Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Singlespeed & Fixed Gear
Reload this Page >

Road Bike crank set on single speed?

Search
Notices
Singlespeed & Fixed Gear "I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five. Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailer? We are getting soft...As for me, give me a fixed gear!"-- Henri Desgrange (31 January 1865 - 16 August 1940)

Road Bike crank set on single speed?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 10-20-16, 08:59 AM
  #1  
RMoudatir
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Corona, CA
Posts: 221

Bikes: Otso Warakin, 2014 Fuji Sportif 1.4 disc

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 140 Post(s)
Liked 11 Times in 7 Posts
Road Bike crank set on single speed?

I am curious if you can fit a road bike crank set on a single speed bike. I have never really seen anyone try that, I wonder if a compact 50/34t Ultegra 6800 would work. What makes it intriguing to me is that high end road bike crank sets are cheaper than high end track crank sets.
RMoudatir is offline  
Old 10-20-16, 09:07 AM
  #2  
TejanoTrackie 
Veteran Racer
 
TejanoTrackie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Ciudad de Vacas, Tejas
Posts: 11,757

Bikes: 32 frames + 80 wheels

Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1331 Post(s)
Liked 764 Times in 431 Posts
Actually, many singlespeed cranksets such as the Sugino RD2 are just road double chainring cranks with one of the chairings removed and a different BB spindle length to get a good chainline.
__________________
What, Me Worry? - Alfred E. Neuman

Originally Posted by Dcv
I'd like to think i have as much money as brains.
I see the light at the end of the tunnel, but the tunnel keeps getting longer - me
TejanoTrackie is offline  
Old 10-20-16, 09:19 AM
  #3  
ThermionicScott 
working on my sandal tan
 
ThermionicScott's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: CID
Posts: 22,627

Bikes: 1991 Bianchi Eros, 1964 Armstrong, 1988 Diamondback Ascent, 1988 Bianchi Premio, 1987 Bianchi Sport SX, 1980s Raleigh mixte (hers), All-City Space Horse (hers)

Mentioned: 98 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3870 Post(s)
Liked 2,563 Times in 1,577 Posts
Originally Posted by RMoudatir
I am curious if you can fit a road bike crank set on a single speed bike. I have never really seen anyone try that, I wonder if a compact 50/34t Ultegra 6800 would work. What makes it intriguing to me is that high end road bike crank sets are cheaper than high end track crank sets.
Back in the day, it was de rigeur to use the inner chainring of the double when converting your road bike to fixed gear for winter training.

Being a little more vain than that, but not wanting to invest in track-specific cranksets, my conversion has used double cranksets with a shorter bottom bracket in order to get good chainline with the outer ring position, as @TejanoTrackie suggested.
__________________
Originally Posted by chandltp
There's no such thing as too far.. just lack of time
Originally Posted by noglider
People in this forum are not typical.
RUSA #7498
ThermionicScott is offline  
Old 10-20-16, 10:13 AM
  #4  
50voltphantom
Senior Member
 
50voltphantom's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: SD
Posts: 2,745

Bikes: Handsome Fredward, Trek 1.1

Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 481 Post(s)
Liked 131 Times in 47 Posts
I wouldn't have guessed an Ultegra crankset costs a measly $160.
50voltphantom is offline  
Old 10-20-16, 11:52 AM
  #5  
seau grateau
Senior Member
 
seau grateau's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: PHL
Posts: 9,948

Bikes: Litespeed Catalyst, IRO Rob Roy, All City Big Block

Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1332 Post(s)
Liked 398 Times in 194 Posts
No reason you can't, really. It's probably going to be tough to find a variety of different sized chainrings, though, if that matters to you.
seau grateau is offline  
Old 10-20-16, 12:06 PM
  #6  
caloso
Senior Member
 
caloso's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Posts: 40,865

Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur

Mentioned: 68 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2952 Post(s)
Liked 3,106 Times in 1,417 Posts
You'll have a lot more flexibility in finding chainrings if you go with a 5 arm spider.
caloso is offline  
Old 10-21-16, 01:17 AM
  #7  
hairnet
Fresh Garbage
 
hairnet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 13,190

Bikes: N+1

Mentioned: 21 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 352 Post(s)
Liked 27 Times in 18 Posts
Sure, why not. I had mine set up with a 105 crank and 50t ring.
hairnet is offline  
Old 10-21-16, 08:53 AM
  #8  
Scrodzilla
Your cog is slipping.
 
