What's this bit called?

Hello to all you wheelers out there, Small question :

So creepy cheapy fixies are sometimes sold with this little rascal attached.
( Yeah, I know... apart from the obvious... a bolt )
But what is it, what is it called and why don't expensive models own one.

Chain tug, it stops the axle slipping forward in the track ends and slackening the chain under heavy load.

a chain tug?

no such thing as an expensive bike, just someone who knows how to get chain tension right without one.

they're the bicycle equivalent of auto tune ;)

Chain tug, it stops the axle slipping forward in the track ends and slackening the chain under heavy load.

So why is it mostly found on the seemingly less attractively expensive models ?

Its called a Hondo Bracket

Chain tug, Hondo Bracket... thanks,
now I know what it is and something to call it... when I'm gawking at it next time.

Cheers everyone !

doobery-wotsit

So why is it mostly found on the seemingly less attractively expensive models ?

No reason other than the manaufacturer feeling generous. You dont need one, and a more expensive bike could find one equally useful.

They cause a bit of extra hassle when taking the wheel off, so sometimes more modern track ends have a tension screw coming out of the axle slot to keep the axle position without preventing the wheel from bing removed when you need.

doobery-wotsit

no need to get overly technical I think he was just after the laymans term for it...

It's not a 'chain tug', it's a mini gear lever. No-one wants to spoil the clean lines of the fiximile bike, so the gear lever goes on the end of the trackend/horizontal dropout. You just reach down and back, and choose either of the 3 settings:

-horizontal: basic mode.

• up: engages the intermediate teeth that are housed inside your fixed sprocket. They force their way out between the teeth you use in your sprocket's basic mode, thereby creating an easy climbing gear.

• down: causes all teeth to retract, leaving a small gully on your sprocket in which the chain can spin freely, allowing you to coast.

Nurse. It's time for his medicine.

Though actually quite funny. That said, mine failed and I had to win on virtual sprocket beta.

I didn't realise it was a sign of a cheap bike... better take mine off quick so people don't find me out!

A cheap chain tug may be the sign of a cheap bike, but chances are the cheap bike is actually a sign of a cheap bike.

I like chaintugs. They are good.

Cheap bikes have gears. They cannot go uphill without gears, cheap bikes.

Snigger @ Velocio.

My bike wasn't cheap, so I got some expensive chain tugs.