Conversion to singlespeed

I have a similar specialized, a hardrock frame of unknown vintage that
I rescued from the trash heap to serve as my single speed frame.
It is a 130mmm rear that I have jammed a 135mm xt hub into. It also has
a similar dropout as your frame. I just fit my wheel in the space
provided and try to tighten the quick release as hard as I can. I had
to adjust the bearings a bit so they wouldn't bind when I clamp the
quick release but so far it hasn't been a problem. I have thought about
grinding off the metal so the wheel can go further into the dropout but
haven't.
The wheel doesn't seem to shift when I stand or pedal hard but I live
in a flat town (manhattan) so I am getting away with a 34x16 gear.
Good luck,
Ray

Phil Meades said:

I am converting a 1995 vintage Specialized Hardrock to singlespeed

but

Quoted message said:

am looking for some advice about the dropout.

The dropout is (very) short, less than a half inch and nearly
horizontal. It has a second hole drilled rearwards of it with a small
area of metal between the hole and the dropout.

You can see a photo here http://www.themeades.plus.com/dropout.jpg

(57

Quoted message said:

Kb, 600x530 pixels).

What I want to know is; is it safe to remove that area of metal to
extend the length of the dropout so that I can get some more
adjustment to tension the chain.

If it isn't safe what is the purpose of the hole?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Phil Meades
Lake District, UK

----
Cheers - Phil Meades
remove -HAT- to reply

dnacowboy said:

I have a similar specialized, a hardrock frame of unknown vintage that
I rescued from the trash heap to serve as my single speed frame.
It is a 130mmm rear that I have jammed a 135mm xt hub into. It also has
a similar dropout as your frame. I just fit my wheel in the space
provided and try to tighten the quick release as hard as I can. I had
to adjust the bearings a bit so they wouldn't bind when I clamp the
quick release but so far it hasn't been a problem. I have thought about
grinding off the metal so the wheel can go further into the dropout but
haven't.
The wheel doesn't seem to shift when I stand or pedal hard but I live
in a flat town (manhattan) so I am getting away with a 34x16 gear.

Jeez, what a low gear for an urban singlespeed! That's more appropriate
for mountain trails--doesn't it drive you crazy on the flats?

Quoted message said:

Phil Meades said:

I am converting a 1995 vintage Specialized Hardrock to singlespeed
but am looking for some advice about the dropout.

The dropout is (very) short, less than a half inch and nearly
horizontal. It has a second hole drilled rearwards of it with a small
area of metal between the hole and the dropout.

You can see a photo here http://www.themeades.plus.com/dropout.jpg

Quoted message said:

What I want to know is; is it safe to remove that area of metal to
extend the length of the dropout so that I can get some more
adjustment to tension the chain.

Yes. Go for it.

Sheldon "42/14" Brown
+--------------------------------------------------------------+
| Readers of a historical bent may be interested in my |
| great-grandfather's journal of life as a sailor 1859-1869 |
| http://sheldonbrown.org/anders-junnila.html |
+--------------------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

Do people generally use mountain bikes or road bikes for single speed
bikes? I was going to try and use my old Fuji Supreme steel frame since
I mostly ride a road bike, on pavement.

catzz66 said:

Do people generally use mountain bikes or road bikes for single speed
bikes? I was going to try and use my old Fuji Supreme steel frame since
I mostly ride a road bike, on pavement.

IMO, seeing as how you are riding on roads, the best thing would be a
road bike. I know that sounds like a radical idea....

The concept that a mountain bike is the standard is a new idea, and the
product more of marketing than reality. Mountain bikes were developed for
riding in extreme conditions, on trails. That is what they do best. On
roads, they have excess weight, poor rolling resistance due to the tires,
and force the rider into a posture that will be uncomfortable on a longer
ride. Suspensions are worse than useless on the road.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | You will say Christ saith this and the apostles say this; but
_`\(,_ | what canst thou say? -- George Fox.
(_)/ (_) |

Quoted message said:

You can see a photo here http://www.themeades.plus.com/dropout.jpg (57
Kb, 600x530 pixels).

That tape measure is interesting, because I almost had to buy a tape measure
unit from the UK. You guys are the only ones in the world with both metric
and imperial units on the same tape measure. I had to buy mine on eBay.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

Phil said:

Quoted message said:

You can see a photo here http://www.themeades.plus.com/dropout.jpg (57
Kb, 600x530 pixels).

That tape measure is interesting, because I almost had to buy a tape measure
unit from the UK. You guys are the only ones in the world with both metric
and imperial units on the same tape measure. I had to buy mine on eBay.

Those metric+imperial tapes are quite common here. I always wondered
what was their purpose: imperial units are *never* used here
(Switzerland). I understood when I started reading r.b.t. :-)

Squid-in-Training said:

Quoted message said:

You can see a photo here http://www.themeades.plus.com/dropout.jpg (57
Kb, 600x530 pixels).

