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-   -   Are half link chains that bad? (https://www.bikeforums.net/singlespeed-fixed-gear/762771-half-link-chains-bad.html)

BmoreDrew 08-26-11 12:13 AM

Not sure what to tell you.. I would just pull the wheel back and throw some tugs at it personally. You can see in the pic you have a grease ring where the nuts once sat in the center of the dropout, compared to the now slammed forward position.

Scrodzilla 08-26-11 04:52 AM

Maybe I'm missing something but I don't really understand why you don't just pull the wheel back a bit either.

markaitch 08-26-11 05:09 AM

i too, like BmoreDrew & Scrodzilla, am confused why you seem to be so hung-up on slamming your wheel all the way forward in the dropouts?

what makes you think that you can't tighten the nuts down enuff to keep it from sliding without tugs? plus then you have to change the chain length every time you switch cog size. maybe a half-link chain really is the best thing for you after all.

as far as replacing your cog...
all you need is an ordinary 9-spline cog, they are all over the place for as little as $3-4. do you really need a homebrewed on your deadeye? those are meant for the stress of serious mtbing. since you likely will need to buy several cogs anyway to try different gear ratios now that you've learned that mountain bike gearing is not so great for riding pavement, why not keep your cost down till you find the gear ratio you like best?

good luck...

ianjk 08-26-11 08:48 AM

The op stated he wants the wheel "slammed" for security reasons... You can break a chain in less than a second with a screwdriver or cut it with a pair of snips just as fast... Also a theif could just force the chain off the cog. Your best bet would be to carry a cable and lock the wheel.

rithem 08-26-11 10:52 AM

I get what you are trying to do here, but it's obvious that the clearances are too tight though in terms of mud and rotor ... why risk chewing the paint job up unnecessarily , lock the wheel to the frame if you have to leave it locked somewhere.

Scrodzilla 08-26-11 11:43 AM

"All aboard! Next stop,
Overcomplication Station!"

http://www.electronici9.com/wp-conte...all_aboard.gif

How is having your axle bolted 1cm closer to the seat tube going to "keep the rear wheel from ever slipping while climbing"? If you tighten your axle nuts properly, your wheel shouldn't slip regardless of where the axle is in the dropouts.

xavier853 08-26-11 12:02 PM

Keeping the rear wheel slammed could also make it a huge pain in the butt for maintenance reasons. I love not having to break my chain everytime I want to take off my rear wheel. I left just enough space to be able to pop the chain off when the wheel has been loosened from the frame.

Kayce 08-26-11 12:08 PM

I also like the fact that I can put on a different tire and not have to worry about it fitting in my frame.

stryper 08-26-11 01:46 PM


Originally Posted by xavier853 (Post 13136760)
Keeping the rear wheel slammed could also make it a huge pain in the butt for maintenance reasons. I love not having to break my chain everytime I want to take off my rear wheel. I left just enough space to be able to pop the chain off when the wheel has been loosened from the frame.

I've ridden with my wheel completely slammed. You don't have to break the chain to take it off >.>

Loosen axle nuts. With your finger on the top of the chain just before the chainring, push it outwards and spin the crank slowly. The chain will misalign and come off the chainring altogether. Now you can pull your wheel out.

To the OP, you have a half link on it now so what is the problem? A single half link is not going to be the end of your world. People have been using them for a long time. They dont' make your bike explode

Scrodzilla 08-26-11 02:15 PM


Originally Posted by stryper (Post 13137276)
I've ridden with my wheel completely slammed. You don't have to break the chain to take it off >.>

Loosen axle nuts. With your finger on the top of the chain just before the chainring, push it outwards and spin the crank slowly. The chain will misalign and come off the chainring altogether. Now you can pull your wheel out.

You do realize bikes have chainstays of various lengths and differing gear ratios, right? Not everyone's chain is the exact same length and what you're suggesting doesn't always work.

ianjk 08-26-11 02:39 PM


Originally Posted by stryper (Post 13137276)
I've ridden with my wheel completely slammed. You don't have to break the chain to take it off >.>

Loosen axle nuts. With your finger on the top of the chain just before the chainring, push it outwards and spin the crank slowly. The chain will misalign and come off the chainring altogether. Now you can pull your wheel out.


Except that a single speed chain isn't built to flex. If the chain is tight enough to stay on when "slammed" (aka all the way to the front of the dropout, loosening the axle will not move the wheel forward) forcing it off will weaken it. I've taken a chain off like this in haste and ended up having it break about .5 miles down the road after tossing it back on.

