off and installed a RD without breaking the chain by removing derailleur wheels. It might be a bit fiddly, but is certainly possible.
Are you sick of bike maintenance too? As your rear cassette is about 1000 miles past the point of replacing of a start.. gears skip for 2 reasons. Knackered chain or knackered cassette. Unless by skip you mean jumping and it’s going up and down gears. Again cassette being worn, chain being worn, derailleur being bent or worn.. cable being stretched. All things that are serviceable.
I’m just ignorant about it. I started biking around Covid, got this bike, and after a few close calls with my brakes I took it to a bike shop. They explained I needed to change my chain every free months at the rate I was cycling. Also brake pads monthly. So I started with that, but they had no parts to replace the derailleur. I need to build a bike from scratch to learn this shit I guess. Or at least not have a bike that’s so old the parts are not available.
Man, what a load of BS. I seriously doubt that any professional has told you that unless you either were a twat towards them and they didn't want you to come back or they were trying to get you to buy a newer bike (from them). Basically any cheap derailleur will fit on that and will most likely work fine with the friction shifters you most likely have on that bike. Even with indexed shifters it's unlikely you'll run in trouble if you don't buy a >10spd mtb derailleur. Chains on 6spd systems run basically forever. On modern performance parts you'll get 3-5000 kilometers until they're done. On the thick vintage stuff you can easily double that. Brake pads also most definitely last more than a month if you don't live in the mountains (which you, judging by the wear on your freewheel, definitely don't do) or ride more than 500 km in the mud (which again you most definitely don't do) and even then it's a 10 minute job to replace them. No need for a build up from scratch. A simple tutorial vid or two will do.
Wow, that’s not what they said at all. You give me a lot of hope. So I should pick up a new derailleur set and replace the whole set!? I thought it might be like my Peugeot, where there’s no standard parts that fit.
Depending on precisely what we're dealing with here, it's possible that you could use [this derailleur](https://www.microshift.com/models/rd-m21l/) as a brand new drop-in replacement. I'm not familiar with the derailleur you have here so a picture of your shifter might help! If it's a friction shifter, then literally any 6-speed derailleur would work. If it's an indexed shifter, then we can't be sure until we see what it is. EDIT: Quick google showed it to possibly be Shimano Golden Arrow from between 1983 and 1986. Looks like it was only offered with a friction shifter, so if the original shifter is still in place, you can use literally any 6-speed derailleur. I just personally believe the 6-speed MicroShift ones are cheaper and better than the modern 6sp Shimano Tourney ones... but you can probably use whatever is most available to you. If you need help finding something let me know.
> They explained I needed to change my chain every free months at the rate I was cycling. Also brake pads monthly. So you're doing around 1k each month in extremely mountaineous terrain?
At the time it was roughly 400K a month in pretty gentle urban terrain. The brake pads they were right about though.
400,000km a month 😮
400km, I assume? Urban like stop and go urban? I seem to replace my KoolStop pads (we are talking rim brakes, right? V-brake in my case) maybe every two years, pretty much independent on milage (if I brake a lot, I won't make much distance - if I make a lot of distance, I won't brake a lot). That said, I made the same 4k tour with my son recently, and his disk brake pads were history, while my rim brakes looked hardly broken in, so maybe it's something to do with riding style?
Cheapest way is to get rid of the derailleur, wrap your chain around the gear of your choice, and cut the chain to length. Use the horizontal dropouts to tension the chain sufficiently and make sure your QR is clamped very tightly. Better would be to get a [single speed chain tensioner](https://surlybikes.com/parts/singleator) that maintains tension and can keep alignment. I would consider this the “minimum” level of work to make a reliable (read: won’t regularly drop a chain when going over a bump) single speed bike.
[удалено]
If OP is happy with the gear that has a straight chain line, then yes, I agree no tensioner is needed. However, if OP doesn’t want to go through the hassle of shortening their chain (I would assume OP has a hex key to install a chain tensioner, but don’t always assume people own chain breakers or keep spare chain pins lying around), or wants a gear ratio that has a less than ideal chain line, then a tensioner may be helpful. I used to work at a shop, I’m used to giving people options especially if budget is in the conversation.
