Proper fixed gear chain tension is an essential part of the riding experience. Here's how to get it.]]>

The phrase “cut me some slack” means something totally different to a fixed gear biker, and too much of it ain’t pretty. Too loose  = chain drop, and too tight = binding. On a fixed gear, proper chain tension is essential.

We get a lot of questions about fixed gear chain tension lately – or as a lot of people seem to want to spell it: “fixed gear chain tention“. Just digging in the email right now, there are these: “how to0 stretch a fixed gear chain?”…”how to get the tension on a chain?”…”how much slack should a fixed gear chain have”…etc. etc. Riders wondering if they can avoid tightening so often, whether the loss of tension is normal, and how to adjust the chain properly. There are any number of ways to try and get a (nearly) uniform chain tension on a fixed gear bike, but let’s go to the authority on fixies, the great Sheldon Brown:

The chain tension on a fixed gear is quite critical, and is regulated by moving the rear axle back and forth in the fork ends. If the chain is too tight, the drive train will bind, perhaps only at one angle of the pedals (chainwheels are not usually perfectly concentric). It should be tight as it can be without binding. If the chain is too loose, it can fall off, which is quite dangerous on a fixed gear.

Set the rear axle so that the chain pulls taut at the tightest part of the cranks’ rotation. One at a time, loosen up each of the stack bolts, and tighten it back just finger tight. Spin the crank slowly and watch for the chain to get to its tightest point. Strike the taut chain lightly with a convenient tool to make the chain ring move a bit on its spider. Then rotate the crank some more, finding the new tightest spot, and repeat as necessary.

This takes a little bit of your hands learning how hard to hit the chain, and how loose to set the stack bolts, but it is really quite easy to learn.

Tighten up the stack bolts a bit and re-check. Tighten the stack bolts in a regular pattern, like the lug nuts on a car wheel. My standard pattern is to start by tightening the bolt opposite the crank, then move clockwise 2 bolts (144 degrees), tighten that one, clockwise 2 more, and so on. Never tighten two neighboring bolts in a row. You may prefer to go counterclockwise, but try to get in the habit of always starting at the same place and always going the same way. This reduces the chances of accidentally missing a bolt.

Once you have the chainrings centered and secured, adjust the position of the rear axle to make the chain as nearly tight as possible without binding. Notice how freely the drive train turns when the chain is too loose. That is how freely it should turn when you are done, but with as little chain droop as possible.

This can take a bit of practice and finesse, but should do the trick. Also remember that a chainring won’t be perfectly round – in fact, unless it’s really high-quality, it’s probably far from it. Also, chains will stretch with time, though probably not enough to really cause any more than a very occasional adjustment.

There are plenty more technical answers, but for those of you who can’t handle a wrench, try this: just SCOOT THAT REAR WHEEL BACK. That will buy you enough time and tension to get to your local fixed gear guru who can adjust your chain tension for real. Or is that “tention“?

The latest fixed gear stuff for sale (click here for more):

Christophe Track Bike Fixed Gear Vintage Toe Straps Blk US $19.99 Auction Ends: Friday May-24-2013 8:04:05 PDT   | Watch this Item

[Click here to see all fixed gear stuff for sale]

Well, here you go - this list is updated in real time, so jump on it.]]>

pic by richardmasoner

OK, so you’re not so great with tools, and you don’t want to spend all day running around town chasing down Craigslist posters who, as it turns out, sold that bike five minutes before you got there. All you want is a decent list of solid fixed gear bikes for sale. Well, here you go – this list is updated in real time, so jump on it.

By now you’ve probably figured out that we’re big fans of eBay for parts, cycling shirts and other clothing, accessories, gear, and yes even complete bikes. There are many advantages: you decide how much you want to spend, you can restrict your search to fixed gear bikes for sale in your zip code or nearby if you don’t want it shipped, and the selection is huge. Plus you can usually use Paypal or a similar service, so you’re not walking around some sketchy part of town with a pocket full of cash looking for someone you don’t know.

Well, I think we’ve made the case. Take a look at the list below. We’ve used some clever code to show just the latest fixed gear bikes for sale, but the occasional saddle or wheelset might sneak in to the list. To customize the list (and to see all the other gear and accessories) CLICK RIGHT HERE.  As an alternative, either for gear or for a brand new bike (if you have a little more money to spend), try the Amazon search in the sidebar to the right. Yeah, they sell bike stuff too.

