As I have neither!

Finished building up my SS and it's practically the perfect ratio (vert dropout…), however I think it is a wee bit tight. There is a small amount of bounce in the chain, but it could do with being about 3mm longer.

I've got a chain tensioner, but not on it obviously! Would you recommend fitting a half link and tensioning it up, or go for a few rides, put up with a bit of 'popping', and let it settle into it's perfect length….??

On a side note too – what size bearings do I need to replace the froxen ones in my XT HTII BB?

DrP

If there is a small amount of bounce then I would say the chain isn't too tight. When the chain is clearly under tension then it's too tight. It will stretch in a week of regular riding anyway so I wouldn't worry about it.

I have damaged a freewheel from having the chain tension too tight on my SS…

do 1500m climbing on it and you'll be reaching for that tensioner…

If it's a brand new chain then it will "stretch" quite a bit in the first couple of rides and then settle down. So I'd use the tensioner for a while with an extra pair of links in the chain and then shorten it to suit. I give all my "worn out" chains to a friend who then gets more life out of them on her SS'd Clockwork 🙂

Easiest solution is just to not quite fit the rear wheel all the way up into the rear dropouts.

Turn the bike over and pull the rear wheel very slightly up off the end of the dropout slot. A good QR will clamp it firmly and it shouldn't affect disc/pad positioning. It WILL loosen chain tension a touch which should sort you out until the chain stretches.

Or I could sit here, chain grasped between my teeth, flexing like Hercules, until it fits….??

Now then – the BB bearing size…?

DrP