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Singlespeed Central!

See also Sheldon Brown's Singlespeed Conversions Page

Axles | Chain Tensioners | Cranks | Freewheels
Hubs | Nuts & Bolts | Sprockets | Sprocket Spacers | Wheels

The Redline 9•2•5

Note, Redline bikes are only available for direct sale at our shop in West Newton, Massachusetts.

Redline's super-versatile urban commuter fixed/free singlespeed--an unbeatable value!

Surly 1x1 Single Speed Mountain Frameset

More pix and details on our Surly Page

We ship hard-to-find parts, tools and accessories all over the world

We specialize in fixed-gear and singlespeed conversion of road and mountain bikes.

Axles | Chain Tensioners | Cranks | Freewheels
Hubs | Nuts & Bolts | Sprockets | Sprocket Spacers | Wheels

 

Singlespeed MTB hubs

Singlespeed MTB hubs are similar to BMX hubs, but are wider. These hubs use 135 mm spacing, rather than the 110/120 mm of BMX/track hubs. They also have considerably wider chainline than conventional one-speed hubs.

Coaster Brake | Shimano | Surly | Phil Wood | White Industries

Most of the hubs on this page are for "mountain" type singlespeed/fixed gear hubs, approximately 52 mm chainline, 135 mm spacing.

Click here for "track" type hubs, chainline, approximately 42 mm, frame spacing 130 mm or less.

 

Surly New Model $69.95 rear, $59.95 front

Forged and CNC-machined high flange body.

Adjustable, sald full-compliment angular contact barings, same BB7901 size front and rear.

Standard, easily-replaceable, non-proprietary cro-moly solid axles.

Rear hub is threaded on both sides for standard singlespeed freewheels. Will also accept fixed (track) cogs, but with no provision for a lockring.

Front HU0200-silver or HU0201-black 32 holes, 244 grams $59.95

Rear HU0204-silver or HU0205-black 32 holes, 345 grams $69.95

Rear HU0209-Fixed/Free black 32 holes, 345 grams $69.95

Fixed/Free model can be used with 2 freewheels if desired.

These very nice hubs have solid axles, sealed cartridge bearings, solid axles with track nuts. The rear hub is double sided, with standard freewheel threads on both sides. This hub provides a 52 mm chainline, which lines up with the outer chainring position on most MTB crank sets. This is an excellent choice for singlespeed conversions.

Also available in built-up wheels.

These are unbeliveably wonderful, nothing else comes close. Beauty incarnate! They have oversized 25 mm knurled inner and outer gripping surfaces on the axle ends and the special conical bushing/washers. They use precision cartridge bearings, indestructible oversized axles, everything is machined flawlessly and polished to a mirror sheen. As with all Phil hubs, the spoke holes are radius bevelled to provide perfect support to spoke elbows, making spoke breakage virtually unknown. These are the Very Best.

Phil Wood "KISS Off" Singlespeed hubs

This absolutely gorgeous hub is the first fixed-gear hub made to work with a singlespeed mountain bike.

The 52 mm chainline avoids chainwheel clearance problems on MTB frames. Like the legendary Phil Wood track hubs, this uses high-quality stainless steel Allen bolts to secure the hub to the frame.

Extensive knurling on both the axle caps and the exquisite washer/bushing units means this hub will not slip.

The hot setup is a fairly high fixed gear for road use to get you to the trailhead, and a low freewheeling gear for the rough stuff. If you're a wuss, you leave the lockring off and mount freewheels on both sides.

• Zero-Dish rear wheel spacing designed into all Phil Kiss-Off® hub configurations
• Phil Kiss-O( 110 gm lighter ) has alloy caps and Phil Track rear washers
• Phil Kiss-Off® rear hub available in a Double-Sided Thread configuration
• Phil Kiss-Off® rear hub available in a Fixed Gear & Freewheel configuration (Track lockring provided)
• Phil Stainless Steel lockring - 33.5 mm x 24 tpi left-hand thread  ( Campagnolo compatible )
• Hayes Brake Hubs feature a 76 mm flange diameter

Part #	Description	Holes	Weight (g)	Price (Click "Buy" button)
HMK500	Front KISS-OFF                       100 mm - Q-R axle	32	237
HMK600	Front KISS-OFF                       100 mm - Q-R axle	36
HDK500	Front KISS-OFF Disc Brake 100 mm - Q-R axle	32
HDK600	Front KISS-OFF Disc Brake 100 mm - Q-R axle	36
HMK535	Rear  KISS-OFF for Single Freewheel 135 mm - Bolt axle	32	420
HMK635	Rear  KISS-OFF for Single Freewheel 135 mm - Bolt axle	36	420
HMK536	Rear  KISS-OFF Double Sided - For 2 Freewheels 135 mm - Bolt axle	32	409
HMK636	Rear  KISS-OFF Double Sided - For 2 Freewheels 135 mm - Bolt axle	36	409
HMK538	Rear KISS-OFF Fixed / Free 135 mm - Bolt axle	32	523
HMK638	Rear KISS-OFF Fixed / Free 135 mm - Bolt axle	36	423
HMK537	Rear KISS-OFF Fixed / Fixed 135 mm - Bolt axle	32	423
HMK637	Rear KISS-OFF Fixed / Fixed 135 mm - Bolt axle	36	423

Note, we do not recommend rear disc brakes for singlespeed use.

