|   What do you guys think about Melvin? 2 Speed SS? | papawheeliedon
Jan 14, 2004 6:55 PM | | Howdy! I was looking at Paul's website (paulcomp.com) and I'm intruigued by the Melvin device. Have you seen it? It's a chain tensioner with two pulleys that gives you enough chain to run twin front cogs which can be manually shifted - all the while running a single gear in the back. What do you think? I don't mean to offend any purists but this complies with the main focus of all SS rigs: a return to simplicity. It's still way simpler than a 27 speed MTB or a 20 speed road rig. What do you think??? |
| Two speed is a DOUBLESPEED, not a SINGLESPEED. -nm- | SDizzle
Jan 14, 2004 9:00 PM | | |
| Ignore labels ... it's a viable option, run what works for you! | GlowBoy
Jan 14, 2004 10:06 PM | | You wouldn't be the first person on this board to use that method. You can shift the front manually, or even (gasp!) use a front derailleur if shift-on-the-fly is valuable to you.
Might be a great way to simplify a road bike drivetrain where you can't quite go all the way SS because that nice tall gear for cruising the flats makes the hills miserable. Still beats 27 speeds, and would still save more than a pound of weight over that option.
Go for it. |
| they've re-invented the rear derailleur/rampant consumerism | club
Jan 15, 2004 7:31 AM | | check the discarded parts bin at your LBS for an old, light road rear derailleur that will do exactly the same thing in the same way. Be a recycler, not a rampant consumer. In fact, the Melvin looks less useful. With a rear derailleur and a cassette hub with two cogs, you can use the derailleur's barrel adjuster to "shift" between the two cogs, so if you eschew infernal combustion when possible, you can run a smaller "road" cog for riding to and from the trailheads, and a "trail" cog for use once you get to the good stuff. $62 for something you can probably obtain for free or nearly so. For my way of thinking that goes against the spirit of simplicity and nonconsumerism that spawned the whole singlespeed movement. |
| Have to agree | shiggy©®
Jan 15, 2004 1:22 PM | | Old derailluers are cheaper and may work better. The two cog setup is going to be simpler, too. |
| i've used the set up described by club and it works great (nm) | hu-man
Jan 15, 2004 5:46 PM | | nm |
| they've re-invented the rear derailleur/rampant consumerism | FlyGuy
Jan 16, 2004 3:37 PM | | Would there be an advantage to using twin rear cogs over using two front chainrings?
Seems like the twin fronts might allow a wider range of gears which might be desirable. (Although it might make more chain slap noise). Also might be easier to manually move the chain over in the front with your greasy fingers than mess with the barrel adjuster. |
| they've re-invented the rear derailleur/rampant consumerism | FlyGuy
Jan 16, 2004 3:38 PM | | |
| 2 front vs 2 rear | club
Jan 16, 2004 6:26 PM | | for just a trail gear and a climbing gear, two chainrings is the way to go. quicker "shifts," and a wider range. and you can downshift with your toe.
I run two rear cogs plus two rings. I only use the barrel adjuster in back twice a ride, once at the end of the pavement approach, when I shift from my "road" cog to my "trail" cog, and again when I shift back up at the end of the dirt for the pavement ride home. If I was a lameass wussy who drove to the trails because I was too weak and girly to ride the distance to and from the trails, then I would just be using one rear cog and two chainrings. I'd rather be seen as a SS poseur for having that extra cog, than rely on infernal combustionburngasandputcashinBush'scronies'pocketsscumsuckingrepublicangreedybastarduhohstuckinhateBushmodeagainIbettersignoffbeforeitgetsanyworse |
| re: What do you guys think about Melvin? 2 Speed SS? | Angus
Jan 15, 2004 11:27 AM | | That melvin thingy is enough to make me spew my Haggus! |
| Have one for sale on ebay.. | Grizzly33
Jan 16, 2004 7:45 AM | | I have a like new one for sale on Ebay... Do a seller search for grizzly33. It did work great, then I bought a SS frame.... |
| I've managed to ruin a few melvins | LEF-T
Jan 21, 2004 5:04 PM | | I now use an old rear der. It's a lot cheaper and for some reason lasts longer. I've had a two speed in my fleat for a few years. I've given up shifting without a frt der and now prefere a cheap $5 friction shifter and a frt der. |
| I run one | Ed
Jan 22, 2004 6:47 AM | | I've been running a Melvin for years, although as others have mentioned a used rear derailuer will do the same thing. I've never had a problem with mine. |
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