Enjoy.

The latest fixed gear bikes for sale (click here for more):

Christophe Track Bike Fixed Gear Vintage Toe Straps Blk US $19.99 Auction Ends: Friday May-24-2013 8:04:05 PDT   | Watch this Item

[Click here to see all fixed gear bikes for sale]

Unfortunately for the subculture of fixed-gear bikes, that usually means fixed gear haters. ]]>

Nobody wants their favorite obsession to go mainstream, but it’s still kind of cool when what you’re into gets some attention. Unfortunately for the subculture of fixed gear bikes, that usually means fixed gear haters. “Dangerous”, “should be illegal”, “trendy” and “hipster” are frequently-used words in these unbalanced pieces of mainstream “journalism”. Most of them seem to do little if any research, and none of them seem to be aware that fixed gears have been around for over 100 years now without any problems.

Let’s take a look at some of this garbage, so we can be prepared for the next round of haters.

Wired Magazine published an early piece back in 2005 that starts out with this depressing paragraph:

Jim Wirtanen spent 12 years as a bike messenger dodging buses and cabs on the streets of Boston. He earned the name “Deadguy” after being hit by a speeding Lincoln Continental on the third week of the job. The collision threw him 40 feet across an intersection and he hit his head on a light pole.

Great intro to the fixed gear phenomenon, huh? Boy, I really want one now.

The piece also contains these questionable phrases:

Though a bike with no brakes sounds insane to many…

Note: never trust a press report that claims what “many” people think, or uses the phrase “some say”. There’s a reason those are called “weasel words”. Either quote someone directly or shut up.

As with a child’s Big Wheel, if you want to stop, you have to use your leg muscles to slow the bike.

Was that condescending enough for you? Try this:

Many riders, but not all, add a front brake, but the pure and brave (or foolish) of heart scoff at the notion.

Yes, they just called you a fool.

To their credit, Wired includes a few worthwhile quotes from actual riders, such as:

“It’s a Zen thing. Once you get used to traffic, then you can float through the chaos,” (Wirtanen) said.

But overall, the piece is slanted to make the riders sound insane, stupid and childish.

Next up, the Old Hag herself, the New York Times. By titling their piece “Unstoppable“, they pretty much warn you where they’re coming from. Try this:

(T)hese fixed-gear zealots are a growing presence on the streets of New York. Perceived by some as nuisances, or as troublesome, anarchist Dumpster-diving punks who happen to ride bikes, they are occasionally reviled, but they are also the subject of curiosity and interest.

“Perceived by some”? Again, the weasel words rear their ugly heads. Did someone actually say that, or did you just make it up? Oh also: you suck.

(Y)ou can’t ride this bike very well on your first try, and certainly not very gracefully, easily or safely.

How well did you drive a car on your first try?

There were copious drinking, including a contest to see who could ride around in a circle while drinking a six-pack fastest, and the “Blind Skull” event, in which riders wearing big foam skulls over their heads pedaled until they fell over or ran into somebody.

I’m pretty sure people get drunk and do crazy things without bikes too.

Maybe the worst thing about the NY Times piece is the illusion of balance – a few obligatory quotes from people saying they like fixed gear bikes and they’re pretty, and a short history cribbed from Wikipedia.

Quality job, Times. Maybe that’s why you’re rapidly going out of business.

But it’s not just the mainstream media – you can find plenty of hate on the blogs too. Bike Snob NYC is definitely hating fixed gear bikes, but the piece is so funny you really just need to read it all. If nothing else it will give you an idea of the mindset you’re up against, but it may actually make you laugh too. Some of the things he bitches about are ones that annoy most of us about other riders anyway.

There are so many more examples, but we’ll leave them for another post. Meanwhile, let’s hear your (least) favorites in the comments.

The latest fixed gear stuff for sale (click here for more):

Christophe Track Bike Fixed Gear Vintage Toe Straps Blk US $19.99 Auction Ends: Friday May-24-2013 8:04:05 PDT   | Watch this Item

[Click here to see all fixed gear stuff for sale]