Just preordered my Kilo (really happy about this) and am wondering what chain tensioners everyone (that uses them) uses. When i had a Bianchi Fremont, i had MKS tensioners for it and thought they were nice, but am wondering what else is out there. I know Surly makes the Tugnut[?] but don't know of any other ones, what are good ones to protect the frame/dropouts as well as keep good tension? Thanks

allen key MKS tensioners i love!


so much better than my surly.

i saw those on Benscycle. Do you think the allen key ones are better than the non allen key ones? I don't like the idea that if the allen key hole strips im stuck. Right now the MKS and Surly are really the only two im looking at, any others?

MKS tensioners are great.
If you're into Nascar...get the Surly ones.

Must you have them? I personally never found the need for them on any of the bikes.

in my experience using them, i dont see how the allen key ones could get stripped.

if someone has stripped the holes.....

DUMB ASS.

i got mks tensioners and while they do make getting the alignment perfect and chain tension exactly where you want it, they are a pain in my ass. I ended up just not using them and pulling my wheel back in the trackends.

Upside is you get to set your chain tension to the .1mm you need it. The downside is you have to take all this **** off to change a flat. And you are never forced to learn how to walk the wheel back or set it quickly without the crutch.

I have had my wheel slide forward on another bike, not saying when i get my Kilo it will but im just saying, also, they will protect the dropouts form surface wear/rust/chips and such. Just adds taht security. Looks like if no one has any other tips ill buy the MKS ones, always nice to have one NJS certified part on a bike.

any of these https://www.danscomp.com/products.php...hainTensioners work? If so which ones would you reccomend?

sinz makes good ones...

are these: https://www.jensonusa.com/store/produ...Tensioner.aspx
the same as Ben's sells? Will those work on the Kilo? they say BMX so i dont know if they will or no. Sinz look nice, just like the Redline.

i think ill just go with the MKS ones. Seem like the best deal really.

two dollar bmx tensioner work great for a guy or friend I know/have.

I've tried various brands of chain tensioners, including Surly.

On both my fixed gear bikes my chain has two tight spots and two loose spots, even though I use Sheldon's chain ring centering techniques.

My lbs tells me that adjusting a fixed gear chain so it has constant tension at all points in the wheel and crank rotations requires a lot of time and parts experimentation.

I use dual MKS tensioners on both my bikes because, along with a work stand, they help me tune my chain to the nth degree.

Based on my experience, I would only consider MKS allen wrench tensioners.

Sounds like the MKS allen wrench are the ones im going with. Thanks for all the input, honestly thank you. now im going to buy those, new seat, seatpost, chain, horns and some new tape for my new Kilo i preordered
should be a good little bike.