Town Bikes, Tyres, and Variable Chain Tension

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Hi, I'm a newbie on here, having been bikeless for more than ten years

I recently bought a Halcyon Yukon (online, at about one third of it's RRP) - it came in a box, and I have enjoyed working out how to connect, disconnect and, most importantly, re-connect the cables for the internal brakes and gears... when I get my first puncture, many miles from home, this will be essential knowledge

I have ridden it twice this weekend, on very short local trips on road and towpath, and I have to say that I am mightily impressed with my new machine - it is fast, smooth to operate, and has the most comfortable riding position I have ever known

The bike itself is clearly not a current model (hence the massive discount on the price), and I do not seem to see many similar bikes in this year's model ranges - I would be interested to hear other people's ideas about the bike

The tyres are Continental SportContact (26x1.6) with 'SafetySystem' - I think that these tyres are of a reasonably high quality, but I am not sure what the 'SafetySystem' bit means! Are these tyres designed for grip, or speed, or puncture resistance?

Finally, I have noticed that the chain tension varies during each revolution. This is not noticeable when riding, but I noticed it when I was lubing the chain link by link. On each revolution, the chain tension fluctuates between 'almost too tight', and 'almost too loose', so I don't think there is a huge problem - I just wondered if such fluctuations are normal

Cheers

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[RecordAceFromNew]

I can see it is an incredible bargain, the hubs cost as much as the bike!

I have Conti's Sports Contact and I think they are one of the best, if not the best road slicks for 26" wheels money can buy. They are quite light, can take high pressure to cut rolling resistance on the road, and their SafetySystem is a rather unique puncture warranty that underscores their confidence in their puncture protection.

All single speed or hub gear arrangements exhibit the variable chain tension phenomenon you describe - the chain should be set not so tight as to bind, and not so loose to come off. You might find this of interest in achieving the happy middle ground.

 

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I can see it is an incredible bargain, the hubs cost as much as the bike!

I have Conti's Sports Contact and I think they are one of the best, if not the best road slicks for 26" wheels money can buy. They are quite light, can take high pressure to cut rolling resistance on the road, and their SafetySystem is a rather unique puncture warranty that underscores their confidence in their puncture protection.

All single speed or hub gear arrangements exhibit the variable chain tension phenomenon you describe - the chain should be set not so tight as to bind, and not so loose to come off. You might find this of interest in achieving the happy middle ground.

Many thanks for an extremely encouraging reply!

The bike was a bit of an 'impulse buy', but, so far, I am very happy indeed with the result

I guess the hubs are quite heavy, but the lightness of the frame means that the total weight is still very small

I am looking forward to the Summer

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