SS chain length calculator?

THATmanMANNY

Well-Known Member
sooooo I run a SS flipflop hub with my vertical dropouts. I am spinning twice as mad as other singlespeeders :rolleyes: Right now it's 45 front 18 back. I think it's time to up the gearing on it for the road and switch it back to the current gearing when cross comes around. The chainstay length is 43.2cm. Can someone point me in the direction how I can up the gearing but keep the tension perfect without tensioners. I remember a few chain length calculators being posted here and there but I don't recall where.

Or my other options is build up an eccentric rear hub but I think that would be more costly but would give me adjustability. Which road should I take? :hmmm:

Thanks
Manny
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
when in doubt, sheldon brown

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/

while that is just a gear inches calc, i am sure you can find something on there to help. BTW, you can use a tensior with a freewheel.

eccentric hub would probably be the way to go, or a new frame, which you may be able to find for cheap.
 
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THATmanMANNY

Well-Known Member
Well it's fixed/SS. My bad, forgot to mention that and I'd be running the same cogs T's on both sides like now. So I want to keep that and the clean look going. I love my frame's color. I don't want to give up the baby blue :D
 

J-7

Active Member
Just a guess, but you could add the number of links to cover the added teeth on your chainring. I would assume this would come close.
 

warcricket

Like a Jerk
if i where you, i'd take the easy way out. since your current gearing is 45:18, you can easily up the gearing by adding one tooth to the front and taking one off the back making it a 46:17. the chain length wont change since there will still be the same number of teeth.
 

THATmanMANNY

Well-Known Member
if i where you, i'd take the easy way out. since your current gearing is 45:18, you can easily up the gearing by adding one tooth to the front and taking one off the back making it a 46:17. the chain length wont change since there will still be the same number of teeth.

can you or anyone confirm this method will work perfectly without any problems? Will the chain remain same tension or just a little looser or tighter?
 

warcricket

Like a Jerk
surly makes a product called the dingle cog that works off of the same principal that i described.

the dingle cog is a two sprocket cluster which comes in a variety of sizes, 17-19, 17-20, 17-21. the 17-19, for example, is meant to be run with two chainrings up front that also have a size difference of two teeth, like a 40 and a 42. with a dingle cog set up this way, one can run a 40-19 or a 42-17 with the rear axle in the same spot of the drop out both ways.

it works.
 
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