single speed chain issues

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mycam8u2

mycam8u2

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Dec 5, 2008
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pennsylvania
i just built a new bike, single speed cruiser. is there ant kind of tensioner made for the bike chain?my chain on the bike is loose i cant use it except to stop! i tried taking and adding links from both chains and cant find any happy medium.this is my 2nd build my 1st was a moountain bike..oh and how do i post pics ?
 
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theycallmebob

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Dec 13, 2008
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Gainesville, FL
Most single speed bicycles will have horizontal dropouts. You apply tension to the chain by loosening the axle lock nuts and pulling back on the wheel. Obviously you tighten once you achieve the tension you desire.

It's kinda tricky, and there are a variety of ways to do it. Its always helpful having an extra set of hands to hold the wheel back for you. If not, I prefer a se saw method where you pull the wheel back where you want it and angle one side, to tighten the chain more, and tighten the lock nut. Then you have a loose side which you press over to get as close to straight as possible, and tighten the lock nut. Odds are theres too much tension on the chain now and the wheel isnt aligned straight. So you loosen the lock nut that you had angled ever so slightly until the wheel comes into alignment.

Hope that makes sense.

Heres what a horizontal dropout looks like.



 
mycam8u2

mycam8u2

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Dec 5, 2008
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sorry ,but thats not the problem. i know how to tighten a chain and align a wheel the prob is there is no happy medium between the bike chain and the drive chain. here r some pics of both sides of the bike
 

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theycallmebob

New Member
Dec 13, 2008
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Gainesville, FL
I see.

Have you tried removing the chain from the engine drive side, tensioning the bike drive properly, and then reapplying the engine drive chain and playing with the provided adjusting tensioner?

You should be able to get both tensioned properly without a chain tensioner on the bike drive chain. You can buy half links from certain websites if necessary.

If you want a tensioner I'm sure there are some options out there. Only thing is most tensioners are made to bolt onto a derailleur hanger, I belive. Most bikes with horizontal dropouts lack these.

GL.
 
mycam8u2

mycam8u2

New Member
Dec 5, 2008
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im going to mess with it some more today,half links, what r they? that would prolly work, because i either end up w/ to much chain or not enough. thanx for tryin to help!!
 
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drhofferber

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Jun 22, 2008
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you need a chain tensioner for both sides...niagra cycle has chain guides that can be converted for your regular chain...thats why i stay with the derailur on my bikes...nashbar also has a chain tensioner tensioner you use when your break done the bike...good luck...show us when you get done...Dennis:-||
 
mycam8u2

mycam8u2

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Dec 5, 2008
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pennsylvania
im gonna mess with it today some more. i just got it together yesterday. i had to make a frony mount for it. other than the chain its good. im gonna add a link back into the drive chain, i might have to have the tensioner maxed out which i didnt wanna do. thanx for ur helping guys
 
GoFastBicycles

GoFastBicycles

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Jul 29, 2008
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West Point PA.
Your drive chain is too short add links to drive chain with pedal chain attached that will fix the prob. You will need to use tensioner on the drive chain do all this with the rear wheel in place with the pedal chain attached then make the drive chain longer removing slack via the tensioner .



Hope that all makes sense


Adam
 
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Earthman

Earthman

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Mar 24, 2009
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Pittsburgh, PA
Yep, I agree. From your photos, it looks like you cut the motor drive chain too short.

Normally, you should be able to do the following:

Before you install the motor drive chain, adjust the bicycle chain so that it’s properly adjusted. The axle for the back wheel should not be all the way back in the slots, there should still be some adjustment left. If it’s all the way back, you would remove a link or two from the bike chain with a chain break.

Once the bike chain is adjusted properly, you would put the motor drive chain on and it should be long enough to be just a little loose. If you can’t put the chain on, you cut it too short and you’ll have to add in some links. The motor drive chain should be long enough that you can use the chain tensioner that came with the motor kit to adjust it properly. If you do it right, you can position the chain tensioner fore and aft and up and down to get the motor drive chain tensioned properly without moving the wheel (so the bike chain remains properly adjusted). See attached photo of motor drive chain on my bike.
 

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Creative Engineering

Creative Engineering

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Sep 20, 2008
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Cool tensioner John...I haven't seen one of those.

I had the same problem with the GT Deuce. I don't like for the engine side chain to have eccessive slack to the extent that the chain tensioner is guiding the chain at a sharp angle.

I bought a half link at a bicycle shop, (For the pedal side chain), and everything worked out perfect.

Jim
 
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KULUKIN

New Member
May 2, 2009
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Burbank, CA
I saw a guy on here used some 1/8" shims between the engine block and the motor mount at the seat tube. I'm going to use this method, it allows you to adjust the two chains independently. search: "shims"
 
Bikeguy Joe

Bikeguy Joe

Godfather of Motorized Bicycles
Jan 8, 2008
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Shimming the engine does work, but watch the angle of the mount compared to the frame...too much angle creates a sharp point where the mount and frame meet if you don't use shims front AND rear, and that's not a good thing.
 
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