Vague Idea Racing: Wes Dickson says...

"Keep talking about the whole EBB vs Sliders thing, and I'll stab you through the heart with this fucking pencil."

At the risk of being skewered by a number 2 Ticonderoga wielded by the King of Pisgah I'll say just a bit more and then quit since my point is pretty much moot (not MOOTS). I think any and all methods of single speed tensioning devices suck in their own special way. They've all slipped on me at one point or another, but to be as transparent as possible I have to admit I blame user error for 99% of the slippage. Tighten things down properly, and things shouldn't get loose. If they still slip after a proper torquing you should just buy a new bike.

If your tensioning device creaks, groans, or clicks I suggest you get out a variety of plumber's dope, grease, anti-seize, lip balm, Teflon tape, canned cat food, or whatever else you might wanna spooge all over the moving parts and go to town. If that doesn't work remove all the plumber's dope, grease, anti-seize, lip balm, Teflon tape, and canned cat food, run it dry, and if that doesn't work... buy a new bike.

I will now address the comments as promised.

Bill said...

Nice to know I'm not the only one! Every time I get a frame with sliders, I go through (nearly verbatim) the process you mentioned.

Then you need professional help as much as I do. Perhaps we can find a therapist that offers group rates on e-therapy.

bentcrank said...

Sure, you post this after I just got my new bike that has my fist sliders.... the centering issue was not as easy with out my chain tugs

Got sliders without tension adjustment bolts? Tighten the chain like a pro messenger type person.

Push the wheel back hard on the drive side, tighten down the drive side, center the wheel, tighten down the other side, and then walk away taking care to not look back at the work you've done on the off chance that doing so will turn you into a pillar of salt.

Ron and Kat said...

... Honestly, the EBB should never have been invented. Its fundamentally a bad idea. In fact, these days I choose frames primarily on whether they have EBBs or not. You can get use to subtle changes in geometry over the course of a couple of rides. You can't get use to the chain loosening and falling off because something is an inherent failure by design. Just sayin...

Without having any written record of my chain drop history I would have to say I had equal amounts of chain drop with both systems ONCE I WEEDED OUT MY DRIVETRAIN ISSUES. Back when I ran a ti ring and ti cog with a PC-1 chain I dropped my chain as much as once or twice in a single endurance event (part of my 1:17 deficit to Captain Morgan at the Shenandoah 100 ruining any chance I had at a win there). I think since I've swapped to an aluminum ring and an aluminum or steel cog everything has been peachy with only a couple chain drops a year (maybe).

dougyfresh said...

back in late march i got my first bike with sliders after having four bikes with an EBB. I'm not a fan of the sliders...

You complete me Doug.

Peter Keiller said...

.... More to the point, eccentric, slider, whatever the case may be...your issues go way beyond chain tension.

You make me want to be a better man, Peter. One that can tolerate you.

Anonymous said...

you are an ebb/slider whore to whatever frame sponsor you have at the time.

Gawd, I was hoping someone would say this. Perhaps maybe I once was, but the MOOTS was my first try at sliders. They worked fine (from a tensioning perspective), but for me they were not ideal. Unfortunately MOOTS does not offer an EBB option, so I had to run what they used if I wanted to race for them. In the near future you will soon see that I am sticking with my ideals (some would call them quirks), and shunning the easy way out.

Now, if someone were to actually PAY me to ride sliders in the future, or more to the point, pay me to fiddle with them and buy calipers to get my adjustments as anally retentively as close to perfect as possible? They better have deep pockets. Therapy ain't cheap.

In closing...

Single speeds are for idiots who shouldn't work on their own bikes. Anybody who wants to argue with me is a bigger idiot, and probably had to have their mother read this post to them.

I think I made my point(less).

If you're not paying attention to my sidebar you mighta missed the update from Santa Cruz the other day (I did). Looks what's new...

A 29" wheeled carbon hard tail.

Back when I did Hell Ride 2007 they (the deciders at Santa Cruz) scoffed me when I asked about 29'ers. They wanted to hear none of my talk regarding the superiority of big wheels. That night after the ride I heard mutterings of a blanket party in my honor.