[martin]

If I take out one link, my chain is too short (by about 2mm) to link together. If I don't take out a link, it has too much slack and my axle reaches the end of the dropout.

Is the only way to fix this by changing my sprocket/freewheel size?

For now I threw on a 15t freewheel, instead of the original 13t, to take up some slack (see pic)

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[HAB]

Sounds like you need a half link.

 

[pnj]

Or a frame with horizontal dropouts..... Or a chain tension device....

 

[Stoked]

Sounds like you need a half link.

mind blown.

 

[landcruiser]

If it's a brand new chain it will easily stretch 2mm. Shorten it, connect it off the chainring, then force it on by pedaling. It can take the stress just fine and it will break in perfectly.

 

[sittingduck]

You might find this interesting: http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=217876

Careful forcing a chain on, you can damage a chainring doing that!

 

[martin]

Thanks man, this is the answer I was hoping for, haha. Everything is brand new, so I have to admit that I would hate to force anything into place. Lets see what other answers we get.

 

[martin]

You might find this interesting: http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=217876

Careful forcing a chain on, you can damage a chainring doing that!

Thanks bro, your replies are always helpful. I am going to do some calculating and see what's up.

 

[martin]

Sounds like you need a half link.

Yeah, my buddy said the same. I think I may have to do that, even though I'm not into the half link chains. But it should be cheaper than replacing my freewheel and sprocket.

thanks homies for the advice.
m.

 

[eaterofdog]

If it's that close you can file your drop outs.

 

[eaterofdog]

Man up, show it who's boss.

 

[Randomshot]

you dont need to get a new chain you can just get a single half link

 

[w00dy]

Phantom chainring is the answer until your chain stretches.

 

[Randomshot]

is there a mount drilled into the chainstay? or is the chainwheel just sitting in the chain kinda like a spacer?

 

[sealclubber]

it just floats. top side moves the same number of links as the bottom so it never migrates

 

[martin]

Man up, show it who's boss.

Nice pic! I like your style. But the CNC'd dropouts trip me out a bit. Do they grind as well and easy like chromoly?

 

[martin]

you dont need to get a new chain you can just get a single half link

Single Half-Link, your right, that is what my friend was talking about, I just did a web-search. For some reason I can't seem to wrap my head around the concept of it. Seems like it would still be the same length. I'm going to pick one up tonight and try it!

thx Random

 

[martin]

Wow, never seen that before. That is very cool.

I don't think it will get much love on a dj bike. I want to try it though for kicks and to trip my friends out, haha, like "what, what are you talking about, you never seen a freaking bike chain before? Oh that, it's a freaking phantom chain ring dude, get with it!"

thanks for the pic, you caught some attention with that one.

 

[ganglor]

Phantom rings are cool until this happens:

Go with eod's suggestion. It won't take long and it'll be a cleaner setup.

 

[martin]

Phantom rings are cool until this happens:

Go with eod's suggestion. It won't take long and it'll be a cleaner setup.

aaawww, brutal! i'm sure you'd have to be a mellow, straight-line rider to use a phantom safely.

the the setup shown tells me the person probably had too much slack to use a phantom ring. It has(or had) multi gears on it and a pretty big chainring - which means he probably had too much chain to work with.

I wouldn't put a phantom ring on my dj anyways (even though I'm not that crazy of a rider), I can't see myself bunny-hopping or doing stairsets with a clear head.

thanks for the pic. i crave cool techniques, but sometimes it's nice to see the trials and errors before trying stuff like that.. I'll try it with my low-rider bike (it was a gift, if anything it'll just make me skid to a mellow granny stop.

 

[cmc]

maybe the quality has improved . . . but i've had some bad experiences with single half links.

i personally think a full half link bmx chain is the way to go. tons of riders in bmx use them (bmx frames nowadays have very little dropout slot adjustment, so your cs length has to be precise).

http://www.empirebmx.com/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=6862

 

[Randomshot]

does that effect your gearing at all?

 

[Randomshot]

^ the phantom chainring

 

[ganglor]

aaawww, brutal! i'm sure you'd have to be a mellow, straight-line rider to use a phantom safely.

the the setup shown tells me the person probably had too much slack to use a phantom ring. It has(or had) multi gears on it and a pretty big chainring - which means he probably had too much chain to work with.

I wouldn't put a phantom ring on my dj anyways (even though I'm not that crazy of a rider), I can't see myself bunny-hopping or doing stairsets with a clear head.

thanks for the pic. i crave cool techniques, but sometimes it's nice to see the trials and errors before trying stuff like that.. I'll try it with my low-rider bike (it was a gift, if anything it'll just make me skid to a mellow granny stop.

Here's a pic of the person's original setup:

I had good luck with a KHE half-link chain on my trials bike, it lasted just as long as my normal chain of choice.

Randomshot: The phantom gear does not affect your gearing, it simply acts as a chain tensioner.

 

[martin]

hahahaa, classic pic!


cmc - thanks for the link (no pun intended), those chains look built. i'll try the half-link adapter first since it's cheap and I already cut my new chain. Next up will definitely be the halfer.

thanks everyone for your help.
m.

 

[martin]

You might find this interesting: http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=217876

Careful forcing a chain on, you can damage a chainring doing that!

Check out my numbers (I attached a pic). My final chainstay length is a bit longer than the minimum chainstay length the bike allows.

Does this mean my chain should technically fit?

Maybe I should link my chain and then force it on the chainring. Maybe its so close that just simply pulling the 2 ends of the chain together isn't precise enough.

 

[ganglor]

If you already have the half-link, you could run that for a short period until the chain stretches out enough to fit. It's probably close enough as-is that you can force it onto the chainring without damaging it.

What kind of front chainring do you have and how old is it? I've had some chainrings get out of round, making the chain looser or tighter depending on the orientation. Did you try rotating the cranks?

 

[martin]

If you already have the half-link, you could run that for a short period until the chain stretches out enough to fit. It's probably close enough as-is that you can force it onto the chainring without damaging it.

What kind of front chainring do you have and how old is it? I've had some chainrings get out of round, making the chain looser or tighter depending on the orientation. Did you try rotating the cranks?

Yeah, for sure, I plan to do just that: Use the half-link till the chain loosens a bit then take the half link out and be good.

My whole drive train is brand new. The front ring is a Deity Termite 28t and the back is a Odyssey 13t.

By rotating the cranks, do you mean connecting the chain then forcing it on? I haven't (very tempted though!), because I found a half-link at a LBS and figured doing what we both say as far as using the half link for a short while till I get enough 'stretch' on my chain to take it out.

thanks again.

 

[ganglor]

I had just meant rotating the cranks if the chainring was old, to see if it was out of round.

You could either turn the cranks to force the chain onto the front chainring, or you could turn the wheel to force it onto the freewheel. But since you already have the half-link, you might as well run that for a handful of rides, then take it out.

 

[martin]

I had just meant rotating the cranks if the chainring was old, to see if it was out of round.

You could either turn the cranks to force the chain onto the front chainring, or you could turn the wheel to force it onto the freewheel. But since you already have the half-link, you might as well run that for a handful of rides, then take it out.

Oh, got it, turn the cranks to see if the ring is out of round...

Yeah, got the half-link and all is new and true.
Thanks for the tips and techniques.

 

[WestCoastHucker]

Phantom rings are cool until this happens

i must be missing something, because that still looks cool to me...

 

[kidwoo]

i must be missing something, because that still looks cool to me...

Still cooler if there was some blood on it though.