Proper amount of slack in a chain?
08-17-10, 04:59 AM
#27
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It's not bad. Chain's a little tight for my taste.
08-17-10, 06:09 AM
#28
Your cog is slipping.
08-17-10, 07:55 AM
#29
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Ok, this might sound like a basic, and silly question. But since most chain rings are perfectly round, and concentric, are these photo's taken at their tightest, or loosest spot?
I would think the loosest, but I just want to make it clear.
I would think the loosest, but I just want to make it clear.
08-17-10, 08:00 AM
#30
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My chainring is pretty round.
The slack is the same all the time.
For the record the picture I posted is of my single speed. The fixed gear is closer to Scrod's looseivity.
The slack is the same all the time.
For the record the picture I posted is of my single speed. The fixed gear is closer to Scrod's looseivity.
08-17-10, 08:27 AM
#31
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08-17-10, 08:46 AM
#33
Your cog is slipping.
It looks tight. If that were my chain, I'd put a dash of slack in it. Your drivetrain may end up being a little happier as a result.
08-17-10, 08:50 AM
#34
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I track stand every light on my road bike, so I can assure you that backlash (the technical term for "looseness") will not hinder your track stand.
08-17-10, 08:58 AM
#35
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08-17-10, 10:16 AM
#36
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08-17-10, 10:37 AM
#38
:)
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08-17-10, 10:39 AM
#39
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08-17-10, 10:40 AM
#40
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Not only can it increase resistance, it will accelerate wear of the chainring / cog / chain and in extreme situations can even lead to chain failure. The force required to stretch a chain even a few hundredths of an inch is enormous due to the high tensile rigidity of the chain. When adjusting chain tension, you need to rotate the cranks several times to check tension, since the tightest point will occur at a certain point where the chainring and cog together produce the most extension of the chain. There should always be some slack in a chain at its tightest point. Cheap out-of-round chainrings are the biggest cause of inconsistent chain tension adjustment.
08-17-10, 10:42 AM
#41
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Not only can it increase resistance, it will accelerate wear of the chainring / cog / chain and in extreme situations can even lead to chain failure. The force required to stretch a chain even a few hundredths of an inch is enormous due to the high tensile rigidity of the chain. When adjusting chain tension, you need to rotate the cranks several times to check tension, since the tightest point will occur at a certain point where the chainring and cog together produce the most extension of the chain. There should always be some slack in a chain at its tightest point. Cheap out-of-round chainrings are the biggest cause of inconsistent chain tension adjustment.
08-17-10, 01:24 PM
#42
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This reminds me when I used to run a chain tensioner on my BMX, long story short, that chain was so tight there was absolutely no slack. As a result over time it wore down the chain ring so bad they began to resemble shark teeth. Moral of the story, do your bike a favor and give it a little slack.
Last edited by area51nj; 08-17-10 at 01:28 PM.
08-18-10, 09:59 PM
#43
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Here's a You Tube video on chain tension:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCMM0...98860D73955BB2
1/4" to 1/2" of chain slack.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCMM0...98860D73955BB2
1/4" to 1/2" of chain slack.
08-18-10, 10:26 PM
#44
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Here's a video about BMX bikes, I hope you like it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCMM0...98860D73955BB2
1/4" to 1/2" of chain slack.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCMM0...98860D73955BB2
1/4" to 1/2" of chain slack.
08-19-10, 10:52 AM
#45
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I can't remember ever working on a single speed bike in which the chain didn't have a tight and a loose spot. I try to adjust the chain tension so that at the tightest spot the crank doesn't have any bind.
Once you get the chain tension pretty close, there's a trick for getting the chainring more nearly concentric. Then you can fuss with the chain tension again.
08-19-10, 02:18 PM
#47
Your cog is slipping.
Here's an old Arby's commercial from 1981:
Damn it, I love roast beef sandwiches!
Damn it, I love roast beef sandwiches!
08-19-10, 04:30 PM
#49
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arbys needs to bring back the 5 for 5 deal (5 sandwiches, $5). I'd be all up on that. if there were an arbys closer to boston than marlborough ma...
08-19-10, 06:30 PM
#50
Your cog is slipping.
I've never even eaten at Arby's but there's a roast beef place on every other corner here on the North Shore. The one closest to my house is even open 'til 2am every day.