Half Links

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beatlejuice

Gently does it...
Location
Mid Hampshire
I finally splashed out on brought a new chain for my Decathlon Network 700 which has a Alfine 8 speed hub and an eccentric bottom bracket. It could be either too loose or by taking a link too tight. Then I discovered half links. I make sure I got the right width and fitted it today. Now its tension is correct. If only someone had told me earlier! I believe we have our BMX friends to thank for them.
 

glasgowcyclist

Charming but somewhat feckless
Location
Scotland
I finally splashed out on brought a new chain for my Decathlon Network 700 which has a Alfine 8 speed hub and an eccentric bottom bracket. It could be either too loose or by taking a link too tight. Then I discovered half links. I make sure I got the right width and fitted it today. Now its tension is correct. If only someone had told me earlier! I believe we have our BMX friends to thank for them.

You mean you can add one to a standard chain?!
Why has nobody told me this before?
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
Hmm... I reckon I might be able to do away with a chain tensioner on my singlespeed bike if I took one full link out and added a half-link. The chain was almost exactly the right length without needing added tensioning when new but it needs a fair amount of tensioning now.

I might experiment with it shortly before fitting a new chain.
 

raleighnut

Legendary Member
The other advantage is you now have an uneven number of links which helps even out wear in the same place if you have even numbers of teeth on both sprockets.
 

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
I had never heard of them. Every day is a school day
 
OP
OP
beatlejuice

beatlejuice

Gently does it...
Location
Mid Hampshire
Since getting the chain tension right I am no longer having problems with gears not engaging. Third and seventh were problematical. Now they’re fine and I have been testing them on some fine Cornish hills.
 

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
I finally splashed out on brought a new chain for my Decathlon Network 700 which has a Alfine 8 speed hub and an eccentric bottom bracket. It could be either too loose or by taking a link too tight. Then I discovered half links. I make sure I got the right width and fitted it today. Now its tension is correct. If only someone had told me earlier! I believe we have our BMX friends to thank for them.

The eccentric BB is for getting the tension right.
 
OP
OP
beatlejuice

beatlejuice

Gently does it...
Location
Mid Hampshire
Indeed the eccentric is there for getting the tension but when has speced one that doesn’t have enough adjustment range what do you do? I suspect when it left The Southampton branch of Decathlon it was fine but then I increased the number of teeth of my back sprocket. Because the EBB hasn’t got a full inch of adjustment you end up with my dilemma. You are stuck with chain tension that is too tight or too loose.

The eccentric BB is for getting the tension right.
 
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