Originally Posted by
JohnDThompson
Many others get by with none at all.
Save your money.
John makes a very good point, you can save your money too. To summarize the thread in a single post, I was replacing cheaper chain tensioners, so I wanted them on the bike. And the situation I had with an inexpensive Vilano hi-ten frame was that no matter how hard and often I tried, the non-chain side would always slide back just enough to lose the desired chain tension when I cranked down and tightened that particular axle nut. I did it over and over until I was so frustrated with the whole process, that I realized that I'd have to get lucky to get it close to where I wanted it tensioned and aligned. I started this thread to find a solution. The Surly Tug Nut is the first thing I found on-line, it's an expensive item as others guided me to where they could be bought and even on ebay they are easily double what the Origin 8's cost at the time I pursued these. The Origin 8's are a little more affordable and to replace the cheap ones with like hardware, that was going to run me just a couple dollars less, so I splurged, figuring better quality was about what S&H would run on the crappier ones delivered. These particular items are functional, they line everything up and tension the chain without having to pull back on the wheel with your hand & fingers. And as a pair, everything is adjusted right the first time and makes the job easier. They are pretty attractive too. But I'll be honest about it, if the one's I had functioned properly, or had I been able to get by with one of them functioning properly, even had gotten by without even using them, I wouldn't have even bothered with starting the thread, much more buying them. Being as attractive and functional as they are, they provide a feature that some higher end track frames already have designed & built into the track ends. In that regard if you'd like that for your frame, while enhancing the appearance of the track ends, then go for it. Everyone has to assess for themselves what they want.