# Conversion to single speed.



## Yellow Fang (29 May 2014)

What do you think? I converted my eight speed Edinburgh Courier to single speed. So far I have been surprised by how smooth it is, but I expect that is in part due to the bits being new and clean.


----------



## 4F (29 May 2014)

The chain is supposed to run underneath the tensioner like so


----------



## apb (29 May 2014)

good work. i bet you find it a lot easier to clean and maintain.


----------



## apb (29 May 2014)

4F said:


> The chain is supposed to run underneath the tensioner like so



Why?


----------



## 4F (29 May 2014)

apb said:


> Why?



I would imagine to stop the chain fowling with the sprocket with any stretch. I have never used one as I have always run mine as fixed but every photo I have seen where a tensioner is used it is as per the photo I posted above


----------



## totallyfixed (29 May 2014)

This, add to that your chain is slack [not tensioned properly] which it should never ever ever ever ever be. Further to that it looks so wrong. Sorry.


----------



## Yellow Fang (29 May 2014)

Could have done it that way, but the diagram showed different. It would also have meant taking the tensioner apart and replacing the spring.

I will have to check if I still have the spare spring.


----------



## GlasgowGaryH (29 May 2014)

They say its best to have the tensioner pushing up,this is so the chain wraps round the cog better. I always have mine pushing up


----------



## Yellow Fang (29 May 2014)

GlasgowGaryH said:


> They say its best to have the tensioner pushing up,this is so the chain wraps round the cog better. I always have mine pushing up



That one looks alright, but I agree mine looks wrong. It rides ok though. Either I have to shorten the chain or put the other spring in the tensioner and lead the chain under the jockey wheel. Thing is, if I was to shorten the chain, I think I would have to take two links out, and then it might be too short.


----------



## YahudaMoon (29 May 2014)

Yellow Fang said:


> That one looks alright, but I agree mine looks wrong. It rides ok though. Either I have to shorten the chain or put the other spring in the tensioner and lead the chain under the jockey wheel. Thing is, if I was to shorten the chain, I think I would have to take two links out, and then it might be too short.




Yeah, and then.........................


----------



## GlasgowGaryH (29 May 2014)

I have a half link in my chain to get the length better


----------



## mangid (29 May 2014)

GlasgowGaryH said:


> They say its best to have the tensioner pushing up,this is so the chain wraps round the cog better. I always have mine pushing up



Certainly the Surly Singulator is designed to be used in either mode, with Push Up being the preferred.

http://surlybikes.com//uploads/downloads/NewSingleatorInfo.pdf


----------



## Yellow Fang (29 May 2014)

I seem to have thrown away my other spring - bum! Still, I reckon I can take two links out of the chain. If it's too short then I could swap the sprocket for a smaller one, although I don't want to do that, because my current gearing is fine.


----------



## Nigeyy (31 May 2014)

I have to say I'd always thought that a ss chain tensioner would work like a derailleur -you learn something everyday!

I have a ss frame with horizontal dropouts, so I don't use a tensioner -but I have a spare ss chain tensioner in my toolbox. Good to know if ever I use it (or give it to someone else to use).



GlasgowGaryH said:


> They say its best to have the tensioner pushing up,this is so the chain wraps round the cog better. I always have mine pushing up


----------



## Yellow Fang (2 Jun 2014)

I changed the tensioner around so it pulled down. I was going to take out a couple of links, but I soon found out I would not have been able to, at least not without changing the sprocket to a smaller one. I was wary about changing the tensioner around, because it was working smoothly, but then it jumped a link while I was climbing up an incline, so I thought I might as well. Although I had thrown away the spare spring, I had another tensioner, which I had not used because I could not thread it in. Luckily its spring coiled the other way, and it fitted. The set up looks better. When I tried it this morning, the chain jumped several times, but I have tightened it up a bit more. Despite having invested in a 19mm cone spanner, it is still really difficult tightening up the tensioner. The cone spanner is not narrow enough and gets trapped.


----------

