# Help Me Convert My 56cm Cannondale To A Single Speed



## fab4 (Jan 8, 2003)

I would like to convert my Cannondale to a single speed bike. Is there an easy way to find out the right combination of chainring and rear cog for my 56cm 2008 Cannondale CAAD9 frame with a 40.5cm chainstay lenght. I don't want to spent to much by buying the Eno Eccentric hub. Please help.


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## MIN in PDX (Nov 29, 2007)

You have to use an eccentric bb or eccentric hub. I wouldn't embark on this project if I couldn't use a ENO hub.


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## threesportsinone (Mar 27, 2007)

You can run a chain tensioner that attaches to the rear dérailleur hanger and takes up the slack in the chain. 

I have used the surly singleator which worked very well, and there some others as well. I think performance has a SS kit with a tensioner and spacers for your wheel.

EDIT: link to performance kit


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

threesportsinone said:


> You can run a chain tensioner that attaches to the rear dérailleur hanger and takes up the slack in the chain.
> 
> I have used the surly singleator which worked very well, and there some others as well. I think performance has a SS kit with a tensioner and spacers for your wheel.
> 
> EDIT: link to performance kit



What he said....Use the Performance kit. It's cheap and it works...No need for an ENO for singlespeed riding...fixed is a different story


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## midlife_xs's (Jun 18, 2004)

What was said and if you scroll down you'll see my post - $30 SS conversion.


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## roadfix (Jun 20, 2006)

Run the tensioner on the SS.........running the right ring/cog combo to achieve correct tension is not worth the hassle, IMO.


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## MIN in PDX (Nov 29, 2007)

Oh I thought this was for fixed. For SS, I'd suggest the singulator. I've had to take the Performance kit back because it was causing issues with noise.


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## darbo (Dec 9, 2002)

http://eehouse.org/fixin/formfmu.php

gear combo calculator


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## Thommy (Sep 23, 2003)

I run a frame that has vertical dropouts. I use a Surly Singleater. Sometimes the right ring combos will get you the correct tension. Look into a half-link.
Kudos to darbo.


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## danl1 (Jul 23, 2005)

If you are doing single speed, make it easy on yourself and do the singleator or Performance copy. It's preferable to run the tensioner under the chain (pushing up) rather than pulling down, as it means less chain and more wrap. Does give a bit less flexibility to change gearing, though, and probably doesn't matter much.

On the other hand, I converted my 63 cm Cannondale to fixed using the right combination of gears (42x16 - kind of a spinner!) and a half-link. 

In terms of seeing if you too can find a 'magic gear', there used to be a great fixed gear calculator at http://eehouse.org/fixin/ , but I'm having trouble getting it to come up consistently right now. If you get it working, check out the FixMeUp portion of the site. 

The exact chainstay length matters in this case, so follow their description for a way to figure out what yours is before you bother with the other calculation. I found that both my measurements and the geometry charts from Cannondale to be not nearly accurate enough.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

MIN in PDX said:


> You have to use an eccentric bb or eccentric hub.
> 
> 
> 
> for fixed only, not nec SS... and you can't just throw on an eccentric BB on a regular road frame, it's gotta have an eccentric BB shell


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