Been setting chain tension wrong on single speeds for years

I was building up a State Bicycle Co. frame last week and the chain kept skipping under load. My buddy came over, watched me push the wheel back in the dropouts, and said 'dude, you're just eyeballing it?'. He showed me how to use a ruler from the seat tube to the axle to get it even on both sides. I had no idea the wheel could be that crooked just by feel. How do you guys check chain tension without a tensioner?

2 comments

2 Comments

blair62610d ago

Using a ruler seems like overkill to me.

harper_owens10d ago

Wait, you just freehand lines without a ruler? How do you even get anything straight, @blair626? My stuff would look like a toddler drew it. I tried that once and the whole page looked wobbly. A basic ruler is the difference between a project looking pro and looking like a mess.