Chain Tension help ???

[Korune]

Ok so a feel really stupid putting this up but I'm having some issues...

I've come from a BMX race background, and recently bought a street bike to ride at the skate park in my time off between classes at school...



So I'm used to having chain tensioners, and am running into issues without them... I pull the wheel back and get the chain tensioned, but by the time I tighten the rear axel nut, the chain is lose again... I'm pulling against the rear wheel whilst tightening the nut, so what am I doing wrong for the chain to go lose?



Cheers

 

[Bikes Bats New Tatts]

I'm sure there is a better way to do this, but this is how i do it....

Get a shifter handle, or the handle end of a socket wrench, wrap a towel or a rag around it and jam it in-between the tire and the frame and gently lever the wheel back to tension the chain. Then tighten the the non chain side first until it bites, then the other side, then back to the chain side, then back to other side, keep switching until you have wound both sides to riding tightness. All the time keeping that rag covered wrench wedged in there.

This works for me. I hardly ever have to adjust for slackness. Good luck!

 

[Ducky Punk]

1. Pull back on nuts hard and align tire and hand tighten the nuts as hard as you can to hold the wheel in place while you get the spanner
2. Tighten up with spanner pulling back towards you at the same time

Works for me,

 

[potato]

I'm sure there is a better way to do this, but this is how i do it....

Get a shifter handle, or the handle end of a socket wrench, wrap a towel or a rag around it and jam it in-between the tire and the frame and gently lever the wheel back to tension the chain. Then tighten the the non chain side first until it bites, then the other side, then back to the chain side, then back to other side, keep switching until you have wound both sides to riding tightness. All the time keeping that rag covered wrench wedged in there.

This works for me. I hardly ever have to adjust for slackness. Good luck!

works for me too

 

[Ultra Lord]

I find ''walking'' the wheel back helps, that is leaving one nut tight, and pushing the wheel sideways so the loose side slides back in the dropouts, then tightening the loose nut, and doing the same to what was originally the tight side. Might take alittle longer this way than using a shifter but I reckon it's easier to get the centre the wheel and get the right tesnion.

 

[RB 24]

come from the same... race bmx.

I use on my Fit prk3 a cloth wrapped piece of 70x35mm timber jambed into the bb shell between chain stay and pushed the wheel back.

once at the tension I wanted just nipped the nuts up and good to go. Oh if you run chain tensioners on your street bike apparently it isnt cool..

 

[potato]

i find chain tensioners too annoying on anything that gets thrown around as much as my bmx does.
the action of quickly changing a tube turns into a longer job, more tools etc...

although i love them for the more delicate of bikes, running them on my track bike