Fixie Chain Tension

Raam

Keep it taut (but not too taut), mine popped off this morning as I hit a rough patch of gound. I knew it was a bit loose, but I was too lazy to adjust it.

That is all.

Ryder

Wow. Are you dead? Seriously my worst nightmare. Am paranoid about it

Raam

Ryder wrote: »

Wow. Are you dead? Seriously my worst nightmare. Am paranoid about it

Aye, they have t'internet in heaven too

Lumen

Ryder wrote: »

Wow. Are you dead? Seriously my worst nightmare. Am paranoid about it

It's only a problem if the chain gets caught up and locks the rear wheel, and you are unable to control the skid.

Then you just fall off.

I'd be more worried about my "hipster pants" getting tangled in the driveline, and getting my leg/foot chewed up. Or the handlebars, fork or stem failing like on any other bike.

cmyk

Raam wrote: »

Keep it taut (but not too taut), mine popped off this morning as I hit a rough patch of gound. I knew it was a bit loose, but I was too lazy to adjust it.

That is all.

Scary, just how loose was it?

Raam

cmyk wrote: »

Scary, just how loose was it?

Very... had been meaning to adjust it for the last few days. It got wrapped around the crank and a bit bunched up at the back.

Gavin

Sheesh, the chain used to pop off willy nilly from The Banana. Most frustrating.

My chainring was bent, so I fixed that. But still happened. Then I realised the chain itself was warped/bent. New chain. No problems. It's most pleasant to be able to cycle at full whack, hit a pothole and not worry about the chain coming off.

NeilMcEoigheann

i like mine tight.. so that you cannot remove the chain from the chainwheel by hand this also makes the direct drive feel of your fixie more natural and comfortable. i had a chain come off while riding brakeless once but it didn't lock the rear wheel so that was dodgy as hell, (i don't ride brakeless any more) also i had a chain come off and break in 2 places while cutting spokes and locking the rear wheel, chain tension is vital.

blorg

It has to be tight but no so tight that it binds, which will make a noise and cause premature wear. This can be tricky as chainrings in particular tend not to be perfectly circular so it will be tight in one place but loose in another.

I have had my chain drop off many times, mostly due to unscrewing the cog while skidding (I don't run a lock ring)* but also once due to loose chain tension. I found before it did this that I got warning- was on a spin out to Enniskerry and before it actually came off I got (4 or 5 times) a strange "knock" sensation in the pedals, accompanied by a noise, as if one of my pedals had struck the ground or a rock.

Like many things associated with fixie riding it is not as catastrophic as made out on the internet. Mine fell off on the outside so I didn't lock the wheel but you should be able to control a locked rear wheel, you are after all riding a fixe

*Not as some sort of statement, or the weight savings, my lockring threads are stripped.

DirkVoodoo

Singlespeed ftw

I try to check mine as often as I can, but like Lumen says there are worse things that can go wrong on a bike.

Raam

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Singlespeed ftw

I try to check mine as often as I can, but like Lumen says there are worse things that can go wrong on a bike.

Yeah, a helicoptor could fall on ya. Just like in that link Blorg posted recently, which I can't find right now.