Scrodzilla's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 26,053
Mentioned: 41 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 640 Post(s)
Liked 100 Times in 58 Posts
Originally Posted by seau grateau
No reason you can't, really. It's probably going to be tough to find a variety of different sized chainrings, though, if that matters to you.
Not really. TA Specialites makes 1/8" 130bcd chainrings ranging from 44t-52t.
Scrodzilla is offline  
Old 10-21-16, 09:45 AM
  #9  
50voltphantom
Senior Member
 
50voltphantom's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: SD
Posts: 2,745

Bikes: Handsome Fredward, Trek 1.1

Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 481 Post(s)
Liked 131 Times in 47 Posts
130 BCD crank + eBay = unlimited inexpensive chainrings. 38T - ∞
50voltphantom is offline  
Old 10-21-16, 10:59 AM
  #10  
seau grateau
Senior Member
 
seau grateau's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: PHL
Posts: 9,948

Bikes: Litespeed Catalyst, IRO Rob Roy, All City Big Block

Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1332 Post(s)
Liked 398 Times in 194 Posts
Originally Posted by Scrodzilla
Not really. TA Specialites makes 1/8" 130bcd chainrings ranging from 44t-52t.
Four bolt?
seau grateau is offline  
Old 10-21-16, 11:25 AM
  #11  
Scrodzilla
Your cog is slipping.
 
Scrodzilla's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 26,053
Mentioned: 41 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 640 Post(s)
Liked 100 Times in 58 Posts
Missed that part. I was thinking 130bcd 5-bolt.

I guess some people are hell-bent on making things difficult.
Scrodzilla is offline  
Old 10-21-16, 12:20 PM
  #12  
50voltphantom
Senior Member
 
50voltphantom's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: SD
Posts: 2,745

Bikes: Handsome Fredward, Trek 1.1

Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 481 Post(s)
Liked 131 Times in 47 Posts
^lol
50voltphantom is offline  
Old 10-21-16, 03:18 PM
  #13  
veganbikes
Clark W. Griswold
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ,location, location
Posts: 13,467

Bikes: Foundry Chilkoot Ti W/Ultegra Di2, Salsa Timberjack Ti, Cinelli Mash Work RandoCross Fun Time Machine, 1x9 XT Parts Hybrid, Co-Motion Cascadia, Specialized Langster, Phil Wood Apple VeloXS Frame (w/DA 7400), R+M Supercharger2 Rohloff, Habanero Ti 26

Mentioned: 54 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4335 Post(s)
Liked 3,958 Times in 2,646 Posts
I know we had a tough time finding a ring for a customer recently whose brother shipped his bike. Was a mess because everyone was out of the chainring we needed and it was for a 4 bolt jobber but the initial one we ordered didn't quite work.
veganbikes is offline  
Old 10-21-16, 07:40 PM
  #14  
cDiff Notorious
Senior Member
 
cDiff Notorious's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 273

Bikes: Wabi Classic, Schwinn Madison

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 19 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
I have a Shimano 600 crank and got it for $50. Ive seen dura ace square taper road cranks go as low as $70.
cDiff Notorious is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
icepick_trotsky
Classic & Vintage
30
10-29-14 02:56 PM
RGW
Singlespeed & Fixed Gear
4
01-27-14 05:55 PM
bluenote157
Bicycle Mechanics
2
12-22-10 10:30 PM
gholland
Bicycle Mechanics
7
03-31-10 01:08 PM
lobster4u
Bicycle Mechanics
3
12-22-09 12:44 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.