This the most exciting development of the century for singlespeed fans!

These hubs feature an eccentric axle mount, finally allowing easy conversion of your existing mountain bike to singlespeed or fixed gear without the need for kludgy chain tensioners! The eccentric axle permits 15 mm of total adjustment (plus or minus 7.5 mm.)

They are available in 135, 130 and 126 spacings, and feature a 47.5 mm chain line (lines up with the middle ring of a standard MTB crankset, or with the cog flipped over, it will line up with the outer ring of a typical road double.

Shimano BMX Hubs

Sorry, these are discontinued, no longer available.

Coaster Brake Hubs

Coaster brake hubs apply the brake when you turn the pedals backwards. Most children's bikes in the U.S. come with coaster brakes, but they are not all that practical.

Coaster brakes make it difficult to start up, because they don't permit you to rotate the pedals backward to get into a good starting position.

Coaster brakes are generally quite reliable, but when they fail they tend to fail suddenly and completely. As a result we do not recommend relying on a coaster brake alone for braking--you should also have a hand brake, preferably working on the front wheel, so there will be a backup system in case the chain breaks or derails.

Shimano Single Speed Coaster Brakes $29.95

Shimano is the best currently available. Supplied with 16 tooth sprocket, other sprocket sizes available on our Sturmey-Archer parts page

Track (Fixed-Gear) Hubs

Fixed-gear/track hubs are also quite suitable for singlespeed freewheeling bicycles. Any standard track hub will accept a one-speed freewheel with no modifications required. Track hubs are listed on our separate Fixed Gear Hub Page.

Track hubs are a good choice for converting a road frame to singlespeed, but they are not so good for mountain bike conversions. Track hubs usually require axle replacement to fit the standard 135 mm spacing of MTB frames. In addition, the closer-in chainline of track hubs (typically 41-42 mm) won't work with most MTB frames. The wide chainstay spacing forces the chainring too far out, unless you use a very tiny chainring. Most of the singlespeed hubs shown on this page have a 52 mm chainline, which lines up with the outer position on a typical MTB triple crankset.

Single-speed Freewheels

A single-speed (BMX) freewheel is a modular unit, consisting of a single sprocket and its associated freewheel (coasting) mechanism. These have standard 1.37" x 24 tpi threads, and fit on any hub that takes a thread-on freewheel. This includes BMX hubs, track hubs, and multi-speed freewheel hubs.

Shimano one-speed freewheels $20.95

The standard of the industry. They come in 16, 17 & 18 tooth sizes, and will work with either 3/32" or 1/8" chains.

Use Park FR-6 tool to remove. No tools needed to install.

ACS "Claws" 20 tooth Freewheels $22.95

ACS "Claws" 22 tooth Freewheels $22.95

Use Park FR-6 tool to remove. No tools needed to install.

It's hard to find decent, reasonably priced freewheels this large, but thes ACS units are pretty decent, chrome plated, made of good cromoly steel.

3/32" teeth work with either 3/32" (narrow) or 1/8" (wide) chain. India

 

New: White Industries ENO Freewheels $89.95

Use Park FR-6 tool to remove. No tools needed to install.

The ne plus ultra of freewheels!

These are made in U.S.A., and their quality puts all others to shame. Most singlespeed freewheels have a 20 tooth ratchet, with only two pawls to take the load. White Industries freewheels have a 36 tooth ratchet for minimum slack, and 3 pawls for reliability and durability.

Also feature O-ring seals to keep the innards clean even in nasty muck!

Sizes 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 & 23 teeth.

(16 is a new size January 2004!)

Also available in Titanium, $149.95 special order only.

For further details, see http://harriscyclery.com/white-freewheels.html

Heavy duty Trials model, 18 teeth only $109.95

The trials model has 6 pawls, two groups of 3 engaging alternately. This is the state of the art for the rigors of trials riding.

Case hardened CroMoly steel, electroless nickel plated. For further details, see http://harriscyclery.com/white-freewheels.html

New! Double Freewheel, 16-18 teeth or 17-19 teeth $119.95

Double sprocket freewheels give you a choice of gears like a flip flop hub, only you don't need to remove the wheel!

