thurstonboise

1. Toss that tensioner crap in the trash.
2. Two or three fingers on the tire.
3. Thumb on the seat tube.
4. Push with your thumb until desired tension is met.
5. Tighten up the DS axle bolt enough to hold.
6. Straighten out the wheel, tighten NDS.
7. Don't be a sissy and tighten the bujeebers out of the track nuts.

If your wheel still loosens up, make sure your dropouts are parallel.

RichPugh

+1.

I usually push it back and kinda rock it towards the drive side til the chain is taught, snug it, check the wheel is centered, snug non-drive side, check tension, tighten, DONE.

I have never taken more than 1 minute to tension my chain and never "walk" it back more than the one-side-then-the-other method. Just push it back til its taught, snug up the drive side, make sure its centered, snug up non drive side, tighten, DONE.

elTwitcho

I've never found this all that different to just do by pulling back on the wheel with one hand, and tightening the track nuts. The very first time I did this it was too tight, so I loosened the nuts, didn't pull back as hard and tightened them up. Never had a problem since then and haven't had to do any walking or anything like that.

jpdesjar

same here
i don't walk with my bike either unless the hill is really scary big

resipsa

I gotta say, I like the MKS tensioners a lot. It's not that I can't do it otherwise (I used a couple of the above methods with great success for quite some time), and the time savings are indeed negligible, but I really do like being able to really precisely get just the amount of slack I want and to straighten the wheel just so. If you're finicky about precision like I am, they won't do you wrong.

jpdesjar

i considered getting some but i like the idea of just keeping things minimal...they just don't seem necessary, the mks ones seem nice and small though...

resipsa

Don't get me wrong; they're not at all necessary. I never had any problem whatsoever adjusting manually. I'm a big fan of both minimalism and precision, though, and one side won out. Whether that will remain the case or whether I'll flip-flop between the two remains to be seen.

Oh, and they are really small, but make sure that you can fit them in there before you buy them.

jpdesjar

the ones i wanted sit on the outside of the track ends and can be adjusted using an allen key...seems like i would want one for each side but could i get away with one on the drive side only?

resipsa

I'd personally be wary of ones that fit on the outside of the ends, as the nuts wouldn't be biting into anything other than the tensioner itself, which, presumably, is made to slide along said track end. As for the latter bit, using only one should be fine, as if you're getting a tensioner, you're really more concerned about getting the chain tension to where you want it to be than you are about getting your wheel straight (a very trivial thing).

I got MKS's NJS-certified ones from Ben's Cycle; they use 10mm hex bolts. You could use a proper socket wrench with them, but I'm fine just using my fingers.

jdms mvp

mks aluminum frame tensioners

middy

+1

droptop

when using the tennis ball method, just feel for chain tension before tightening the axle bolts down. if its good, tighten. if its not, then push the tennis ball further down, making it tighter. its not rocket science.

jpdesjar

interesting...never thought of using a rubber ball
i bet a racquet ball wood work better

ianjk

Hand between seat-tube and tire works for me on the track bike, fist on conversion.

Jerseysbest

Everyone's got a different way.

What I do, and it takes me about 20 seconds is:

-flip the bike over
-stand on one side, so the front is to your left
-grab the tire between the chain stays with your forefinger and thumb on your left hand
-push back, while centering the wheel, wedging your thumb and finger slightly between the tire and stays
-tighten nuts with wrench with right hand

I showed this to a buddy who's a mechanical idiot and he got it his second try.

jpdesjar

for the non drive side i like to push on the hub with my thumb while holding onto the chain stay and then tighten the nut down...that works well, while the drive side is already tensioned and tightened down a bit

nateintokyo

same here. finger, hand, or fist always get me there (depending on clearance of the bike in question).

I hold the wheel back by wedging the above between the tire and seat tube, tighten down one nut enough to hold, then adjust and tighten the other. if the bike it upside down it is easier to do, and easier to make sure things are straight.

I am also not a big fan of tight drivetrains, for all the reasons people mention. that said, you can get your too tight no-slack tension by this method as well, if that is your thing.

lymbzero

Put your 4-fingers on the tire and your thumb on the seat stay.
Tighten one bolt, align the wheel, then tighten the other.
Spin cranks, if it's too tight loosen bolts and repeat with less tension.

Done.

Understanding

isn't the chain tensioner used to keep the wheel from traveling forward under load? I've done that once on a single speed conversion of an old mountain bike i had laying around.

middy

Hmmm, I think that's what the track nuts are for.

iloveboston

youre right, its not. take that tennis ball and jam it right up your bum. learn to get tension without a tennis ball or walking your wheel. pracitce makes perfect. pull that fahker back till its snug, tighten the drive side, then tight the nds. if there is a low spot, pull the wheel back in that position and retighten.

easy enough?

imthewalrus

You guys are getting too worked up over this.

Hate away on tensioners. I'm happy that I can take off the rear wheel, then slap it back on with the tensioners and have instant perfect tension. I used to go without them but now it's almost as easy as putting a wheel into vertical dropouts. But hey, different strokes.

And seriously, being weighed down by tensioners? I bet the stick in your ass weighs more.

Anyhow, do whatever fits you. I did pay a whopping $6 for the luxury of dialing in perfect chain tension (I'm pretty anal about that stuff) so take that into consideration.

iloveboston

there is nothing wrong with tensioners, but knowing how to get good tension without them is a decent skill to have

dutret

depending on the wheel, track ends and rider strength track nuts alone may not be easy.

huhenio

something like this

Works great for me.

150ish miles a week.