If it is too tight to lift off, don't force it.

EpicSchwinn 08-26-11 06:53 PM

To answer page 2:

I moved it back 1mm in the drop outs. All is well, just 1mm less street cred/aero/stance/hellaflush

http://www.gamertagpics.com/users/i/...1304873980.jpg
but i wanted it slaaaaaahahahahahaaaaaaammmmmmed :cry:

jk. I think i can deal with it now.

just dank 08-26-11 07:03 PM

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...streetcred.jpg

91MF 08-26-11 07:42 PM


Originally Posted by EpicSchwinn (Post 13138508)
To answer page 2:

I moved it back 1mm in the drop outs. All is well, just 1mm less street cred/aero/stance/hellaflush

http://www.gamertagpics.com/users/i/...1304873980.jpg
but i wanted it slaaaaaahahahahahaaaaaaammmmmmed :cry:

jk. I think i can deal with it now.

i dont understand why you wanted it slammed on a 29er. when going uphill, if your body weight gets behind the rear axle you are unstable -- read: long wheelbase is your friend on climbs. you should know that from your schwinns ridic 'stance' bro

Leukybear 08-26-11 07:48 PM


Originally Posted by just dank (Post 13138553)

That's not closed to slammed at all... Truly "slammed" is 1mm or less. Good luck getting girls with that hun'

EpicSchwinn 08-26-11 08:01 PM


Originally Posted by 91MF (Post 13138687)
i dont understand why you wanted it slammed on a 29er. when going uphill, if your body weight gets behind the rear axle you are unstable -- read: long wheelbase is your friend on climbs. you should know that from your schwinns ridic 'stance' bro

While i don't want to get into a debate over wheelbase, it's worth noting that shortening the wheelbase is helpful for handling on tight singletrack. Since this is an extra large frame and it's a 29er the wheelbase is already way longer than most mountain bikes. Regardless, I'm not enough of an avid mountain biker or have a bike that's good enough to notice the handling change from the adjustment.

And yes the wheelbase on my Schwinn is hueg liek xbox. One of these days i'll have enough money to build up a proper tarck bike.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/kym-assets/p...jpg?1242072786


Originally Posted by Leukybear (Post 13138709)
That's not closed to slammed at all... Truly "slammed" is 1mm or less. Good luck getting girls with that hun'

maybe I can get some girls with my slammed disc brake clearance (see earlier pic) :P

91MF 08-26-11 08:13 PM


Originally Posted by EpicSchwinn (Post 13138736)
i don't want to get into a debate

agreed. i was just kidding but really, i like rigid ss mtbs as much as the next guy but its no joke that you arent going to get very gnar on a rigid ss mtb anyway. that would be like saying fgfs is gnar when its barely gn

frantik 08-26-11 08:15 PM

kilo tt

mestizoracer310 08-29-11 10:04 PM


Originally Posted by stryper (Post 13137276)
I've ridden with my wheel completely slammed. You don't have to break the chain to take it off >.>

Loosen axle nuts. With your finger on the top of the chain just before the chainring, push it outwards and spin the crank slowly. The chain will misalign and come off the chainring altogether. Now you can pull your wheel out.

Or use the master link. Sometimes I can "break" the chain without any tools..

conbon 09-04-11 08:38 AM


Originally Posted by rithem (Post 13133292)
the plate is shaped like a z of sorts right? Which implies a kink, right? Bend a paper clip in that shape then pull it straight. Once it's straight you can't pull it any more straight right? A traditional chain link (which is actually 2 outer plates-pin-roller-2 innerplates) has straight (flat-whatever) plates; the plates don't get longer the holes for pins just get bigger and the pins wear in as well. Bottom line if you clean and lube your chain regularly they will last longer, period. The pintle chain's achilles heel is the shape of it's plate.

This. Not because of the sideways lateral forces wearing the pins, not from it somehow magically having twice the number of links while still keeping the same pitch, not from not cleaning and lubing the chain on a daily basis, simply this. Ya, they're cool on your bmx bike so you can slam your wheel and look cool at the skatepark, but then you grow up and realize they are horrible chains, especially for the price, and you go back to the chain design that's worked for over a hundred years for obvious reasons.

To the op, just adjust your wheel like a normal person, that's why the frame builder chose to put track ends on your frame instead of vertical dropouts. If your still not satisfied with this answer, and you want to get rid of that dumb modern cassette and go back to old school free wheels, build up a wheel with a white industries eno hub, that will solve both of your, errr..."problems"

-connor


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