Always set chain tension by feel, until a Park Tool guide showed me the factory spec was way off.

I was tensioning chains by the "tighten until it feels right" method for 10 years, then measured one on a stand and found I was running them 15% too loose the whole time because the rear derailleur was masking the slack - has anyone else found the published tension numbers don't match what works in real riding?

2 comments

2 Comments

shane_williams1mo ago

Yeah I used to think the "feel" method was all you needed but after actually checking with a gauge I realized I had been running them way too loose for years. The derailleur really does hide a lot of slack.

lindareed1mo ago

I still go by feel honestly. I've never had issues with chains being too loose and I ride some pretty rough stuff. The factory numbers feel tight to me.