That tape measure is interesting, because I almost had to buy a tape measure
unit from the UK. You guys are the only ones in the world with both metric
and imperial units on the same tape measure. I had to buy mine on eBay.

Dear Phil,

http://www.cvfsupplycompany.com/tame25x1tame.html

Carl Fogel

David L. Johnson said:

catzz66 said:

Do people generally use mountain bikes or road bikes for single speed
bikes? I was going to try and use my old Fuji Supreme steel frame since
I mostly ride a road bike, on pavement.

IMO, seeing as how you are riding on roads, the best thing would be a
road bike. I know that sounds like a radical idea....

Thanks. What I didn't like about the Fuji (first road bike) was the
friction shifters. Otherwise it was a pretty comfortable bike to ride.
I didn't know at first if I could adjust to riding on the drop bars
(no big deal now). It had always been kept inside it appears, so it is
not rusty and seems to otherwise been in good shape. I hardly ride my
mountain bike anymore unless I don't know what the road is going to be
like. I will probably get rid of it and keep the single speed and good
road bike if it works out.

Quoted message said:

Squid-in-Training said:

Quoted message said:

You can see a photo here http://www.themeades.plus.com/dropout.jpg
(57 Kb, 600x530 pixels).

That tape measure is interesting, because I almost had to buy a tape
measure unit from the UK. You guys are the only ones in the world
with both metric and imperial units on the same tape measure. I had
to buy mine on eBay.

Dear Phil,

http://www.cvfsupplycompany.com/tame25x1tame.html

Carl Fogel

Well, more accurately, I should have rephrased it as, "I had to buy mine
online." Metric/SAE combo tape measures were nowhere to be found in local
stores.
--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

Squid-in-Training said:

Quoted message said:

You can see a photo here http://www.themeades.plus.com/dropout.jpg (57
Kb, 600x530 pixels).

That tape measure is interesting, because I almost had to buy a tape measure
unit from the UK. You guys are the only ones in the world with both metric
and imperial units on the same tape measure. I had to buy mine on eBay.

I got mine at Home Depot. I don't know if they still have them.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

Squid-in-Training said:

Quoted message said:

Squid-in-Training said:

> You can see a photo here http://www.themeades.plus.com/dropout.jpg
> (57 Kb, 600x530 pixels).

That tape measure is interesting, because I almost had to buy a tape
measure unit from the UK. You guys are the only ones in the world
with both metric and imperial units on the same tape measure. I had
to buy mine on eBay.

Dear Phil,

http://www.cvfsupplycompany.com/tame25x1tame.html

Carl Fogel

Well, more accurately, I should have rephrased it as, "I had to buy mine
online." Metric/SAE combo tape measures were nowhere to be found in local
stores.

Dear Phil,

This list of some other metric/sae tapes includes the
pricier but usually available Stanley Powerlock II:

http://search.hardwarestore.com/exec/?query=Metric+Tape+Measure

Your local stores may not have them, but sometimes the
trouble is that the employees don't know everything that's
for sale in the store.

("I didn't know we carried that. What is it?"😉

To be fair, they have thousands of items to try to remember,
and metric/sae tape measures aren't exactly flying out the
door.

Carl Fogel

Squid-in-Training Phil said:

Quoted message said:

You can see a photo here http://www.themeades.plus.com/dropout.jpg (57
Kb, 600x530 pixels).

That tape measure is interesting, because I almost had to buy a tape
measure unit from the UK. You guys are the only ones in the world with
both metric and imperial units on the same tape measure. I had to buy
mine on eBay.

Next time, you might also try Canada.

--
Benjamin Lewis

Evelyn the dog, having undergone further modification, pondered the
significance of short-person behavior in pedal-depressed panchromatic
resonance and other highly ambient domains... "Arf", she said.

Phil said:

Quoted message said:

Squid-in-Training said:

>You can see a photo here http://www.themeades.plus.com/dropout.jpg
>(57 Kb, 600x530 pixels).

That tape measure is interesting, because I almost had to buy a tape
measure unit from the UK. You guys are the only ones in the world
with both metric and imperial units on the same tape measure. I had
to buy mine on eBay.

Dear Phil,

http://www.cvfsupplycompany.com/tame25x1tame.html

Carl Fogel

Well, more accurately, I should have rephrased it as, "I had to buy mine
online." Metric/SAE combo tape measures were nowhere to be found in local
stores.

Here in Australia you can't (well, you probably can but you know what I
mean) buy a tape or ruler that is _not_ Metric/SAE combo...

Brian.

Sheldon Brown said:

dnacowboy said:

The wheel doesn't seem to shift when I stand or pedal hard but I live
in a flat town (manhattan) so I am getting away with a 34x16 gear.

