Which chain tugs?

majormantra
majormantra Posts: 2,094
edited January 2009 in Road general
I've decided some chain tugs would be a good idea as getting chain tension and wheel alignment both right at the same time is a bit of a pain on the fixed. I was think of getting the MKS ones here:

http://www.hubjub.co.uk/mks/mks.htm

Before I do, is there a better or cheaper option I should look at? The only cheaper ones I've come across so far are intended for BMXs and look a bit rubbish, but I might be missing some.

Cheers,
Matthew
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Comments

  • spasypaddy
    spasypaddy Posts: 5,180
    i need some chain tugs but i dont actually know which ones to get or how to use them.

    Will any fit?

    How do i use them?
    BMC TM01 - FCN 0
    Look 695 (Geared) - FCN 1
    Bowman Palace:R - FCN 1
    Cannondale CAAD 9 - FCN 2
    Premier (CX) - FCN 6
    Premier (fixed/SS) - FCN3
  • majormantra
    majormantra Posts: 2,094
    I don't know all that much about them either but I do know that they come in different sizes for thicker and thinner track ends/dropouts. The MKS ones I linked to come in two different sizes.

    Chain tugs stop your rear wheel from creeping forwards when you put power down and should make setting chain tension easy as it will be consistent when you take the wheel on and off.

    Anyone have any advice for me? :)

    Matthew
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    MajorMantra has chiosen wisely in MKS tugs, wish I knew about them before I bought a BMX jobbie. The MKS look a lot better and smaller. When I sell my bike the BMX jobbies are going back on and the MKS will stay behind.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • spasypaddy
    spasypaddy Posts: 5,180
    I shall be getting a pair of these how do you decide which size to get?
    BMC TM01 - FCN 0
    Look 695 (Geared) - FCN 1
    Bowman Palace:R - FCN 1
    Cannondale CAAD 9 - FCN 2
    Premier (CX) - FCN 6
    Premier (fixed/SS) - FCN3
  • GarethPJ
    GarethPJ Posts: 295
    You only really need a tug on the drive side. As such the Surly Tuggnut is sold singularly. It's really designed to fit in their own dropouts, but would fit just about any dropout.

    There are some nice design features; you don't need tools to adjust it; it comes with a 6mm adaptor so you can use nutted or QR axles; and perhaps most important of all (ahem!) it has a built in bottle opener. Oh and it's made from stainless steel. And you can even get spares, useful if you ever strip a thread so you won't end up with some rusty old bolt out of the bottom of your toolbox.
  • majormantra
    majormantra Posts: 2,094
    GarethPJ wrote:
    You only really need a tug on the drive side. As such the Surly Tuggnut is sold singularly. It's really designed to fit in their own dropouts, but would fit just about any dropout.

    There are some nice design features; you don't need tools to adjust it; it comes with a 6mm adaptor so you can use nutted or QR axles; and perhaps most important of all (ahem!) it has a built in bottle opener. Oh and it's made from stainless steel. And you can even get spares, useful if you ever strip a thread so you won't end up with some rusty old bolt out of the bottom of your toolbox.

    It's cool looking, but the MKS ones are cheaper than a single Tuggnut and I think two chain tugs are always going to be more convenient than a single.

    Matthew
  • GarethPJ
    GarethPJ Posts: 295
    MajorMantra wrote:

    It's cool looking, but the MKS ones are cheaper than a single Tuggnut and I think two chain tugs are always going to be more convenient than a single.

    Matthew

    Point taken on the price. But I can't see why two tugs is more convenient than one. I'd think the reverse, but then I don't use tugs at all and don't find it a problem.
  • majormantra
    majormantra Posts: 2,094
    GarethPJ wrote:
    MajorMantra wrote:

    It's cool looking, but the MKS ones are cheaper than a single Tuggnut and I think two chain tugs are always going to be more convenient than a single.

    Matthew

    Point taken on the price. But I can't see why two tugs is more convenient than one. I'd think the reverse, but then I don't use tugs at all and don't find it a problem.

    My thinking was that with two tugs the fine adjustment of chain tension and centreing would be easier. They aren't completely independent of one another so I think the more control one has, the better.

    Matthew
  • majormantra
    majormantra Posts: 2,094
    Never mind, I got the Surly one after all since Edinbugh Bike Coop actually had it in stock.

    Thanks all,

    Matthew
  • robbarker
    robbarker Posts: 1,367
    I've been after a pair of MKS ones for a while, but HubJub keep selling out!
  • mattsccm
    mattsccm Posts: 409
    Whisper it. STW . A pair of MKS for £13 in classifieds. Dunno if thats good or not.
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    robbarker wrote:
    I've been after a pair of MKS ones for a while, but HubJub keep selling out!

    You got to keep looking at the site, daily in my case. I did email Will at hubjub asking when new stock would bve arriving and just kept looking at the approx time I was advised it was due. Do you need a 5mm or 8mm pair?
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • robbarker
    robbarker Posts: 1,367
    redvee wrote:
    You got to keep looking at the site, daily in my case. I did email Will at hubjub asking when new stock would bve arriving and just kept looking at the approx time I was advised it was due. Do you need a 5mm or 8mm pair?

    8mm I guess - for a Langster.
  • robbarker
    robbarker Posts: 1,367
    mattsccm wrote:
    Whisper it. STW . A pair of MKS for £13 in classifieds. Dunno if thats good or not.

