Incorrect chain tensioner for temporary single-speed?
 

I'm attempting to run my bike as a temporary SS just until I get my hands on my new rear mech (early next week)

I've tried all my LBS's and bizarrely not one of them had a chain tensioner in stock - including Dave Mellor Cycles, a top-10 BS in the UK

Anyway, I've opted to have one fast tracked from the Halfords website.....here it is:


I should point out that my hybrid has a full Alivio groupset (old style 3x7 with freewheel) and for whatever reason I mistook 'Alfine' for 'Alivio' and now it's too late to cancel my order.

So, my questions is, will the above chain tensioner be compatible with my current Alivio groupset?

My aim is to run the chain around the largest chainring and the smallest cog on my freewheel, which I believe is a 14T

I have tried finding a match without the tensioner but no such luck unfortunately.......either too tight or too loose

Thanks

Wow, you're going to run around in top gear the entire time it's SS? Are you Hulk or something? :D

If you can do that, why not just run FG/SS all the time? Otherwise, why not put it somewhere in the mid-range part of the freewheel?

*edit* the link does say the tensioner is for 16-23T sprockets. So if you use one of your sprockets within that range it should work.

It's not exactly the toughest top gear (48-14)..... and besides I pretty much exclusively only ever ride this bike for one particular route, with hills few and far between. I'm never off the off the top chainring and rarely lower than 18th gear - which is to say the 18T sprocket.

It says more about my local terrain than my strength, I can assure you.

The only question I have after looking at the link you provided, is whether the Alfine tensioner has any lateral adjustment. It is, after all, intended for making an Alfine internal hub work on a bike with vertical dropouts, so it only needs to line up with the cog (sprocket) position of an IGH. You may be limited to the cog that happens to line up with it. That should be your smallest or next to smallest cog, but certainly not more than the third one. Chainline should be ok to the outer ring on a double or middle ring on a triple. All in all, I think you'll survive the experience just fine. :)

Hard to believe that it takes longer to find a rear derailleur than it does to buy a chain tensioner. That chain tensioner probably won't work on your bike, it doesn't look as if it has enough adjustment to get your chainline right

The guy from Yahoo. Great...

That doesn't mean that the information isn't correct. That chain tensioner is designed to fasten to the axle, look at the shape of the hole it is made to fit over the flat sides on an Alfine axle. Chain tensioners for a bike like yours are designed to fit on the derailleur hanger. That chain tensioner won't work very well on your bike

Good catch, alcjphil. Sorry Rambino, with dozens of tensioners available that mount to the derailleur hanger, you managed to find one that mounts to a solid axle.

Rambino, why not have ordered the Acera derailleur available at Halfords for only 5 pounds more...?