What is the best type of singlespeed tensioner? At the moment Im thinking a Blackspire Stinger would be pretty good and very neat. But would it? Would I be better off with one of those sprung ones that bolt onto the mech hanger?

It is a normal vertical drop out steel frame and getting a new frame just isnt an option. Cheapness is paramount.

Well the cheapest option is usually a bodged, cheap, knackered rear mech fixed in position.

Otherwise, I find the ones that bolt on the mech hanger best. I also find that non-sprung ones (eg locked in place) are better than sprung (unless on a full susser!)

The stingers and similar work fine but I found when using something similar that I bent it when riding over logs/big rocks badly (eg hitting it!).

A stinger is a chain retention device designed for use with 2 front rings and everything that goes with it.

You'd be better with an On One Doofer or the like, that bolts to the rear mech' hanger and tensions the chain from there. I think they're a tenner, so much cheapness.

Stuart

there you go Andy.
would be even better if could use it in push up, but that frame is about a mm off being able to take a link out, so is has MAXIMUM possible slackness

32:15, not as fun offroad (more walking)

FYI, the roller on the stinger only has one bearing in it, in the front, so it squeaks (mine does at least)

the plate works brilliantly, but if youve got a spare roller lying around, it would certainly be worth swapping it for one with 2 bearings in it

LOADS more convinient, cleaner and quieter than a rear mounted tensioner.
reccomended

Olly do you set it up so you can rotate the plate without having to loosen the bb or do you just bolt it up as tight as possible? Im just wondering because of having to adjust it with the chainset and everything else in place.

mine is a BB mounted one, its a hollow tech BB, so the plate replaces one of the spacers.

I put the BB together, with the plate, a bit loose so i could move it (but tight enough so it would stay where i put it.

then i slid the crank in, and set it as accuratly as i could get it.

then, being careful to not let the plate move, i nipped up the BB to clamp the plate, and assembled it all properly.

the Roller is in a slot, not a hole, to adjust for 32 36 size rings, due to this, i set it up as far down the slot as possible (36 position)
then, when the chain stretches, and i want to add a little tension, i can just unbolt the roller, slide it up, so its closer to the crankset (towards 32t position) to add a little more tension…. if that makes sense.

Makes sence but I have an HT1 BB so no luxuries like external bbs for me. Not sure if this is the way to go or not. It looks better but it might not work.

dont know how it would work with a regular BB, cause it would step the BB out to oneside.

might need a longer one?
also depends on how much slack youve got, if its only a small amount, i reckon this way would be brilliant, but it looks a bit tatty on mine as theres LOADS to take up.

"then i slid the crank in, and set it as accuratly as i could get it.

then, being careful to not let the plate move, i nipped up the BB to clamp the plate, "

What tool have you got to do this? An open ended type HT BB spanner (eg Shimano, Pedros) ? The closed park one and socket type ones won't let you do this
Do you slide the BB tool over the HT axle and then onto the BB cup, or can you get it straight onto the BB cup with the crank flush to the BB cup?

Also, who is the roller/tensioner made by?
And that XTC would look better with the mech hanger removed I reckon

its a HT2 BB so the tool looks like this:

though the crank is just "slid" in, so you COULd slide the crank out and nip it up, you could make on the frame/tensioner where it needed to be nipped to.

the tensioner is a "blackspire stinger"

availible with ISGS mounts also, which would make it LOADS easier to use. (but i dont have the mounts on the frame)

Makes sence but I have an HT1 BB so no luxuries like external bbs for me

You need an e-type BB, have a look here the second one down.

Isn't the roller noisy Olly? (The chain running over the roller I mean not the squeaky bearings already mentioned) Currently use a doofer, the chain guide type looks neat but was put I'm off cos I expect it to make a racket.

What difference would that BB make?

Etype front mechs are like chainguides they mount to the BB, e-type BBs cups are spaced so it doesn't screw up your chainline – I presume e-type mechs and chain guides use a mounting plate of similar width so are interchangeable (but cannot say 100%)

when the chain stretches, and i want to add a little tension, i can just unbolt the roller, slide it up, so its closer to the crankset (towards 32t position) to add a little more tension…. if that makes sense.

LOADS more convinient, cleaner and quieter than a rear mounted tensioner.

Except you're using it to push down on the chain, so when you slide the roller up you'll make it slacker. Doesn't sound very convenient to me.

The Stinger's a chain device for dual ring setups, not a singlespeed tensioner. It'll be draggier and more faff to adjust than a rear-mounted tensioner, and not do as good a job of keeping your chain on.

Mr A, the second picture is in pull up arranement
i was refering to that picture, i did think someone would be pedantic about it too.

the roller isnt noisy, its rubber, not plastic, (a plastic one only needs a slice of innertube wrapped around it to silence it anyway) and its not under and pressure, there should still be 0.75" slop in a SS chain, it should not be tight, as some people seem to think, only tight enough so the chain cant jump off the teeth.
setup like this, its much less draggy and noisey than a doofer or similar sprung loaded tensioner.
it works LOADS better than a rear mounted tensioner in my opinion, and makes taking the wheel in an out much much easier.

the only better way i can think of is sliding, vertical dropouts

all my opinion of course, but dont knock it till youve tried it Mr A :p

Olly, I've got a Stinger, on my geared bike, and it does a good job of keeping the chain on, in conjunction with a front mech and a short cage rear mech. It does occasionally drop it though. As far as keeping the chain in one place, it's not even designed to do this, as the roller is chamfered to let you shift between front rings.

Before that I ran the same frame singlespeed with a Doofer-type tensioner (the brand was Powerplay but it was basically the same thing). It was silent, never dropped the chain, no chain slap, and you can also tweak the chainline by sliding the roller in and out on its little bar.

I know which one I'd use, especially if like the chap asking the question, riunning your "clean" setup would mean having to buy a new BB, but I guess it depends on whether you're neurotically fixated on whether your bike has anything resembling a rear mech or not. 😛