fixed chain tension- how to

Ok so my buddy Karlos (hey Los!) needed some advice on chain tension and I figured I could make it public advise.. in fact if any one else has questions about things I would be more than happy to shoot similar how-to videos.. i found it quite fun.

Finding chain tension on a fixed gear bike is not a pure science, more of an art. there are a few factors that come into play here that effect the chain tension. The first and most obvious being the foward and aft position of the rear wheel in the drop outs(or track forks, but for my purposes ill call them drops). Second being the side to side position of the rear wheel in the drops.. basically the centering of the wheel between the chain stays, you can center this by looking at the tire between the chainstays at the bottom bracket.

ok so with these two factors taken in consideration you will want your wheel as far back in the drop outs as possible, you want the chain tight but not binding. You also want the tire to be centered between the stays. You can tell if the chain is binding because it will be felt through the cranks when you turn them and the chain will make an audible crunching sound as the cranks are rotated. there will always be a little play in the chain.. but you want to keep it to probobly below a 1/4 inch of play when you push up on the chain with your finger as i show in the vids.

Another factor that you need to take into account is the roundness of your chainring.. it is possible to get your chain tight in one spot but loose in another. Chainrings arent always perfectly round.. this seems unfair and frustrating as hell... its life get over it. BUT... there is a way to attempt to make this work better for you.. by rotating the chainring from one position to another on the cranks can help. This may take a bit of experimentation to find the best postition but the ideal location will give you the least discrepancy in chain tension from loose to tight spots. You can see in my vid that my chain does have a bit of descrepancy in chain tension after I rotated it.. Im lazy i probobly wont rotate my chainring, but then the difference isnt that big a deal to me. like I said.. its an art and it depends on how meticulous you are.. the biggest no no is the sagging chain. if you can visibly see the chain sagging people will call you a poser.. or at least I will.

Ultimately you will feel it when riding if the chain is slightly loose. while trackstanding a loose chain will give you a slight front to back rock. you will weel the chain loosen on one side and tighten on the other as you switch from foward to backward pressure on the pedals. I dont have a vid to demonstrate this so hopefully my description will do.. but i can try to record a vid if you cry like a baby and beg for one.

DISCLAIMER:try not to stick your fingers in the chain while rotating the cranks on a fixie. unless you like smaller digits. I have had more than one friend loose the ability to tell bad drivers how bad they suck because they let fingers get wrapped up in the chain on a fixed gear bike. Yes that means GONE.. no more finger.. oh and IT FUCKIN HURTS... dont do it.