Any recommendations for a chain tensioner to s/s a geared (vertical dropout)frame? Singletrack reviewed the Yess vertical tensioner and raved about it, but it looked quite pricey. Keen to fit and forget (if possible).

Surly, or the on one doofer

on one ones or try charliethebikemonger

Cheers fellas

I’ve just been using the DMR tension seeker 2. The first one was naff but this has been great for the last few weeks. I nearly bought the singulator.

It works a treat, bit fiddly and if you can get it cheaper than the RRP as I thinks its overpriced big time.

Plus you can the DMR T2 up or down on the chain and makes it less obvious.

i prefer the older tension seeker – fixed rather than sprung. never found sprung ones all that good, as ime the tension wasn’t that great and they skipped quite a bit.
having said that, if you can get hold of a rohloff one… they are to bees knees…

I’ve got one of these to try when I finally get round to SSing my old Mt Vision.

Tension Seeker for me too. Run it “push up” and its fine. Had it years.

DMR STS (Simple Tension Seeker) for me too.

Used to run a cut down rear mech, then a 1st gen Surly Singleator. Like hungry monkey I don’t like the sprung ones, especially as my chain always has a lot of slack to take up – sprung ones kept letting the chain bounce off.

Only downside is it’s a bit of a faff getting the back wheel in and out.

Thanks everyone that’s really helpful

Dibbs – what is it? Certainly bling!

The Surly one I have is crap. There’s not enough tension in the spring, to keep the chain tight enough, and if you try to wind on more tension, the springs break.

I use the DMR 2 and it has been Ok but I got thrown from my bike on a downhill section. To this day I am not sure what happened but I suspect the chain jammed between the frame and wheel. The bike came to a sudden stop and I ended in a heap by it bleeding knees etc…

I have always used sprung tensioners but never quite been satisfied with their performance as they do skip or ‘slip’ every now and again.

Are the non spring ones better? and how do they work if you cannot use a spring to keep the tension?

blackspire stinger for me. fit and forget, no springs or other such nonsense to worry about

Are the non spring ones better? and how do they work if you cannot use a spring to keep the tension?

I reckon they are better. On the DMR one it’s just a case of pushing it up (or down) until the chain is tight and then nipping up both bolts (one is fixed to the wheel QR and the other bolts into the gear hanger.) I only need to touch mine when the chain gets dangerously baggy.

I wouldn’t use the ones with more than one jockey wheel as you might as well use a rear mech.

If you came downhill were using a fixie aw? a freehub would let your wheel spin.

I think the advantage of non sprung is that you can get the tention you want regardless of chain length. Just check chain tension now and again.

With a sprung unit you can’t really over tighten the chain tension but set it up right and the odd check then it should not slip on you.

I think after riding gears yesterday I’m tempted to wack on a 9sp road cassette on to my ss mtb for the extra speed butt SS is also easy to maintain too.

(Running 18×36-good for site seeing and uphill is easy standing up.)

Dibbs – what is it? Certainly bling!

Melvin

Another vote for the STS, find that proper bolt tight ones are better than sprung ones. I use the STS with a Gusset Batchelor guide roller as the STS roller won’t take BMX chains. I find the STS has a wider range of motion than the Batchelor hence the need to mix and match

Surly Singulator here. Works well.
Tried a Trickstuff Excentricker before and that was a disaster.