Originally Posted by MrCjolsen
I have brakes. I use them, and only them, for stopping.
My drivetrain is pretty compact - 39/15 fg.
I can pull it very tight, but then it seems like it binds a little. At least it doesn't spin as freely.
If I have it so it spins freely, with just a little slack, I can get it to come off if I press against one side by the chainring, but what would actually make it come of while riding?
Will too tight of a chain do damage to my hubs or bottom bracket?
supposedly but I don't know if it really does. For example I was mountain biking last weekend with a guy whose chain was way to tight. However when he pedaled hard slack developed in the bottom. This shows that even a chain so tight that it will bind when the wheels are alowed to spin freely puts less stress on the bike then hard pedaling does. There could still be extra wear from the constant nature of the stress though.
Either way if you push hard enough you can usually get a chain to come off. Why don't you just try it looser and see what happens.