Jeez, what a low gear for an urban singlespeed! That's more appropriate
for mountain trails--doesn't it drive you crazy on the flats?

I run 34x16 on my singlespeed MTB, and it's a bit low on the flat
trails but I like to spin 100rpm+ just for fun. On the steep stuff,
32x18 is more rideable and I just accept that I'll be freewheeling on
the downs.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Phil Meades said:

You can see a photo here http://www.themeades.plus.com/dropout.jpg

Quoted message said:

What I want to know is; is it safe to remove that area of metal to
extend the length of the dropout so that I can get some more
adjustment to tension the chain.

Yes. Go for it.

Having seen the photo, I'm surprised he even had to ask. What was that
funny little web doing there in the first place?

Quoted message said:

Sheldon "42/14" Brown

Isn't that a bit of an oversimplification?

Kinky "32x18 or 34x16 or 42x15 or 50x16 or 49x15" Cowboy

Kinky Cowboy*

*Batteries not included
May contain traces of nuts
Your milage may vary

Cut away.

On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 21:38:28 GMT, Brian Watson <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Phil said:

Quoted message said:

On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 20:09:23 GMT, "Phil, Squid-in-Training"
<[email hidden]> wrote:

>>You can see a photo here http://www.themeades.plus.com/dropout.jpg
>>(57 Kb, 600x530 pixels).
>
>That tape measure is interesting, because I almost had to buy a tape
>measure unit from the UK. You guys are the only ones in the world
>with both metric and imperial units on the same tape measure. I had
>to buy mine on eBay.

Dear Phil,

http://www.cvfsupplycompany.com/tame25x1tame.html

Carl Fogel

Well, more accurately, I should have rephrased it as, "I had to buy mine
online." Metric/SAE combo tape measures were nowhere to be found in local
stores.

Here in Australia you can't (well, you probably can but you know what I
mean) buy a tape or ruler that is _not_ Metric/SAE combo...

Brian.

Calling it SAE is just typical American cultural imperialism. Feet and
inches are Imperial measure.

Kinky Cowboy*

*Batteries not included
May contain traces of nuts
Your milage may vary

Kinky Cowboy said:

On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 21:38:28 GMT, Brian Watson <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Phil said:

[email hidden] wrote:

>On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 20:09:23 GMT, "Phil, Squid-in-Training"
><[email hidden]> wrote:
>
>
>>>You can see a photo here http://www.themeades.plus.com/dropout.jpg
>>>(57 Kb, 600x530 pixels).
>>
>>That tape measure is interesting, because I almost had to buy a tape
>>measure unit from the UK. You guys are the only ones in the world
>>with both metric and imperial units on the same tape measure. I had
>>to buy mine on eBay.
>
>Dear Phil,
>
>http://www.cvfsupplycompany.com/tame25x1tame.html
>
>Carl Fogel

Well, more accurately, I should have rephrased it as, "I had to buy mine
online." Metric/SAE combo tape measures were nowhere to be found in local
stores.

Here in Australia you can't (well, you probably can but you know what I
mean) buy a tape or ruler that is _not_ Metric/SAE combo...

Brian.

Calling it SAE is just typical American cultural imperialism. Feet and
inches are Imperial measure.

Kinky Cowboy*

*Batteries not included
May contain traces of nuts
Your milage may vary

Dear Kinky,

Using sae and metric as search terms does help if you want
to search for such tape measures to help Phil in the U.S.

I'm looking at a brand-new $1.49 Harbor Freight Cen-Tech
#38936 tape measure that says "12 ft. SAE & Metric" on the
packaging. (The 16-foot #38937 model is a foul lie that
costs $1.99, with no metric markings despite its claims.)

It's made in India.

Carl Fogel

I .sigged:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Sheldon "42/14" Brown

A sexually adventurous vaquero said:

Isn't that a bit of an oversimplification?

Kinky "32x18 or 34x16 or 42x15 or 50x16 or 49x15" Cowboy

Yes. That's my preferred combination for street fixed gear, 559 wheels.

Actually, "/" is more accrate than "x" because the operation is
division, not multiplication.

Sheldon "26/8, 26/9, 33/18, 40/16, 40/14, 42/14, 42/15, 42/30, 46/14,
48/16, 52/17, 53/18, 53/12" Brown
+----------------------------------------------------+
| A little inaccuracy sometimes saves tons of |
| explanation. --H.H.Munro ("Saki"😉(1870-1916) |
+----------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

Kinky Cowboy said:

Quoted message said:

Sheldon "42/14" Brown

Isn't that a bit of an oversimplification?

No, it can be simplified further: "3".

Which now reveals Sheldon as a closet Dale Earnhardt fan.

Jeff "44/17" Wills