chevahh

I think my chain is pretty snug (how I like it because I do track stands a lot and I had a semi-loose chain once and it was a lot harder to do), but I've been reading around and having a chain that's too tight isn't good. Here's a picture...can you guys tell me if that's too tight? thanks for the help

cc700

yes, i can't see any slack.

you're just looking at increased wear and decreased efficiency. if you don't mind chains snapping on you while bombing hills you'll be fine.

btw a nicely tensioned chain isn't that much harder to trackstand with, you just have to have good balance and smooth crank pressure.

chevahh

gotcha. so too tight = not good = my chain.

Ride Among Us

that looks way too tight - i bet its loud. i keep mine so that it moves up and down 1/2 inch when you tug at it.

bryanhayn

https://www.urbanvelo.org/issue3/urbanvelo3_p64-65.html

johnnytheboy

NewYorkMantle

yeah, i usually tension for minimal play on the tight spot; translating to around 1/2 inch of play on the rest of the ring.

sivat

Spin the wheel while holding it off the ground. You should get bored before the wheel stops spinning. If the wheel slows down after a few turns, the chain is probably too tight.

ralphm2k

Flip the bike upside down, spin the tire slowly (watch the fingers),if it slows the wheel, it's too tight, if you can push the chain sideways and have it run off the chainring it's too loose. Anything in-between is preference.

I like a little click when the chain engages.

Your chain looks wicked tight btw.

mikesbikester

watch the tight and loose spots. spin the cranks slowly and make sure its not binding at any point of the cranks rotation
please watch your fingers

RichPugh

Skip and Skid more... it'll loosen up LOL.

ryansexton

Is it like a 5 man job to get it that tight?

onetwentyeight 

half and inch of up and down play is my ideal. too tight and it binds, slowing you down, and causing stretch in the chain, and wear in the cog and chainring. to quote juvi, "once you go slack, you never go back." if you cant trackstand with a little play in your drive, you arent very good at trackstanding. i cannot tell you if your chain is too tight from a photo, as i need to feel it, and also the stock IRO chainrings are generally a bit out of round, so there will be tight and loose spots in your crank rotation.

chevahh

um. apparently you don't know how to tighten chains

Sixty Fiver

It looks like it's set up too tightly... there should be a little sag.

wheelsucker

OMG that is a camaletoe!

str8flexed

actually, you just looked at valley formed by his two nuts.

idiq

Too loose:
If you have the bike in a workstand (or upside down) spin the crank with one hand, and try to pull the chain away from the bike about ~6 inches from the chainring as it comes forward (watch your fingers). If the chain comes off, it's too loose.

Too tight:
If you ride and your frame creaks it's too tight. If you use chain tensioners, I see this a lot. Most people with tensioners just crank them all the way back and the chain ends up 'too tight' - this is probably what whoever you were talking to was referring to.

If you actually tension your chain correctly, then it will not be "too tight". By correctly I mean: Slide non-drive side back as far as it will go, tighten down. Pull wheel toward drive side, which will let the drive side of the axle slide back. Tighten down, then release. The wheel should be in the middle. If it's not, loosen the non-drive side and adjust. If it is, just crank the bolts down.

jpdesjar

I believe that is called a ************.

the_don

My drivetrain makes an intermittent creaking sound(well, most of the time), when riding, nothing when on a stand.

I have been to 2 bike stores asking about it and 1 guy said that the chainring was slightly imperfect, meaning that it gets a little tighter on one part of the revolution, I asked about changing it, but he said that was not necessary, and that it was fine. The other bike shop dude said the tension seemed perfect to him also and that there is no problem.

I am running SS, not fixed, so I thought that maybe it had something to do with the freehub (although i have never heard a freehub making those sounds before on a MTB).

Should I try slackening it off a little?

jpdesjar

It might not be your chain tension it could be your chainring bolts, from what I have learned chainrings are supposed to be a little irregular, I could be wrong, I know on my fixed gear there is a point where the chain is slightly tighter when I rotate the pedals.
When do you hear the creaking, is it on the downstroke?

the_don

not so predictable, I have tried reading a few related threads and saw the chain bolt thing, but they are tight, so no worries there.

How much play should it have, I want to see if at the tightest point, it has enough, perhaps it is just slightly too tight at that point.

Rick@OCRR

I just converted my single-speed to fixed gear yesterday, and from what I'm reading above, my chain is too tight. It was making a metallic rattle noise as I rode, so I will loosen it up this evening!

Thanks for all the posts with such excellent information!

Rick / OCRR

idiq

'Play' is relative, even my chain I can squeeze down. If you tension it correctly [see earlier post] you'll be fine. If you use chain tensioners, take them off, re-tension on your own, and see what happens.

andrewssohip

it probably is not your drivetrain making the creaking sound, but if it is, it is likely that your chainring bolts aren't tightened down correctly. Not a very big deal, at all. Also chainrings aren't "supposed" to be a little out of round. It's just an issue that shoes up in cheaper chainrings, the more expensive you get the less out of round it's going to be, but no chainrings are perfect. (like a rocket ring versus a sugino 75 ring). The test I always use is flipping the bike over, or putting it on a stand and spinning it, it should spin smooth and for more than a few rotations. As has already been said in this thread, the only thing you have to worry about is just making sure you won't throw it. The looser the chain the faster you are (to a point).