Recommendations for a chain tensioner

[Jenkins]

I have an old Boardman road bike which I converted to single speed at the great cost of £8.95 for a Planet X kit and using an old dérailleur as a chain tensioner as an experiment. Having decided to keep the bike in this mode permanently, the dérailleur looks ungainly and I'm expecting my bodge to lock it into a position that gets an acceptable chain line will fail so I'm looking for something neater. The best option seems to be something like the On-One Doofer, but can anyone suggest something similar or better or (preferably) cheaper as I want this to be a real budget job?

 

[S-Express]

Brick Lane sells the same/similar item for £18, but it's not like £19.99 is a lot of money either way.

 

[Jenkins]

Brick Lane sells the same/similar item for £18, but it's not like £19.99 is a lot of money either way.

Yes I know, but I'm a tight arse when it come to this sort of thing

 

[S-Express]

Try ebay - there's loads.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I have an old Boardman road bike which I converted to single speed at the great cost of £8.95 for a Planet X kit and using an old dérailleur as a chain tensioner as an experiment. Having decided to keep the bike in this mode permanently, the dérailleur looks ungainly and I'm expecting my bodge to lock it into a position that gets an acceptable chain line will fail so I'm looking for something neater. The best option seems to be something like the On-One Doofer, but can anyone suggest something similar or better or (preferably) cheaper as I want this to be a real budget job?

One of the problems with converting a stock, derailleur geared road bike, to a single speed set up, is the fact that the rear dropout is typically vertical, rather than the more traditional horizontal, found on a fixie / SS. It's a bit of a pain, but as you've no doubt found out, there are ways around the problem.

 

[simongt]

I had a Surley Singleator put on my GT Outpost when I converted to a SA 5 speed about ten years ago. So far no issues. More recently, when my GT Bravado was converted to a SA 8 speed, I simply kept the rear derailleur hanger in place and it's been fine. As long as it's lined up with the chain run and the pivot points are kept lubed, shouldn't be an issue.

 

[bonsaibilly]

Why don't you just get a single speed chain? They only cost a fiver.

I'm assuming the planet x kit you bought was the same thing I did, which is a cog plus a bunch of spacers for your freehub.

 

[S-Express]

Why don't you just get a single speed chain? They only cost a fiver.

How is getting a new chain going to help?

 

[bonsaibilly]

How is getting a new chain going to help?

Surely it would obviate the need for a chain tensioner?

Maybe I'm missing something.

 

[S-Express]

Surely it would obviate the need for a chain tensioner?

It wouldn't. Why do you think that?

 

[bonsaibilly]

It wouldn't. Why do you think that?

I don't know. How does a chain tensioner work? I didn't use anything like that, just a single speed chain with some links removed.

I would have thought that a single speed conversion would look best if one removed all the mech bits and put a single speed chain around a single speed cog.

 

[midlife]

Takes the slack out if the chain for single speed bikes with dropouts that don't allow the wheel to be pulled back..

Shaun

 

[bonsaibilly]

Okay thanks that's the technical explanation I needed. Still and all, can't one just remove links to fit?

 

[S-Express]

I don't know. How does a chain tensioner work? I didn't use anything like that, just a single speed chain with some links removed.

Not sure what you mean by a 'single speed' chain. Chains are generally either 3/32 or 1/8 pitch, single speed or not.

I would have thought that a single speed conversion would look best if one removed all the mech bits and put a single speed chain around a single speed cog.

The bike would need track ends, not vertical dropouts, in order to be able to do that.

 

[S-Express]

Okay thanks that's the technical explanation I needed. Still and all, can't one just remove links to fit?

No, because you would still have no means of micro adjustment, because the bike does not have track ends. Which is why you need a tensioner.