Chain tension, how do you tighten your back wheel up?

[Gary72]

Tried a new way yesterday, as I always seem to have trouble pushing the back wheel to tension the chain and tighten the wheel nuts.
Basically let my tyre down, (not flat), wedged a piece of wood between the tyre and the chain stay, pumped up the tyre, kept checking tension, tightened nuts, deflate tyre, remove wood, re-inflate tyre. Seems alot of grief, but did it at work with the compressor. Would not try it if I was using an old foot pump

[jackel]

lol its 2 quid for a set of chain tensioners off here tightwad

[djgivvinup]

I wouldn't mind knowing if there is a technique to getting the chain tension right when fitting the rear wheel, i don't like using the chain tensioners on bikes that didn't come with them as standard.
I've got this problem on my pro class, i won't use chain tensioners for it, i got the tension right on the chain & did the wheel nuts up slightly & the tension was fine but when i tightened the nuts properly the chain becomes either too tight or too loose, i battled with this for an hour or so, got so p***ed off with it i left the chain loose, only problem is when i ride it the chain rattles around, it doesn't seem like it will fall off but it is annoying.
Any advice....except chain tensioners 

[jackel]

I wouldn't mind knowing if there is a technique to getting the chain tension right when fitting the rear wheel, i don't like using the chain tensioners on bikes that didn't come with them as standard.
I've got this problem on my pro class, i won't use chain tensioners for it, i got the tension right on the chain & did the wheel nuts up slightly & the tension was fine but when i tightened the nuts properly the chain becomes either too tight or too loose, i battled with this for an hour or so, got so p***ed off with it i left the chain loose, only problem is when i ride it the chain rattles around, it doesn't seem like it will fall off but it is annoying.
Any advice....except chain tensioners 

now garys idea sounds good

[HEYWOOD BMX]

  Not sure,Simple wheel slammers maybe the answer.Basically a machined washer that fits into the dropout that keeps the rear wheel from moving forward.
http://www.customriders.com/prodlist.asp?a=cat&cat=3&parent=1001&sid=3&sort=3

[Gary72]

Not sure,Simple wheel slammers maybe the answer.Basically a machined washer that fits into the dropout that keeps the rear wheel from moving forward.
http://www.customriders.com/prodlist.asp?a=cat&cat=3&parent=1001&sid=3&sort=3

Trev sells those aswell as bar ends.
My method wont work with all frames only the ones where the chainstays are like a wishbone. My wheel always moves when I tighten it, I try to take this into consideration when checking the chain, and you always get a tight spot in the drive chain.

[thesku11s]

Not sure,Simple wheel slammers maybe the answer.Basically a machined washer that fits into the dropout that keeps the rear wheel from moving forward.
http://www.customriders.com/prodlist.asp?a=cat&cat=3&parent=1001&sid=3&sort=3

Trev sells those aswell as bar ends.
My method wont work with all frames only the ones where the chainstays are like a wishbone. My wheel always moves when I tighten it, I try to take this into consideration when checking the chain, and you always get a tight spot in the drive chain.

if you half tighten the drive side, then non-drive side, then tighten up drive side fully.

Usually stops wheel movement.

[meticulous]

ookin hell! what have you all been doing for the last 30 years, thereis a simple technique to do this,now listen!
pull the back wheel with bike upside down until there is a little tension on the chain , not too much, now this is the ccol bit, tighten the non drive side up fully with the wheel off centre, so the tyre is almost touching the frame on the non drive side, with your hand pull the wheel striaght and naturaly the chain will become under tension and TA DA! tighten wheel nut and you have a very tight chain. hope you understand my bob explanation.

[jT Racing]

pull and tighten, little bit each side untill tight.

[othomas2]

Aren't you meant to have a bit of give in the chain even if using the tensioners ?

[jT Racing]

you are indeed owen.

[Broggie]

Take bike to bike shop, hand over money...

Go have beer...return to bike shop.

Job done 



Ray.

[theRuler]

dont ride it without tensioners
the wheel will move, the chain will come off.

[Gary72]

dont ride it without tensioners
the wheel will move, the chain will come off.

NS bike with small not micro drop outs, the chain tensioner I bought does not work, it stops a few mm from the drop out.

[evamedia]

stick a broom between the back tyre and the seatpost, push on broom, do up nuts