skipping singlespeed setup

Check chain line is good, also make sure you have good chain wrap.

Can you change tensioner to push up, rather than down?

You sure the chain and cog are compatible? i.e. the same pitch

That sounds weird, the tensioner shouldn't be required to keep the chain on the cog, the tension from your legs should be doing that!

I don't think this is the case but worth mentioning, I just noticed yesterday that you shouldn't use fatter 1/8th" chains on the smaller White Industry sprockets as the chain wouldn't sit deep enough on the teeth, sort of similar to the problem you're describing?

Aye I had similar the chain pitch was off and didn’t mesh well with rear cog.

no idea on cog pitch - it was a boggo superstar sprocket for a ss conversion from years ago i never actually got around to using. worked better with a older 12sp chain (for 2 small rides) but hte new 10sp chain is worse.

no idea on pitch? i assumed all chains were the same? 10,11 and 12sp are - well they work on the same chainrings fine!

how do i know what pitch cog will work for a 10sp chain?

its a 16t superstar steel sprocket (from a good few years back!) and 10sp KMC chain

Ss sprockets are generally designed to work with 1/8th bmx style chains(not always) I’ve ran these on every cog/ring variation over many years. Ss/Mtb- road/fixed etc never an issue.

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/sram-pc1-nickel-single-speed-chain

Standard 8/9/10 speed chain will be narrower and not mesh easily with slightly fatter teeth on most ss cogs.

Or split an old cassette to get cog of your choice that will work fine with your 10 speed chain.

wierdly it worked better with the older 12sp chain i used to get me going. the new 10sp is worse. i`ll buy a ss specific chain and see if that helps.

or i might just run a rigid tensioner like the blackspire stinger and be done with it.

Almost certainly that the chain is too narrow.

Or the sprocket is slightly worn, it doesn't take much to make it skip with a new chain even if it'll go for years with one that's worn to the same level.

Chain wrap is over stated as an issue, you don't see chains skipping on geared setups with far less engagement, and back in the days of triple chainsets the 22t chainring would be putting far more tension in the chain than even gurning upma hill in singlespeed will manage.

3/32" chain is slightly lighter than 1/8" if your sprocket isn't 1/8" (most MTB parts are 3/32, it's only BMX and Track stuff that tends to be thicker).

Conversely, I find 1/8 SS chains dreadful unless mated with 1/8 sprockets. 8/9/10spd chains on 3/32 sprockets much better.

But also check your chainline.

Conversely, I find 1/8 SS chains dreadful unless mated with 1/8 sprockets. 8/9/10spd chains on 3/32 sprockets much better.

I think there are 3/32" sprockets and 3/32" sprockets. Some of the flat ones (e.g. the bolt on ones, or the ones in cheap kits) seem to work with some narrower chains, but the wide based forged/CNC ones seem to struggle.

Never had an issue with 1/8" chains on 3/32" cogs though, even though I'm aware it's supposedly weaker. My commuter/SSCX tends to run that combination as 1/8" track sprockets and 1/8 steel chainrings and are dirt cheap, but when I flip the wheel round SS freewheels or smaller chainrings tend to be 3/32.

There’s a few people getting confused between pitch and width of chains.

The pitch of all modern chains is 1/2” (or 12.7mm). This is the distance between the connecting pins. When people talk about a chain “stretching” they are really talking about roller wear. The rollers that are between the side plates which the pin sits through riveting the plates and roller together. The inner bore or hole of the roller wears, so there is longitudinal movement of the rollers. When you drop a chain wear gauge into a chain the two rollers move left and right, indicating “stretch”, or wear. Very, very occasionally when a chain is old and abused you may see the side plates have stretched, especially on high end chains where the plates have cutouts in them.

There are generally two “standard” widths of chain, 1/8”, track, “single speed”, BMX, etc, and 3/32” most bikes with a derailleur gear system. The distance between the side plates is the difference. Now it gets complicated because manufacturers have now started reducing the distance between the side plates to accommodate more gears. That’s why a 9 speed chain doesn’t work well, if at all, on 12 speed cassettes.

Generally I’ve found that Surly type cogs and chain rings will work with a 9 speed chain, but the Surly flat chain rings won’t work with a 10 speed chain. The chain doesn’t sit down on to the bottom of the tooth and gives the feeling that it’s skipping. It’s riding up and off the teeth of the cog / ring. I found that 1/8” track chains tend to be noisier. There’s more room for them to move about sideways.

and 3/32” most bikes with a derailleur gear system.

3/32 chains haven't worked on geared bikes since 7-speed. A lot of the confusion stems from Sheldon Browns website actually being incorrect on this and the inner width on chains did change through 8/9/10/11 speed.

When i had this i bought a big toothed rear cog from on-one and the problem disappeared.

My superstar ring suffers the same when used with a spring tensioner but it's fine when used in horizontal drop out applications.