Vertical Dropouts - Chain Tension

nonnac85
Posts: 1,608
Am looking into building up a singlespeed bike from a frame. I have found a decent frame on the net but it has vertical dropouts. I've been told I cannot run the bike singlespeed without a chain tensioner becaure of the vertical dropouts. I thought you could just take links out of the chain until it was short enough?!
Am I missing something here?
Cheers!
Am I missing something here?
Cheers!
My Website - Trail Centre info for the UK: MTB Trail Time
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Comments
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you have to run a tensioner. It would be impossible to get the chain EXACTLY the same length needed as the chain stay length doesn't work on multiple measurement(s) of a chain link. Any aversion to running a tensioner?0
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Cheesey isn't quite right, but the alternatives are fairly expensive.
You can fit an eccentric bottom bracket housing, so you can get the offest there, or use a white eno hub (circa £110) which has an eccentric axle, or you can use a chainguide with a lower jockey wheel and tension the chain there rather than at the dropout,0 -
No aversion to a tensioner - just wanted to check if the information i was given was correct. Thanks for your explanation - It makes sense now why one is needed.My Website - Trail Centre info for the UK: MTB Trail Time0
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or you can fit a half link and hope.
Or you can find the perfect gear and it is just right.
here is mine."Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
Parktools :?:SheldonBrown0 -
ride_whenever wrote:You can fit an eccentric bottom bracket housing, so you can get the offest there
Er, well, only if the BB shell is big enough to accept one...0 -
dave_hill wrote:ride_whenever wrote:You can fit an eccentric bottom bracket housing, so you can get the offest there
Er, well, only if the BB shell is big enough to accept one...
nope there are ones to fit Euro bb shells. as well as the more common BMX bb."Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
Parktools :?:SheldonBrown0 -
a mate of mine ss'd his chameleon but uses an old rear mech as a tensioner....
its cable tied up to the chainstay to keep it out of the way.Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I believe in the future of the human race.
H.G. Wells.0 -
Thanks people - it all makes sense now. Will be getting a tensioner sometime soon!My Website - Trail Centre info for the UK: MTB Trail Time0
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nicklouse wrote:nope there are ones to fit Euro bb shells. as well as the more common BMX bb.
There you go, you see? Learn something every day if you aren't careful!!0