Originally Posted by
MEversbergII
Aha! Looks much less crazy up close. Nice work! Maybe I'll look at that tensioner when I look into converting my bikes into hubs - bit by bit I'm abandoning derailleurs.
M.
Look at the Soulcraft Convert tensioner as well as the Surly. I like it for a few reasons:
1) It's super quiet because it uses a grooved urethane roller on very quiet bearings. Same roller/bearing setup that many MTB chainguides use.
2) You can use it as a push or pull tensioner. Push being the setup shown above, where the chain is pushed up toward the cog to create the tension, pull is where the chain runs around the outside of the tensioner.
3) It's a set & lock design, instead of spring tension. There's a push-rod lock, you set the tension adjustment when tightening the fixing bolt to the derailleur hanger, and then to release the tension for wheel changes, you click the release lever and swing the device out of the way. If you're riding road, this isn't much of a concern. If you race cross or MTB, a spring tensioned device can take a lot of bouncing around and you run the risk of throwing your chain.