    OOh - where? i couldn't find them?
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    robbarker wrote:
    redvee wrote:
    You got to keep looking at the site, daily in my case. I did email Will at hubjub asking when new stock would bve arriving and just kept looking at the approx time I was advised it was due. Do you need a 5mm or 8mm pair?

    8mm I guess - for a Langster.

    In posession of a pair of each, guess where the 8mms are?
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • robbarker
    robbarker Posts: 1,367
    redvee wrote:

    In posession of a pair of each, guess where the 8mms are?

    Sod's law would say they're fitted to your bike, but if they are available drop me a PM! I've had a look in the cvlassifieds but am clearly too thick to find them!
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    Sods law wins this time :lol: though I did try and make the 5mms fit with a file but gave up after getting less than 1/4 of the way through.
    Seems you can only buy these from hubjub, when I was desperate/needed a pair I couldn't find them for love nor money. Seen them on Ebay from the states but the proces were ridiculous :(
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • majormantra
    majormantra Posts: 2,094
    Since this thread is still ticking over I might as well report back. I've had the Surly on for a few days and it seems to be doing it's job. It looks kind of neat too. Now if only it had a corkscrew instead of a bottle opener. Not much of a beer drinker...

    Matthew
  • Matt-B
    Matt-B Posts: 112
    Sorry to hi-jack the thread, but slightly related...

    I have one of the now ubiquitous specialized tricross singlecrosses - I have put a surly 17t fixed sprocket and lockring on the other side of the hub and am learning to ride fixed gear... But on my commute in this morning, the axle slipped a couple of times, causing the wheel to become misaligned and the brakes to start rubbing and so on. The bike is brand spanking new, and I can't see any obvious issues with the dropouts/nuts/axle. Is this me just not tightening them enough? Or would I benefit from a chain tug? If so, which chain tug for an aluminium frame?
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    You'll need 8mms for an aluminium frame but it is best to measure the thickness of the dropout to be sure. These are 8mms on a steel frame, the 5mms are too small by 0.5mm :(

    th_46395_IMGP0205_122_95lo.JPG
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • Matt-B
    Matt-B Posts: 112
    Thanks for the quick reply!

    I'll measure the dropout - I was also just wondering if there would be any issues with using chaintugs on an ally frame - I know steel frames are hard as old boots but I was wondering if on an ally frame they would damage the dropouts at all?
  • scholarsgate
    scholarsgate Posts: 66
    Have a look at these Spot Brand Rocket chaintugs
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    You might get a small bit of damage if you try and tighten the tugs against the chain but I think the tugs will break before you do any damage to the frame and the damage will be nore more than normal for a ss/fixed bike. The alu will flare slightly I guess, nothing that can't be sorted with a file should you want to.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • Matt-B
    Matt-B Posts: 112
    scholarsgate wrote:
    Have a look at these Spot Brand Rocket chaintugs

    Bit pricey though eh. I does look like a rocket, but it's twice the price of the MKS ones.... If Hubjub ever get any back in stock!
  • scholarsgate
    scholarsgate Posts: 66
    edited January 2009
    Have you looked at On-one/PlanetX

    there's a bunch here

    Including mks ones.
  • Matt-B
    Matt-B Posts: 112
    redvee wrote:
    You might get a small bit of damage if you try and tighten the tugs against the chain but I think the tugs will break before you do any damage to the frame and the damage will be nore more than normal for a ss/fixed bike. The alu will flare slightly I guess, nothing that can't be sorted with a file should you want to.

    OK, cool. I just found it a bit hard to strike a good medium - I had the chain tension set OK (or so I thought) but then when I was climbing a silly-steep hill, the chain kept skipping a tooth every revolution or so. So I stopped, and tried to tighten it a bit more. But when I did the nuts up, I never want to do them up too hard, always wary of damaging something! So I did them up and it seemed fine, but this morning they slipped as soon as I set off, so I re-tensioned and tightened them, and then they slipped again 4 miles later...

    Infuriating! But when it works, fixed is very fun! I seem to be adjusting surprisingly easily... famous last words, ha!
  • Matt-B
    Matt-B Posts: 112
    I don't know if anyone is interested, but I've ordered a Surly Tuggnut now, because I couldn't find anyone who had the MKS tugs in stock on the webz.

    I will report back once I've fitted it - ironically, since I first posted, my tension issues seem to have dissappeared. But hopefully this will keep them from coming back!
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    For those of you having wheel retention issues :wink: , do you have washers under your track nuts? If so then you'll need to do them up really tight.
    Neeermad
    Carbon 456
    456 lefty
    Pompino
    White Inbred
  • Johnny G
    Johnny G Posts: 348
    Does anyone have a Langster with the 8mm MKS tugs fitted? The reason I ask is that I measured my Langster dropouts last night and they are a shade less than 8mm, but the steel protective plates on either side make this more like 10mm.

    I've got a pair of cheapo tugs at the moment, bent (no I mean carefully modified) to fit, but I'm concerned that I'll get the MKS ones and they won't fit over the dropout.
  • Matt-B
    Matt-B Posts: 112
    ride_whenever wrote:
    For those of you having wheel retention issues :wink: , do you have washers under your track nuts? If so then you'll need to do them up really tight.

    My issues were actually caused by me under-tightening, but I ordered a tuggnut anyway just for peace of mind I guess. I don't want to be stuck on a busy road in the morning and hear that godawful brake rub again as the wheel re-aligns itself!

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