Originally Posted by
pdxtex
so whats a folky way of checking chain tension? like the equivalent of plucking spokes? im not yanking on the wheel extremely tight when its in the drop outs. im just aligning it and then pulling tight enough for there to be no sag in the top of the chain line. if i bounce the wheel the chain dips down and then back into place. thats good enough right? i see some dude rolling around town with a really droopy chains, but they usually look like scruffy hipsters on beat up peugeot conversions...
There's no issue with an overly slack chain, as long as it doesn't derail. Since you're not setting tension, but slack an eyeball or touch measurement is all that's needed. Turn the cranks, find the tightest place, and set the slack so that either loop can be deflected up or down about 1/8" at the middle -- not by stretching, but freely.
On a fixed wheel, it's possible to use an alternate method that I prefer because it allows me to work very close to zero slack. Find the tightest spot by pedaling slowly with a finger below the middle. Once you have it you can pull the wheel back until the chain pulls up tight, then ease up a hair and tighten the nuts. Check by noting that there's a bit of vestigial slack that allows some backlash at the crank when the wheel is stationary.