Single speed minor troubles

[Bozoskier]

Well, I like the SS deal, but when I put large amounts of pressure on the pedals, i.e. climbing hard, or starting hard from a stop, the chain slips. The chain is new, the Surly Singulator is new, and the single speed sprocket is almost new and the chainline looks great. The BB is not, the crankset and front chainring is not. What do I need to do to get this SS to hold the chain? I am trying to do this on the cheap, but I want it to work right. Any suggestions or cheap parts are welcomed. BTW, I cannot make the BB rattle or deflect. How could I tell if its suspect besides shitloads of miles on original equipment?
Thanks!
-Jake

[mntlion]

BB is fine unless it grinds or moves side to side when you spin the cranks (without the chain)

is the chain tension right (remove or add a link) try that and see if it is better or worse.

it is not the freewheel slipping on the hub or SS sproket?

have you tried to borrow someone else's wheel too see if that helps?

[Bozoskier]

The Singulator thingy is a sprung roller tensioner, so the chain tension should be ok. The bb is good according to your troubleshooting. It spins nice and quiet and does not move side-toside at all. This is a different wheel than the cassette one I had on there. I think it is the front chainring. It is a ramped derailleur type chainring that has the long/short/long teeth all the way around it. I want to try a long-toothed single-speed specific ring with no ramps and see if that cures it. Anyone know of a kind that will fit a four screw crank (suntour)?

Thanks again!
-Jake

[mntlion]

also try the front ring you have the other way around, might put the ramps where you need them?

bring in the ring in to a LBS and see if they can match the bolt patter up to something.

[springsproject]

try one of these, I just got one for my 1x9 and the chain stays never falls off anymore
http://www.gvtc.com/~ngear/

[m1e448]

Front ring might be your culprit. Salsa and Surly make the type you need. The salsa is cheaper and is made from alu, which is still fine. The surly is stainless steel. Also if the singulator is the right type you can make it take up the cahin tension going up instead of down, which allows the chain to wrap more of the rear cog and works better.

[jon turner]

Here's a link to where you can buy salsa, surly, and other single speed chainrings online. Webcyclery has the best selection that i've found:

http://www.webcyclery.com/home.php?cat=301

[Bozoskier]

Thanks you guys. I think I need to get the front chainring replaced. The chain does not jump off, Springproject, but rather hops a tooth or two, and then engages. I would go the way of blaming chainline if it jumped to a different ring, but it stays on the same ring(only two left, big one is removed). I did trail ride it yesterday, and it was not nearly as bad, so I may leave it until some really cheap ring comes around. It only seems to happen when going from loping along to hammering the shit out of it. On trail, I am forced to hammer the whole time. Bozo maggots: South Cottonwood Canyon is very nice right now. The singulator may be able to go the other way. I haven't checked.

Thanks again,

-Jake

[gravitylover]

We all have access to the same thing, there's really only one source for some of that stuff so ... Enough with the mail order alright. LBS, the way to go

Try a http://www.whiteind.com/ENO-hub-specs.html with a SS chainring and you're good to go. I know, this blows the "on the cheap" thing but it's the way to go.

[Spats]

If you don't have enough chain wrap on the rear sprocket it can skip (usually due to down-pushing tensioner and too long a chain). If you don't have enough slack to pull another full link out of the chain, get a half link. Or get a Rollenlager (upward pushing chain tensioner) if it'll clear your chainstay.

[PrankMonkey]

If you don't have enough chain wrap on the rear sprocket it can skip (usually due to down-pushing tensioner and too long a chain). If you don't have enough slack to pull another full link out of the chain, get a half link. Or get a Rollenlager (upward pushing chain tensioner) if it'll clear your chainstay.

Seconded, I had the same thing happen when I set up my single. Rear cog slippage, jumped like two teeth then caught again. Tried down-tensioning the chain, and it would just jump when I torqued on it. It only stopped when I got my chain shortened down to where it physically couldn't slip, because it was sized so that it couldn't clear the rear teeth. Used a tensioner just to take up the additional slack. If you can't find a happy medium between super-loose and super tight, a half link is your friend. In a pinch, dork with changing the rear cog size (16, 17, 18). You can probably find one that lets you get within 1/3 of a link from perfect.

Edit: Effective tensioning was Up-tensioned, If your chain is too long for that to work, your chain may be too long. However, every bike is different.