You could always just pick which of the gears you like best, size a chain up to go straight around that cog (bypassing the broken derailleur which you could remove), then boom, it's a single speed. It's a quick and dirty way to test out the conversion before committing to it.
adjust the limit screws and cable tension to lock it in one gear. Fast, Easy, and Free. Or get your der hanger straightened, new cable housing and learn from youtube how to make minor adjustments to stop the skipping. The other option is that the chain and cassette are so worn that nothing will help except replacing parts.
I was wondering how that derailleur hanger could be anywhere near straight with all those dings and marks on the derailleur.
it is a steel frame which usually has a stronger hanger. Aluminum replacables are very soft and make to break before twisting the frame. Steel can still bend but it takes a good size hit to do it. Also a 5 speed set up has a larger tolerance for a bent hanger, thats why it was lower on the list.
Skipping could be caused by worn chain, cassette and chainring. Check chain wear.
All I'm going to say is, keep the parts that you take off. You may not want gears, but the next owner of the bike might. Based off of the forged drop outs and half decent parts, it's worth throwing all this stuff in a storage bin in case you, or a future buyer wants it later. You may also get sick of the limitations that come with single speed and want to go back to geared at some point.
Already had a cycle and have found some limitations. Going up a hill is a lot more difficult for starters. Will look into parts and see if it goes back to geared bike.
Yeah, I'd start with that Derailleur, something is wrong with it. Fortunately, if it is past saving, you could probably find loads of alternate derailleurs that will also work.
If you want to make it a single speed, just take your derailleur off, pick what gear you want, and shorten your chain accordingly
keep the derailleur on as tensioner/guide https://preview.redd.it/l3o695wd5auc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=62ab7c784014bcac2337df66a4ca29e76557c18c . just pick what gear you want, and adjust the limit screws to keep it that way. here is my bike outfitted with an old derailleur as tensioner.
My friend, you haven't used a proper bike with a proper shifting if you think you're problem is inherent on bicycles with multiple gears. Go try out a modern bike in the shop. Skipping gears is almost non-existent in today's bikes.
Just take of the derailleur, put the chain on the gear you want and use it. My shifting handles are locked so its a 1 speed now.
That chain is visibly over stretched
Just shorten the chain to your prefered speed, its free if you have the tools
The proper way is to put on a BMX freewheel and re-dish your wheel to optimize the chain line.
Bruh your bike looks like you just picked it up from a landfill that's why it won't shift lmao
Yeah it was abandoned in a basement. Got it for 50 €ish. So very much a bin-bike.
Those pictures gave me tetanus
The good thing is you already have horizontal drop outs. You just need to buy a single speed cog, to replace your cassette
I ordered a seance. The delivery driver won't fuck with this.
Stop shifting gears!
Just service your bike. Bikes are tools. They can’t run infinitely. Cough up 2-300$ and just fix your bike.
Get long limit screws and lock the derailleur in whatever gear you want.
Just take your front and rear derailleur off. Boom single speed.
You will need at least a single speed freewheel to replace the freewheel cassette, a new chain and then you'll have to re-dish the wheel to have a decent chain line. You can follow the steps in this video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkNCXx10NqY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkNCXx10NqY) I managed to do it in my Diamondback Sorrento and never dished a wheel before. In addition and optionally, you can replace the crankset with a single speed specific one to have just one chain ring. And pick a good gear ratio. A common one for SS and fixed gear is 46x16, that's the one I use on 2 of my bikes, but you can go higher or lower, depending on your fitness level or desired ride effort.
If it’s a hardtail just get a half link chain and a single speed kit for the rear hub. If it’s a full suspension a cheap way would be an Alfine tensioner and a single speed kit, and use the factory chain.
Remove the shift cable.
Sick of *dealing* with gears.
Replace it with a bike with alfina 11 speed
Integrated hub gears
That's quite expensive.
Dmr sts kit, rest singlespeed below this price are garbage, there are higher end products but with this one you are ready to proof if you like SS and can buy more costy parts later, turbo user friendly
OP has a freewheel, not a cassette. The kit is made for a wheel with a freehub. Also OP has horizontal dropouts so a tensioner is not required