Case hardened CroMoly steel, electroless nickel plated.

Use Park FR-6 tool to remove. No tools needed to install.

For further details, see http://harriscyclery.com/white-freewheels.html

AC Racing 15 Tooth Freewheels They're Back!!! :-) $24.95

The first ever 15 tooth freewheel to fit standard hub threads! Up until now, 16 teeth was the smallest size singlespeed freewheel available in standard threading. AC found a way to place the pawls outboard, making a 15 tooth viable.

This is just the ticket if you want a bit more speed for using your singlespeed on the road.

These were unavailable for a long time, but now they're back in stock!

Features water and dust shields, and large 8 mm wide cromoly pawls for longer life.

Instead of a special dedicated freewheel remover, the AC freewheels use the same splined tool as a Shimano bottom bracket.

Note: If you're going to use one of these on a Surly hub, you need an extra 1 mm spacer.

Shimano and Surly Cassette Sprockets and Spacers

It is easy to convert a standard mountain bike with a Shimano cassette Freehub ® into a singlespeed. Remove the 7-, 8-, or 9-speed cassette, and replace it with a single sprocket and a stack of spacer washers, and you've turned your wheel into a singlespeed wheel! Add a chain tensioner, and you're ready to join the movement!

Shimano BMX	Shimano Hyperglide	Surly cog

 

Shimano BMX sprockets $4.95 each

These are made to fit the Shimano BMX Freehub ® shown above, but they fit all Shimano cassette hubs ever made. Unlike the sprockets made for derailer cassettes, they have tall teeth, shaped to keep the chain on, not to make it easy to shift off!

Available sizes: 14, 15, 16 & 18

 

Shimano Cassette sprockets $9.95 each

These are available in most sizes from 12-34 teeth. These are intended for derailer applications, so greater care must be exercised in seeing that chainline and tension are maintained.

 

New! Surly Singlespeed sprockets

13-16 Teeth: $25.95 17-22 Teeth: $29.95

These fit any standard Shimano-type cassette Freehub ® (Except 2004 and later Dura-Ace 10 speed FH-7800). They have thickened (4.4 mm) center sections so they can be used on aluminum Freehub bodies without damaging the body.

Available sizes:

Available sizes: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 & 22

These are primarily intended to be used as singlespeed sprockets, but can also be used with derailer gearing. Their taller teeth and lack of ramps/gates means they won't shift as smoothly as Hyperglide sprockets, but they'are also less likely to skip. The built-in spacer is correct for indexing with 9-speed shifters.

Spacer Kit for Freehub ® Singlespeed Conversion $19.95

If you have a couple of old, worn-out cassettes lying around, you can probably take them apart and scavenge enough spacers to convert your hub to singlespeed.

If you don't, we've got a ready-to go set, enough metal spacers to convert any 7- or 8-/9-/10-speed Freehub to single speed, using your old lockring.

Just stack the spacers up around a single sprocket and you're good to go.

Some companies sell spacer kits that consist of just two spacers, which looks a bit prettier, but doesn't have the versatility of our spacer stacks, because our spacer kits allow you to set the rear sprocket chainline wherever it needs to be to match whatever chainring you use in front.

For more details on this sort of setup, click here.

Axles | Chain Tensioners | Cranks | Freewheels
Hubs | Nuts & Bolts | Sprockets | Sprocket Spacers | Wheels

Chain Tensioners

For running a single-speed drive train or internally-geared hubs on frames with vertical or semi-vertical dropouts. These attach to the derailer hanger of most frames.

These pulley-type tensioners work, but they are a bit of a kludge, since they do cause your singlespeed chain to bend around a pulley. A much better solution for singlespeeding with vertical dropouts is the White Industries ENO eccentric hub.

Surly Singleator $49.95

• Includes left and right springs for versatile positioning
• Mounts on derailer hanger
• Floating pulley adjusts to accommodate most cog positions
• Fits cogs up to 22 teeth

Surly Tuggnut Chain Tensioner $29.95

• Mounts on track end (Dropout)
• Can be used singularly or in pairs
• Fits 9.5mm (3/8") Axle
• Doubles as a bottle opener!

Nuts & Bolts

 

Single Stack Bolts $6.95 set of 5

It looks really goofy to ride a fixed gear with a useless extra chainwheel on your crank. These track-style stack bolts are the right length to hold a single chainwheel to your crank. They fit all modern cranks.

3 mm Chainwheel Spacers $2.95 set of 5 For budget road-to-fixed conversions, a quick and dirty way to make the chainline work is by spacing the chainwheel inward from the crank spider. This is especially useful if you're using a hub made for a multi-speed freewheel, because it reduces the amount of re-dishing required.

Why should you want a one-speed bicycle
that won't let you coast?
Read all about it!

Articles by Sheldon Brown and others
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