riddler Posted May 5, 2008 Report Share Posted May 5, 2008 i was just wandering chain tensioners, im going to be running single speed hopefully on my new project and was wandering is or are chain tensioners essential.also what do they do? simple tense the chain so it isn't loose in anyway.any help, advice anything really will be greatly appreciated. thanks dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve@banbury-trials Posted May 5, 2008 Report Share Posted May 5, 2008 (edited) the main purposes of a chain tensioner is to keep the chain taught enough to stop is slipping over the sprockets and to remove the worst of the slack chain.sometimes its possible to go without,but that is when the chain is just right when fitted that it doesn't need a tensioner.steve Edited May 5, 2008 by banbury trials Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinc Posted May 5, 2008 Report Share Posted May 5, 2008 (edited) Frames without horizontal dropouts usually have them, because they cannot use snail cams etc.. You can't get your chain tight without one pretty much. Edited May 5, 2008 by Cordy Boy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben John-Hynes Posted May 5, 2008 Report Share Posted May 5, 2008 Frames without horizontal dropouts usually have them, because they cannot use snail cams etc.. You can't get your chain tight without one pretty much.That sounds confusingA chain tensioner is needed on 26" wheeled bikes with horizontal dropouts,A chain tensioner isn't needed on any bike with horizontal dropouts, instead, snail cams are used which pull the rear wheel further out of the dropouts to keep the chain tight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krisboats Posted May 5, 2008 Report Share Posted May 5, 2008 That sounds confusingA chain tensioner is needed on 26" wheeled bikes with horizontal dropouts,A chain tensioner isn't needed on any bike with horizontal dropouts, instead, snail cams are used which pull the rear wheel further out of the dropouts to keep the chain tight.You say thats confusing... you just wrote that tensioners are needed on big bikes with horizontals but then go on to so that no bikes with horizontal dropouts need them.Basically, vertical dropouts mean you can't adjust the chain tension by sliding the rear wheel back and forth, so something is needed to take up the slack. With horizontal dropouts you can use snail cams or just pull the wheel back and tighten the bolts to keep the chain tight. Vertical dropouts were needed because of the massive differences in chain tension when gears were introduced, and a system of constant tension was needed (a dérailleur). As trials bikes are usually single speed nowadays there's no need for a dérailleur, but manufacturers keep the traditional dropout style, which means we still need some form of tensioner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riddler Posted May 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2008 ahhhhhh right ok cheers. soo i will most probably need a chain tensioner then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben John-Hynes Posted May 6, 2008 Report Share Posted May 6, 2008 ahhhhhh right ok cheers. soo i will most probably need a chain tensioner then? If you're planning on riding a 26",then yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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