Left Side Singlespeed?

[g_barr]

At 34th and Prospect Street NW DC yesterday, I saw a bare-bones commuter secured on the corner. Just as singlespeed envy starts welling, I realize this thing's chain ring is on the "wrong" side of the frame. I don't think I've ever seen a drive train on the left side (when riding facing forward, looking down) of the frame.

Has anyone seen such a creature? Why are drive trains only on the right? I'm sure one could work around any CW/CCW threading issues.

[wrench177]

RickyD made the same type of creation on his Jamis Exile. I think you use the cranks from a tandem, but, he can answer that better than I. The main reason to do this.....style baby.....it's all about style. ;)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikecentric/522623134/in/set-1566315/

[riderx]

Drevil's setup (http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=524366563&size=m)

[Cjones]

You can get almost any left hand specific drivetrain part from a BMX shop. Some BMXers like everything on the left hand side because they do their grinds on the right. As someone said, on a mountain or road bike it's all about style. If it was a fixed gear, the only thing that would need to be special is the cranks.

[allencb]

The cool kids put a drivetrain on each side. ;)

Chris

[g_barr]

That's what I was thinking. Then I thought about that old steel road frame my father wants out of his garage...

[Trailcreep]

check this out...a fixed gear 3 speed with left side drive!

http://sheldonbrown.org/gunnar/

[g_barr]

The cool kids put a drivetrain on each side. ;)

Sheldon Brown apparently agrees (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bichain-fixed-free.html).

[peter6061]

When I built my first singlespeed back in ~'97 my roommate and I took it to the local XC race. We were planning to just screw around with it between our events and noticed a guy parked across from us also had a singlespeed.

This was weird, as we had never seen another one before. We chatted for a bit and then noticed he had built his up left side drive. Well, so much for being original. This guy had already taken it up a notch on us.

We still ended up building up some of our other frames SS and eventually most of the other expert class racers were riding SS bikes as well. By the '98 season there was a SS class at the races. The scene continued to grow after I moved out here to VA.

Then it got stupid. http://www.slipperypigbikes.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=95&g2_serialNumber=1&g2_GALLERYSID=52951fecff2309a24b6de a5c59d66b7f

[drevil]

You can get almost any left hand specific drivetrain part from a BMX shop. Some BMXers like everything on the left hand side because they do their grinds on the right. As someone said, on a mountain or road bike it's all about style. If it was a fixed gear, the only thing that would need to be special is the cranks.
You might also want to be careful if you are using a standard fixie hub. If you're using a left drivetrain, the cog will want to unscrew the whole time (except when backpedaling) putting a whole of pressure on that measly lockring instead of the hub. I'm using a disc fixie cog (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikecentric/507141650/) when I had my bike set up lefty.

[allencb]

Geez, I was only kidding.

Though, with Sheldon Brown, nothing surprises me.

Chris

[saxman]

Don't bicycles in England have their drivetrains on the opposite side? Oh, wait, that's steering wheels in cars. Never mind.

[peter6061]

You might also want to be careful if you are using a standard fixie hub. If you're using a left drivetrain, the cog will want to unscrew the whole time (except when backpedaling) putting a whole of pressure on that measly lockring instead of the hub. I'm using a disc fixie cog (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikecentric/507141650/) when I had my bike set up lefty.
The pic I posted used a custom hub that had been threaded by the manufacturer reverse on the non-drive (well, left side) specifically for the purpose of the dual drive.

Only thing I felt when I rode that bike was an extremely stiff bottom bracket as the driving chain would tension and try to pull the frame to the side while the non-driving chain would tension and not allow for the frame to flex. Otherwise, it was just heavy and cumbersome.

[drevil]

The pic I posted used a custom hub that had been threaded by the manufacturer reverse on the non-drive (well, left side) specifically for the purpose of the dual drive.

By your post, it looks like you are responding to me. I was responding to cjones post about regular ol' fixie hubs.

I remember seeing that bike (or one similar to it) in a post in MTBR SS. Come to think of it, I think it may have been a full suspension Kona "A" they were goofing around on.

Ever see the Peacock Groove redundant drive?
http://gallery.mtbr.com/showphoto.php/photo/22891

[peter6061]

By your post, it looks like you are responding to me. I was responding to cjones post about regular ol' fixie hubs.

I remember seeing that bike (or one similar to it) in a post in MTBR SS. Come to think of it, I think it may have been a full suspension Kona "A" they were goofing around on.

Ever see the Peacock Groove redundant drive?
http://gallery.mtbr.com/showphoto.php/photo/22891
The Kona bike was a customer who frequented my buddy's shop. He thought the idea was great and went for it with the Kona FS.

I was only quoting to lend some explanation of the hub used in the dual project as you explained yours.

That's def redundant.

The one that's always intrigued me is... http://www.answers.com/topic/retro-direct
http://www.m-gineering.nl/retro1.jpg

[drevil]

The one that's always intrigued me is... http://www.answers.com/topic/retro-direct
http://www.m-gineering.nl/retro1.jpg
Excellent! Thanks for that last link.

[Dirt]

The cool kids put a drivetrain on each side. ;)

Chris

You'd get better ground clearance with the drive train on neither side.

Pete