How To Build A Single Speed Bike

[fignon's barber]

Ok, I'll preface this by saying this is one genre of cycling I know nothing about. I'm thinking of a project to build a steel single speed. I live near an MUT and can literally ride a couple hundred miles of flat terrain. My idea is to do cadence based training rides and gradually increase the gear size. I'm assuming I need horizontal dropouts since I'll need to keep chain tension as I change cogs. Best to go with track frame or road? For safety reasons, I'll need at least one brake, and single speed not fixed gear. So how would I build this thing up? Pictures would be great as well.

[zambenini]

There was a pink Ellis in here I wish I had bought. Search that out. The best I have seen.

[stephenmarklay]

Good plan. I have been riding one since Covid. Not a ton but maybe 50 miles a week. My legs have gotten stronger and I am more comfortable at a faster cadence. I have hills so I am also better at a slower cadence :)

I really enjoy it.

[ColonelJLloyd]

Road geo versus track geo for your purposes as you've gleaned.
Horizontal dropouts, yes (the norm on classic steel frames up through the 80s and later on many models)
I would recommend not using a chain tensioner, rather just shorten or lengthen the chain to fit the gearing you use if you change. You may need a half link. There are other ways such as eccentric bottom brackets, ENO hubs, chain tensionsers on vertical dropouts, etc.
Square taper road cranks using a single ring is typically a fine option. You can select spindle length to dial chain line. If using a 130mm cassette hub and spacers in the back you can put the single cog in the position that matches the chain line of your chain ring
Lots of ways to skin a cat and you don't seem to have a horse or a cart yet so seems your options are open

[AngryScientist]

and can literally ride a couple hundred miles of flat terrain.

doesnt this describe the entire state of FL? :p:p

For safety reasons, I'll need at least one brake, and single speed not fixed gear

single speed is just a road bike with one gear. you will want two brakes. the reason fixie's use only a front brake is because you can use the fixed drivetrain to slow/stop the bike in the rear.

horizontal dropouts are easiest, but white industries eno hubs work well for regular road dropouts to adjust chain tension.

single speed is really dead simple, and a great training tool, especially if you dont have mountains to deal with. have fun!

[rustychisel]

Get a road frame with rear dropouts which allow adjustment, as you said. Get a road frame.

A track frame is built for the track, with differing angles and tolerances, and a true track frame will not have (nor capacity to do so) drilling for front brake mounting.

Get a set of old wheels and best that the rear has a freewheel (screw on cluster) which you can replace with a single speed freewheel cog (if you really must, but go fixed - you know you want to). You may need to respace it somewhat to centre the wheel, but moving a spacer from one side of the axle to the other etc is child's play.

Choose a starting ratio which is not too hard, not too easy (say 48x18) and especially make sure your chainline is straight. Without a derailleur or tensioning device for the chain it will unship sideways off the chainring if its too loose or the chainline is angled.

You may need to check carefully the length of your BB axle or mount a single chainring on the inboard position of a double (you'll need shorter studs for a single ring too).

Get a box of old bits or raid your stash and build that sucker. None of it is hard, some of it requires a bit of thinking about. Building cheap doesn't mean building badly, BTW. For really cheap and nasty you select a ratio on a geared bike, cut the chain to length and disable or remove the derailleurs etc. Back in the day it was the way for riders to get home if they broke a chain mid ride.

Oh, one last thing for the moment: search this forum for posts by contributor 11.4 and read and learn. Then read it again; he's a trove.

More to come, best o' luck

[choke]

I used a road frame and parts that I had laying around, other than having wheels built.

[redir]

I love my track bike becasue it's fun but I would not want to ride 100 miles on it, even dead flat. Track bikes are usually pretty aggressive in their angles and set up. My suggestion would be an old steel road frame with horiz drop outs. Road bike geometry will be more comfortable and of course steel will too.

[rePhil]

Have you thought about a fixed gear?

I found what was basically a NOS Specialized Langster priced right. Perfect for ruining with my wife, running errands, and just going for a ride. These days I am liking the fixed over the freewheel.

[C40_guy]

I reconfigured my Hot Tubes cyclocross bike as a single speed. Since I was already running a single chainring on the front and canti brakes, I didn't have much to do...

I got a rear wheel with a Phil Wood flip-flop hub (single speed on one side, fixxie on the other), removed the rear derailleur and shortened the chain.

Done.

[David Tollefson]

There are a lot of options out there for single-speeding. As has been stated already, an old road frame with horizontal dropouts will work well. the rear triangle can be re-spaced to 130mm if needed, and you can use a standard road wheel with a cassette spacer kit and tune the chain line there. A set of cogs in single steps and you're golden. That would get you there on the cheap.

Surly has an option or two, I believe, as well. Many others offer decent single speed roadies. Or you could go high-zoot and order up a custom road bike with sliding dropouts and disc brakes...

[Bentley]

Ok, I'll preface this by saying this is one genre of cycling I know nothing about. I'm thinking of a project to build a steel single speed. I live near an MUT and can literally ride a couple hundred miles of flat terrain. My idea is to do cadence based training rides and gradually increase the gear size. I'm assuming I need horizontal dropouts since I'll need to keep chain tension as I change cogs. Best to go with track frame or road? For safety reasons, I'll need at least one brake, and single speed not fixed gear. So how would I build this thing up? Pictures would be great as well.

