Trackstanding/Chain Tension

When trackstanding, does it mean you have improper chain tension if when transferring weight backwards and forwards there is a tiny bit of slack to take up in the chain?

no, means good chain tension (to a degree).

What snoops said. Most people on here run chains too tight (and lazy fucks like me run 'em too loose but that's another matter).

you should have 1 cm of play in your chain if you move it up and down in the centre (but real play, you shouldn't have to stretch the chain to move it up and down). that shouldn't give you a lot of slack when trackstanding. you'll find trackstanding easier if you keep your chain properly tensioned.

(and lazy fucks like me run 'em too loose but that's another matter).

+1

Thank fuck for that then :D

you should have 1 cm of play in your chain if you move it up and down in the centre (but real play, you shouldn't have to stretch the chain to move it up and down). that shouldn't give you a lot of slack when trackstanding. you'll find trackstanding easier if you keep your chain properly tensioned.

1cm each way (1cm up, 1cm down) or in total (5mm up, 5mm down)?

hmmm... grab the chain at a point midway between the hub and chainring, and jiggle it up and down. you shouldn't have to force it, it should move easily with about 1cm (total) in play.

That's more or less what I thought, wicked, thanks.

Unlikely tension is the same throughout each crank rotation. Try it, but don't get yer fingers dragged into the chainwheel/chain FFS!

Set the tension at the chain's tightest point.

a slack chain helps you to learn to trackstand better. it makes it harder so when you retension your chain it's easier.

a slack chain helps you to learn to trackstand better. it makes it harder so when you retension your chain it's easier.

thats why when my kids grow up i will tie up one of the legs so that when they learn to walk with one leg, they'll be olympic athletes with both. ha

+1

:0

I ride everywhere whilst eating yogurt (with a spoon proper like). So one day when I stop eating yogurt I'll ride like the 2 dadded love-child of Chris Hoy & SuperTed.

My two pfennigs: you want it tight enough so there's no danger of it popping off if you hit a pothole (it don't droop and make you look like a quim on their brand new SS), but not so tight that it binds, i.e. causes resistance or starts making noise.

Usually when you've just set your tension, everything is quite nice and tight for the first few miles (not much play when trackstanding), but then everything"settles in" and you inevitably end up with a little bit of play. This is where I like to keep things - not too much stress on chain or rings, but nice and secure and in good control.

Enuf effin rambin for now I s'pose

if it pings like a g string it's too tight

I keep mine tighter than a gnat's chuff!

i likes to have a bit of movement, too tight and it's gonna wear your drivechain quicker.

Hate any movement, but dont have it so tight that it is grinding. Nice and tight with plenty of lube . . . ;)

a slack chain helps you to learn to trackstand better. it makes it harder so when you retension your chain it's easier.

Advice from Mr "Benjamin Button" Smith-can't wait to see Mr S in Huggies :S

Mr Brown has a nice article here < http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html#tension > on how to get chain tension even

If there is a jiggering motion on the crank either way, is that also just a chain tension problem?

I guess there's a range between too loose and too tight and I prefer to be at the looser end of that range. That doesn't mean droopy like an old geezer's nutsacks though.

Mr Brown has a nice article here < http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html#tension > on how to get chain tension even

I take it there's no way of doing this, or any equivalent technique, if I have a vintage chainring with no stack bolts?

If there is a jiggering motion on the crank either way, is that also just a chain tension problem?

could be your crank bolts are loose, thought it was my chain tension for ages, but actually my cranks are just old and buggered and the bolts need regular tightening....i should probably do something about that soon come to think of it...

could be your crank bolts are loose, thought it was my chain tension for ages, but actually my cranks are just old and buggered and the bolts need regular tightening....i should probably do something about that soon come to think of it...

+1 Had exactly the same. The bolt holes had gone kind of oval, so I felt it might be time for a change.

1cm each way (1cm up, 1cm down) or in total (5mm up, 5mm down)?

I heard that 1 - 2 cm each way was the right tension. I tried to be a good boy today and tightened my chain.

However, I am currently at a bit more than 2 cm each way and the chain is making a quite loud clinkety clink noise it didn't before. Yeah, I looked on Sheldon Brown, but the whole adjusting spider thing doesn't apply I guess as I have a Stronglight with no spider/chainring.

How to prioritize? slacker chain minus the noise or accept some noise in exchange for tension?