Making an "adventure bike" from a Pompino, good idea?

[fd3]

I have a green Pomp and there are detail differences over the years. The Pomp fork allows much bigger tyres than the chainstays; the seatstays to a lesser extent.

The spec changed quite a bit over time.  I have a 15yo 135 spaced model and run 40-622, with guards.

[grams]

The problem with IGH is that if they go wrong you can be left with an unrideable bike that can't be bodged to single speed. Just ask
Roger Seaton.

Surprised nobody has suggested singlespeed + triple up front with a chain tensioner. That would be a pretty bombproof setup as well.

Does that work? IME single pulley chain tensioners are pretty sensitive to chain length and if it gets too slack (i.e. on the little ring) the chain will jump around the rear sprocket.

And if you're going to have two pulleys you might as well add a cable and a lever and a choice of sprockets...

[fuaran]

Or a Surly Dingle cog. Plus 2 different chainrings. Means you can have 2 gears, while keeping the same chain length.

[mzjo]

Or a Surly Dingle cog. Plus 2 different chainrings. Means you can have 2 gears, while keeping the same chain length.

Not a silly idea. A century ago the practice was current, usually involving a double-sided hub with two double freewheels, on each side. Phillipe Marre used this system along with a two speed dérailleur and two chainrings to get 8 different gears.

I have one bike with a single pulley chain tensioner. It looks pretty but i wouldn't want to take it anywhere mission critical, it has already lost the pulley once (fortunately when I was very nearly home). The only reason I use it is that the frame it is on has vertical ends).

If I really wanted a bike to go into places where mechanical misfunction was going to be very inconvenient I would probably avoid any mechanical gear changer. Depending on what was available from the BMX and trials worlds it would probably be a double sided hub with a 3sp freewheel (16-22 should be available fairly easily) and on the other side the biggest single freewheel that I could source. Another solution would be a disc cassette hub with 3 sprockets on a freebody one side and a single fixed cog fastened to the disc fitting the other side. Match all that to the longest horizontal ends around to give a good range of adjustment and three chainrings to match up to the sprockets. Just about bomb proof.

Decathlon did do a very cheap ss bso mtb. It cost under 100€. Unfortunately also very heavy IIRC but unlikely to get pinched (thieves wouldn't be strong enough to pick it up). It used to have all the rack points and like that one would want for a tourer. There should be a  few knocking about in the rivers that cross Rennes (make quite good anchors I would think!!)

[zigzag]

this thread seems about who will come up with the most bizarre solution to the most basic problem

[Brucey]

actually it is a reflection of two things

1. that you can tour on almost anything and
2. that folk like different stuff, depending on their tastes and mechanical aptitude.

I would feel confident in touring on a SA three speed, (given the caveats expressed upthread) because I know that they are basically reliable, usually give plenty of warning before they let go, and can be stripped down in a few minutes if needs be.

But that is me; others have different ideas that may suit them far better. More than one way of skinning a touring bike and all that....

cheers

[bludger]

Or a Surly Dingle cog. Plus 2 different chainrings. Means you can have 2 gears, while keeping the same chain length.

Not a silly idea. A century ago the practice was current, usually involving a double-sided hub with two double freewheels, on each side. Phillipe Marre used this system along with a two speed dérailleur and two chainrings to get 8 different gears.

I have one bike with a single pulley chain tensioner. It looks pretty but i wouldn't want to take it anywhere mission critical, it has already lost the pulley once (fortunately when I was very nearly home). The only reason I use it is that the frame it is on has vertical ends).

There's a bike in Mallorca now made into café decor just like that. there's a massive chain tensioner on it, presumably to make the switchbacks more doable!