I did this for a while... built up an old frame, used a chain tensioner, set of wheels and good to go. I recommend brakes. Get a big enough gear that going up hills is work... also, one big enough so you don’t spin out. If I recall I had a 50/14.

Good Luck

[NHAero]

This is a late 1950s French road frame sold in the US as OTB, set up as a fixed gear. Worked perfectly with no chain tension issues.

Back story:
This was Sheldon Brown's (only) road bike when we met in the fall of 1971. Its distinguishing feature was the narrowest seat stays I'd ever seen. When he died his wife (who I knew before Sheldon did) asked me if I wanted any of his 60 bikes, and I asked for the OTB (https://www.sheldonbrown.com/org/otb.html) As you could see if you follow the link, he had "modified" it in characteristic fashion. I stripped it down and found a tear in the seat lug (the frame was too small for him and he had the post way up there). I had the frame stripped, the lug repaired, then powdercoated in an orangey red that was the color i remembered it was before he rattled canned it. The bike was built as homage to Sheldon, who exposed me to fixed gear riding, with some of his favorite parts - Lyotard Marcel Berthet pedals, Sugino AT crank, Zoom stem, Diacompe brake levers, flat bars (should have been Scott AT-2). Alas, it really was too big for me - I could barely straddle the top tube - and I eventually sold the frame when the Nagasawa came my way.

[cmbicycles]

Turn in limit screws on your derailleurs to your preferred gear, instant single speed.

[fignon's barber]

Lots of good info here. Thanks to everyone for the tips. Very helpful!

[Gummee]

Have you thought about a fixed gear?

I found what was basically a NOS Specialized Langster priced right. Perfect for ruining with my wife, running errands, and just going for a ride. These days I am liking the fixed over the freewheel.

I've had both fixed and free 1-gear bikes and much prefer the fixed gear

1. you're ALWAYS pedaling
2. since you're always pedaling, your pedal stroke has to smooth out when you get past your comfort zone

AFA the OP: singlespeeds are pretty much a 'run whatcha got' kind of bike. I built my SSCX out of my former canti race frame with leftover parts. If you don't have a bike with horizontal dropouts, run a tensioner.

I'm having Frank the Welder build me an AL 'all weather training' road frame that'll run fenders and 28s. I'm planning on running it SS more often than not so this bike is going to get the tensioner on the SSCX I have built up now.

I'd like to run the thing fixed, but try finding a disc, TA rear, fixed gear hub. I've thought about having a FH body welded together, but don't want to ruin a perfectly good FH body to do it.

M

[Red Tornado]

If you go the "single rear sprocket on the cassette body with a bunch of spacers" route, you can use single speed cogs that are wider where they contact the cassette body. Absolute Black, Chris King, Gusset and probably more make them. That way you don't have that narrow sprocket digging in to the cassette body; the wider area spreads the load out a little more.

+1 to all the other advice given here.

[ridethecliche]

Step 1: get an awesome 80s bike with horizontal dropouts.

Step 2: profit.

https://i.imgur.com/jfx4MbT.jpg

[Jef58]

Ok, I'll preface this by saying this is one genre of cycling I know nothing about. I'm thinking of a project to build a steel single speed. I live near an MUT and can literally ride a couple hundred miles of flat terrain. My idea is to do cadence based training rides and gradually increase the gear size. I'm assuming I need horizontal dropouts since I'll need to keep chain tension as I change cogs. Best to go with track frame or road? For safety reasons, I'll need at least one brake, and single speed not fixed gear. So how would I build this thing up? Pictures would be great as well.

Do you have a frame already or looking to purchase one ? I split many years between geared and ss /fixed. Currently set up as single speed. A great frame is the steel Vigorelli. Cinelli really made a nice fun bike that is mainly a fixed gear criterium bike so it is good for the road. I would recommend investing in a White Industries freewheel. Pricey but well worth it. I am not using the long reach bars now that's in the picture. It's set up with 3T compact carbon bars with old gutted Campy levers for the front brake...which does does fine. The Tri type bottle holder has been a good alternative to rigging a bottle holder on the downtube. The gearing I run is 48x16 with the Omnium crank @165 arms. I don't seem to have any issues with the chainline with that crank but the Q factor is a little tighter than the road cranks. All in all, they are fun, simple bikes to ride that are easy to maintain.

[uber]

I too was looking for a single speed bike (frame). I did not want track geometry and also wanted front and rear brakes. I found a used single speed cross frame and built that up, and am very happy with it. I have a flip rear hub so I can switch between fixed and single speed use. Great for noodling around, training or for short errands. Canti brakes work just fine.

[muz]

This may be counter intuitive, but absolute flat terrain is not great for single speed, at least if you are riding any kind of distance. I would much prefer a century with 5000ft of climbing than a dead flat one. You will be sitting and spinning at the same cadence the whole time, and it's hard to stand up and pedal to stretch your legs, especially in a group. Best is rolling terrain.

[19wisconsin64]

If you have the funds, a White Industries single speed freewheel may be a great choice. Have one, and love it.

Steel bicycle frames with horizontal dropouts work very well. 1980's frames were great.... I have an 80's Davidson and love it as a fixed gear ride.

Check your chain line when building it up too...I've made this mistake before...had to walk home!

Good luck with your build!