Half Link Or Tensioner?

[Luke Drewery]

Hey, Im sick of breaking my mech hangers and I need to come up with a solution. I currently run a KMC kool chain tensioned by an old shimano mech, but its way to easy to snap/bend the hanger. Ive decided to either buy a half link chain and run my Czar with no tensioner, or buy something like the Gusset Bachelor tensioner off Tartybikes, which is just a simple bolt in place tensioner, and simplicitys what I want. However Ive heard running half links can put stress on the rear hub, and I dont fancy knackering my King up. Is this true? Are there any other downsides to running my stock with a half link? Also im worried that if I get a tensioner, I will just bend that rather than the hanger from landing on it, despite how durable they look. Let me know what you guys think as Im sick of not being able to practice sidehops because I cant afford to keep replacing mech hangers.

Cheers, Luke.

[Krisboats]

Well the pro's of the half link chain is that they can give you a much better chain tension, as i'm sure you know. Depending on which chain you get though they can stretch quicker and slightly more than a standard chain which means your tension is gone anyway. The only way they put more stress on the rear hub is if the tension is silly tight, but then thats not good with any chain so its not something specific to a half link chain.

The unsprung tensioner is good from a strength side of things. The metal arm attaching to both your axle and the mech bolt reinforces the mech hanger and should stop it breaking, however after landing on the tensioner with each sidehop you'll probably have to re-adjust it as they move out of position quite easily. Tensioning the chain upwards usually helps with this as when you land it just bashes it onto the chain a bit more, but through generally pedalling the chain will push the tensioner down slightly until its slack.

Another option you probably hadn't thought of is getting a steel mech hanger. Theres a place online that sells them for practically any type of frame, though they are expensive and might not have your hanger. Pottsy (dave85 on here) would be the person to ask for one of these as he would be able to whip one up in a few minutes and would be cheaper than that extortionate site. Good thing about a steel mech hanger is their a lot stronger and can take more of a beating, and if you manage to land on it hard enough it'll only bend, not snap... in which case you just bend it back and carry on riding.

[Netherking]

had the same probelm, i got a 74 kings tensioner which works a treat after a little installing issue. its right out of the way and bends inside ur frame if it does get hit

btw my QR's indeed hold it tight thou so i drilled a hole though the arm of the tensioner and threaded a bolt though which rests perfectly on the frame and provides a moist amount of tension

and or learn to side hop non-drive side i find it easier now

harry

[Joe Papasnap Maher]

or learn to side hop non-drive side i find it easier now

ditto

Just learn to sidehop the other way...yer it sounds hard...but so was hoping on the backwheel once upon a time..ull practice and ull get better at it.

[Luke Drewery]

ditto

Just learn to sidehop the other way...yer it sounds hard...but so was hoping on the backwheel once upon a time..ull practice and ull get better at it.

Well I naturally sidehop to the left, and I have my left foot forward so Im always scared of catching it and I cant get any good at them that way, only Neil Tunni seems to be really good at sidehopping towards his left foot. I started to do them to the right too, and my technique is better but my confidence is worse. Sounds like a half link might be a good option then, which ones are any good and where do I get them from?

[RobinJI]

A halflink wont mean you can run no tensioner, it merely means that the tension without one will be closer to correct, and even if you are lucky and get it just right, when your chain stretches more you wont be able to adjust it to correct for the longer chain.

You're best off just getting something like a 74kings, or from mates experiences the gussets are pretty tough, so no need to worry about hitting them, but they do need re-setting up after you hit them ass they just move up with the impact rather than it bending.

[Alex.loves.boys]

GET A SPOOON.

My spoon tensioners pretty cool. Its sprung, and becuase its made from a spoon it bend easliy back to place.

[Luke Drewery]

GET A SPOOON.

My spoon tensioners pretty cool. Its sprung, and becuase its made from a spoon it bend easliy back to place.

to be honest I think Ill do that, rather than a half link because of the stretching problems etc. That or buy a Gusset tensioner off Tarty £14 seems good to me .

[Matthew_Gibson]

to be honest I think Ill do that, rather than a half link because of the stretching problems etc. That or buy a Gusset tensioner off Tarty £14 off Matt Gibson seems very good to me .

I'll give sell you mine. Got pics,(£7) MSN me tonight. I'd say don't use a half link, (I can send you some of them too,) I did, and I think I done something to the internals of my hub, I'll find out later too. I'll let you no! Just that something happened and it was harder like I had a 17 tooth cog on (I run 18)