The Chainlink

Fixed gear and chain tensioners

Can chain tensioners be used with a fixed gear?

I was always under the impression that the strength of the fixed gear breaks tensioner.

http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/bik/1125854282.html

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Permalink Reply by Brett Ratner on April 16, 2009 at 11:08pm
I think the Surly Singleator instruction manual states it best...

"This product was not designed for any purpose other than for use on a bicycle with one chainring, one freewheeling rear cog, one chain, and one rear derailleur hanger. This product is not for use with a coaster brake or fixed gear. Don’t do it. You could die."
Permalink Reply by Vondo on April 16, 2009 at 11:26pm
quick question guys...

Not being familiar with chain tensioners I can only guess that they are for bikes without track dropouts so the chain stays well, tensioned. Why might you die if you use it with a fixed cog?

What could it do?

M.A.R.K. said:
Don't do it or you will die.. That's gold! Nothing says we aren't responsible for personal injury if you use this product in this way then that..
Permalink Reply by Ali on April 16, 2009 at 11:37pm
If they are mounted on a fixie and you try to brake using the pedals they can snap, in turn your chain can jump off the cog, the chain ring or both, get stuck somewhere and lock your wheel snap snag body parts and such. Bad things for short...

-Ali

Vando said:
quick question guys...
Not being familiar with chain tensioners I can only guess that they are for bikes without track dropouts so the chain stays well, tensioned. Why might you die if you use it with a fixed cog?
What could it do?

M.A.R.K. said:
Don't do it or you will die.. That's gold! Nothing says we aren't responsible for personal injury if you use this product in this way then that..
Permalink Reply by Vondo on April 17, 2009 at 12:37am
ahh, gotcha. Damn thrill-seeking kids with their chain tensioner fixies!

Ali said:
If they are mounted on a fixie and you try to brake using the pedals they can snap, in turn your chain can jump off the cog, the chain ring or both, get stuck somewhere and lock your wheel snap snag body parts and such. Bad things for short...

-Ali

Vando said:
quick question guys...
Not being familiar with chain tensioners I can only guess that they are for bikes without track dropouts so the chain stays well, tensioned. Why might you die if you use it with a fixed cog?
What could it do?

M.A.R.K. said:
Don't do it or you will die.. That's gold! Nothing says we aren't responsible for personal injury if you use this product in this way then that..
Permalink Reply by root on April 17, 2009 at 1:03am
i'm so hard i ride with a chain detensioner!
Permalink Reply by Ali on April 17, 2009 at 1:08am
Well I hear the latest hype nowadays is to run a track cog without a lockring, I have dubbed this the Suicide Setup(copyrighted). My train of thought what will happen to someone running this setup goes something like this.

A guy with the above mentioned setup is riding through traffic, without brakes so he can score the maximum amount of hipster points. A garbage truck pulls infront of him, he goes ahead and does what he did for thousands of times, locks his legs in order to skid to stop. His Phil Wood cog decides that if there is a glorious time to unscrew this has to be it and proceeds on doing so. Our hipster dude complete with top tube pad, tight jeans, converses and no helmet gets jolted suddenly with the cog unscrewing itself. A sudden realization of what is happening but the end is coming so fast, he thinks; "Oh dear what do I do now? This wasn't covered in the Idiots Guide to Fixed Gear Bikes". BAM!!! Runs square into business end of the garbage truck. Luckily the pile of trash behind the truck saved this guys noggin, and now he has a good story to share as well. Pedal on buddy...

-Ali
Permalink Reply by root on April 17, 2009 at 1:32am
replace the garbage truck with a derailed L flying off the track and I'm sold.
Permalink Reply by Chucko on April 17, 2009 at 6:08am
Chain tensioners can't handle the back-pressure applied when you slow down. The tensioner would likely snap, throwing the chain in the process. Leaving you brakeless if you don't have a caliper brake.

I do run a suicide setup on most of my fixed gears, mostly because I don't do much skidding and I've never had a cog come loose on me. That being said I do have what I an I-brake. As in, the brake I use when idiots come out of alleys without looking, etc... Just a front brake...
Permalink Reply by vxla on April 17, 2009 at 7:40am
Ali said:
Well I hear the latest hype nowadays is to run a track cog without a lockring, I have dubbed this the Suicide Setup(copyrighted). My train of thought what will happen to someone running this setup goes something like this.
Latest hype as in the past 4 years? I don't know, but I do know that we've been calling it suicide hubs for quite some time.

Did the CL post refer to track-style chain tensioners or something else? (this is why you should put the entire content of the message in your post since the Internet is susceptible to link-rot, especially CL).
Permalink Reply by yellow jello on April 17, 2009 at 10:34am
Link is dead, so I don't know the details, but I'd like to add that there are different types of tensioners. The Surly Singleator type that Brett mentioned and the Surly Tuggnut type that is actually intended for track dropouts.

The Tuggnut type can actually help with safety by setting the chain tight enough that it doesn't come off the cog or chain ring, which can be just as deadly. Another solution to that is to walk your wheel back to tighten the chain.

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