estabro

So... what's your trick?

imthewalrus

two chain tensioners.

there are other ways of doing it, but it sure makes things easy as hell.

straws papers

walk it back in the dropouts.

tighten one side, pull back the other. Tighten that side, loosen up the other previously tightened side and pull that one back. rinse, repeat. Dont go crazy with the tightening though. When people walk back their axle they tend to overtighten. You really dont need your chain to be super tight. If you pull up on it you should get about an inch of movement.

EDIT: you sure as **** dont need chain tensioners.

bornagainst

I just use one of these:

straws papers

r...really? man when did people start using tensioners all the time? I dont know anyone that uses one.

bornagainst

No you don't but they beat the hell out of wasting 5(+) minutes trying to get good tension with the "walking" method. I'd rather spend that time riding.

TrendSpeed

I have that surly tensioner and it seems to loosen up after about a day of riding. I could be f-ing ******** and not setting it up correctly but it seems pretty self explanitory, so that would be a stretch even for me. Sorry for the hijack. maybe I will start a thread about this problem...

operator

Yeah let's just add a bunch of weight to our bike because we can't tension a chain in less than 50 seconds.

NewYorkMantle

takes me about 30 seconds to tension my chain perfectly.

bornagainst

How much do you think a tensioner weighs? Evidently you've never had your wheel slip under load. Not a fun experience. And yeah, I know how to tighten an axle nut.

bicycleptic

I was always over tensioning mine when I used to walk it back. Finally the old man at the shop (you know-the one who has been a mechanic for 30 years at least) told me to just hold onto a few spokes and pull it back and tighten it up straight. I tried that and it works for me. I end up with about an inch of play and no more chain noise I was getting by it being over tight. It is easy to get the chain to tight when pulling on the rim. Not so easy when pulling it back with your hand around a few spokes.

samwell

An inch? Seriously? (not a sarcastic "seriously"). I thought proper tension was closer to a cm or so. Everyone I've asked has given about that same answer.

beatlebee 

An inch slack would cause me lag when doing track stands. (?)

Exempt

quarter of an inch in vertical play from center. (otherwise known as half an inch)

dutret

if you are walking your wheel back you are over tightening.

With practice you'll learn how hard to push the wheel back it is much much faster and easier than tensioners.

shinyandfree

what exactly is the problem with over tightening? I mean, if the cranks spin alright what's the downside? I just hate when I can feel play in my chain.

Jabba Degrassi

If the crank spins freely it's probably not over-tightened. Over-tightening causes binding.

roadfix

I have excellent manual dexterity. I can remove, install, and set chain tension with my eyes closed.

Flimflam

Wears down componentry quicker if the chain is too tight (it can bind, or be close to at some points making cog/teeth wear occur at a faster rate) - if it's super duper tight it can also add resistance to the drivetrain. I can't think it'd be good for the chain to be under even more pressure/stress.

Pretty simple to get a wheel straight in the dropouts and have decent chain tension.

droptop

use a tennis ball between the seat tube and the tire. only works if you don't have a huge gap or don't have a super small one. ball gives all the tension you need, so from then all you have left to do is get the wheel straight then tighten it down.

bnhoang86

or a dirty tshirt

Understanding

well, i'm going to take this time and ask if it's normal that a chain snakes a little on a part of it's rotation.

it goes back to this odd snaked position even after i pull it in the opposite direction.

i'm fairly sure this isn't a problem with the chainline, since it's just a segment of the chain that always does that.

straws papers

I dont walk mine back anymore, havent for a while. but for a guy that doesnt know how to tension at all it's the easiest method. I also run my chain a lot more loose than most people on here. It's certainly not too tight.

estabro

Good post.

dutret

also most likely too tight