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Old December 23rd 17, 04:28 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
AMuzi
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Posts: 13,447
Default new chain, slack

On 12/23/2017 9:00 AM, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Saturday, December 23, 2017 at 8:59:06 AM UTC-5, AMuzi wrote:
On 12/22/2017 11:01 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On Friday, December 22, 2017 at 7:01:07 PM UTC-5, Emanuel Berg wrote:
Frank Krygowski wrote:

This has a couple possible implications.
Here's one: sprockets (especially chainrings
on less expensive bikes) are seldom perfectly
round. Usually you can notice the change in
tension (i.e. change in visible slack) as you
turn the cranks with the bike on a stand.
I suppose it's possible that the first
estimate of chain "tightness" happened with
the chain on a high spot, the next one on
a low spot.

That's true! What spot should you choose, then?

I always put the crank vertically, the one
where I can pull the most.

I set the cranks in the position where the chain is tightest, and make sure
there's at least a tiny amount of slack there.


I haven't thought of the possibility of
overstretching at the other end. But you have
to pull really tight for that to happen, right?

You won't literally stretch the chain no matter what you do. I suppose you
might cause extra wear, though, if you had it excessively tight.


Overly tight chain will destroy hub and crank bearings
before significant chain wear.



I seem to recall manuals for 3-speed or coaster brake bicycles stating that cthere should be 1/8th of an inch slack in the chain at its tightest point. That was from the 1970s or thereabouts. Does that still hold true?



At minimum:
http://www.yellowjersey.org/chainchk.html

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971


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