Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - how does the lbs get the chain so darn tight?

think there are two of them doing it? i can it on bretty well but when they trued my wheel and put it back on there was absolutely no up or down movement in the chain. by the way is that bad?

anyway whats the trick there?

If it doesn't restrict the spin of the rear wheel then it's fine.

the general rule of thumb is 1/2" of play. any tighter and you put potentially too much stress on bearings. you can also promote faster cog/chainring wear.

it is bad, u need at least 1/2 " slack.
when u put the wheel on, tighten the cog side first while pressing the tire with ur thumb against the opposit chain stay, then do the same on other side.

A guy at my lbs who used to race the the pdx velodrome showed me a trick. Take the left side back as far as possible, tighten it enough so the wheel won't move. Then, with the drive side still loose, grab the left chain stay near the bb and press wheel with you thumb so that the drive side of the axle moves back in the dropout/trackend. When the chain is as tight as you want it, hold the wheel there, and tighten the drive side nut. Repeat the process on the opposite side to center the wheel. I have been able to get lm chain as tight as you describe doing this.

Maybe I am just a tool, and everyone knows how to do this, but it sure beats the other methods I've tried.

Also, if you have horizontal drops, not track ends, they tend to slope up slightly. If you flip the bike upside down, the wheel will slide further down into the drops tightening the chain. I did this on my SS, and it was so tight that you could feel significant resistance where the chainring was misaligned.

tight chains are bad mmmmmkay..
play is good. your bearings will thank you

bike mechanics are body builders in disguise....

Wedge something (a towel?) between the seat tube and the tire.

You want less than 1/2" but some play. Basically, you want it as tight as you can get it so that it will spin as freely as it does with tons-o-slack.

Chains should not be tight - that is bad. It puts excess strain on your rear hub, prematurely wears the teeth on the chainring and cog, and can result in a broken chain (on a fixed gear that could lead to catastrophe). Chainrings and cogs are never perfectly round so you should always spin the wheel and check for the tightest spot in the chain and adjust that so that there is about 1/2" of play at the midpoint between the axle and bottom bracket. A chain tensioner (like the Surly Tuggnut) makes everything easier and once you have it set it allows you to take the rear wheel on and off without affecting the chain tension.

Personally, I think a lot of bike mechanics spend so little time with single speed bikes that they just don't know how to properly tension the chain.

i had the same problem at my LBS before i started doing all my own work. they put a new cog on for me and put too much tension on the chain. it felt sluggish the first time i rode it, couldn't figure out what it was, til i loosened the rear wheel a little. a little slack=much smoother rolling.

You want less than 1/2" but some play. Basically, you want it as tight as you can get it so that it will spin as freely as it does with tons-o-slack.Good explanation.

um.. just tighten the wheel with the chain off...then spin it back on.. if its off.. do it again.. its pretty easy once you get used to it... no magic, or bodybuilding involved...

ha.. i just noticed the clickable smiles.. this post.. how pathetic is that.. :D :o :( :eek: :) :mad: :rolleyes: :p ;)

pow..

A good way to adjust the tension is to put your hand with a glove on between the tire and the seat tube while tightening, that will usually tension the chain enough and you can also hold it straight. Doing this method can also make the chain SUPER tight so be sure to check the slack before tightening.

A similar method is to put your hand between the chain and the cog.

Doing this method can also chop your finger off.

my question is that when you have ideal chain tension, can you feel the play in the pedals? like for example when you are trying to trackstand?

if you have less than a revolution of play in your pedals, pol pot says youre doing fine, shut the **** up and bike!

http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/pol-pot2.jpg

my question is that when you have ideal chain tension, can you feel the play in the pedals? like for example when you are trying to trackstand?

Yes you can feel it...
Listen to your bicycle and it will tell you what it needs.

Griffin, just think, these are the same idiots that costed themselves and you at lease 1 crank, 1 BB, 1 striped rear hub, and soon it will be cogs and chainrings if you keep going to these pinheads. Ok, go back at lease once more and get youself a set of chain tugs aka tensionser (your rush hour has track ends and they will work perfect). The little adjustment screws on each tug will make getting the wheel aligned, and make adjustments to chain tension (from the slack recommended above to bike part crushing tight) a snap. Cheers and ride well!

Tight=bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A half inch of slack is a good rule of thumb. I find my chains last longer, and the bike runs smoother when it is slack. I get the chain as slack as possible without having it come off the cog or chainring. Slack=smooth, the slacker, the smoother. It's a guessing game at first, but after a while, you'll get it, just make sure to check the chain but giving the cranks a spin and try and push the chain off the cog with a wrench as it's spinning. You'll never go back to just using the 1/2 inch rule.

Tight chains are bad because the chain could break?

Loose chains are bad because the chain could fall off.

I crank my chain down to a little over 1/2" play, then I replace my chain and hub bearings often. I have jumped a chain twice when i ran it looser and I would not want to be in that situation again.

Milo

if you have less than a revolution of play in your pedals, pol pot says youre doing fine, shut the **** up and bike!

http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/pol-pot2.jpg

****ing bastard. i hate him. i hate him . arghhhhhhhhhhhh.

I hate to say it, but, DUH! --- of course a loose chain could fall off. But that's pretty damned loose and isn't anywhere near the 1/2" rule of thumb. A chain falling off is more likely due to the wheel slipping in the dropouts first.

ha.. i just noticed the clickable smiles.. this post.. how pathetic is that.. :D :o :( :eek: :) :mad: :rolleyes: :p ;)

pow..

After 800+ posts, that is pretty pathetic. :p

I had a cog put on the fixed side of my flip-flop hub and gladly paid to have it done because I didn't feel like buying 2 tools (chain whip and that lockring tool) and it was an honor to have the local shop owner/track guru/minor god touch my bike, and when he allowed all this slack in the chain, I asked about it, and he said, "As loose as possible without falling off" so the Master has spoken. After a bit of practice in the parking lot I rode my newly fixed bike home, interesting experience, backpressure is cool, and strangely I don't remember the drivetrain being so noisy on the way back (maybe because I was intent on not falling on my head, but maybe this "allow some slack" policy is a good thing).

As loose as possible without falling off is a bad policy because what's not falling off on the stand may end up throwing in the middle of traffic. You want to be as tight as possible without binding. They're the same thing, really, just a different way to approach the same point.

Run a QR rear. Chain tension is a snap to adjust. It only takes me a flick of the wrist and a few seconds to dial in chain tension.