Singulator Q?

elzoller

El Guac-Oh
I have the Surly Singulator on my bike and recently I've been having problems where the little cog assembly (for lack of a better word) becomes loose. I don't know if it is because I am usually riding on pretty rocky terrain and all the vibration makes it loose. I have been lucky enough to notice it before it becomes completely loose and I end up losing all the parts in the trail. Now I know I have to check it before every ride to make sure it is tight. I was wondering if it is possible to remove the singulator completely. Now, my frame is not SS specific so I have vertical dropouts and I guess that is why I need the singulator, perhaps I answered my own question :( , but maybe some of you know a trick or some other fix. I also hear a "clicking" noise when I push hard on steep climbs, where I think the chain might be about to snap, so I have to ease off the pedals. Is this because my cog might be worn out and the chain is trying to skip out of it? :hmmm: :hmmm: :hmmm:
I am using the same cogs and chain I had when it was a geared bike. I want to avoid having to buy a whole new crankset, chain & cogs.
Thanks.
 

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
bail on the singleator and get the rennen. scott (ytc100) is running one and it actually works. i had the same issues with mine...the singleator is flawed. seriously. ping, pop, pow! there would go the chain and me flying off the bike. heythorp witnessed it at least twice during one of our KVSP rides. it was brutal. adjusting it was useless. i could not get it tight enough. some folks ran them in the "up" position but getting the spring from surly took forever and sometimes it didn't even help.

there was a reason i was the charter member of the he-man singleator-haters club.

here is the link: http://www.rennendesigngroup.com/Rollenlager_Desc.htm
 
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elzoller

El Guac-Oh
Pretty sleek!! and it runs parallel to the chainstay!! not hangin' like the singulator which is in as much jeopardy as the dérailleur thru the rock gardens. So I guess I can keep my setup, just replace the singulator...awesome...I'll order it and hopefully have it ready for the DH40! Thanks BFJ
 

ytc100

New Member
The rennen is great but be aware that you may have to adjust the position of the pulley either in or out by swapping washers and/or the bolt that holds the pulley on. I've done it to 2 of them and it was not a big deal.

Alternatively you may be able to find just the right gearing combo here:
http://eehouse.org/fixin/formfmu.php

Or, you could file down your axle a bit like Sheldon (never did this one personally): http://sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html#vertical (scroll down a bit).
 

anrothar

entirely thrilled
ditto on scotts advice. magic gear is the way to go. i'll be riding one that's been st up as a magic gear for several years now to work tomorrow. works like a charm.
 

ytc100

New Member
ditto on scotts advice. magic gear is the way to go. i'll be riding one that's been st up as a magic gear for several years now to work tomorrow. works like a charm.

It is nicer without the tensioner.
Have you ever had so much chain wear that keeping tension became a problem? I was thinking of doing the "file the axle" routine to give my rear wheel a little wiggle room when the time comes. Or I could just keep replacing chains I suppose.
 

anrothar

entirely thrilled
i chose a gear that barely fit, and the chain has stretched in to a nice chain tension. it's really not been a problem for me.
 

anrothar

entirely thrilled
all you've got to do is measure your chainstays. center of bb spindle to center of axle. then look it up on fixmeup. find a suitable gear that works. buy that.
 

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
this will work with the vert drops?? that's a lot cheaper than $50 for the rennen.
 

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
ok, so per sean's description, i measured my chainstay from axle to center and i'm looking at approx. 17 inches. currently set up as a 32/19. now how the hell do i read the chart? it doesn't look like there are any realistic ratios??
 
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ytc100

New Member
In reality I found a magic gear one tooth off from the recommended value on the chart. Apparently it is difficult to accurately measure your chain stay length by eye:
http://eehouse.org/fixin/chainstay.php

Looks like you could try 32x20, 32x18 (with a half-link)?
 
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elzoller

El Guac-Oh
I'm not the smartest....How do I read the damn chart?
Are the values I plugged in correct? My chainstay is about 17" too. Currently I have a 32x21. :confused: :hmmm: :confused: :hmmm: :confused:

what.png


Does this mean I need a 20x20 or anything close to the shaded area to get rid of the singulator? 25x19...27x21...WTF!!
 

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
i think you're in my boat with the 32x20 or 32x18. i'm going to go 20T since its a little bigger and should give a better line.
 
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