Crashes I herd a ticking

cmb271

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Okay this is not so much of a crash as it's a catastrophic failure on the way to a friends house, I was a good 3/4 of a mile from home and as I was riding I was hearing a light ticking sound, I assumed it was my bicycle lock tapping against my gas tank from the vibration since I hang it from my handle bars and didn't think to much of it, right as I hit a patch of dirt and accelerated to I can get back onto the asphalt the rear wheel locked up and I slid into a couple feet into a small ditch.

After yelling some obscenities I look to see the ticking was my chain tensioner was to close to the spokes and caught it at the small curve I already had in the rim ripping half the spokes out of the rim and leaving me stranded till I called my family for a ride. I would simply replace the rim with one from this site : http://custommotoredbicycles.com/he...edanodized_colored_rims_alloyfreewheel_wheels


I already needed a more heavy duty rim and I would simply purchase the 26 inch coaster rim that'd fit my little cheap huffy but I lost my job yesterday and won't have a source of income, and now I don't have a form of personal transportation to look for another job farther then a mile or two since I'm down to a mountain bike I refuse to motorize (It was a gift, it's a very nice expensive mountain bike and the guy that gave it to me asked me not to since he's had it for 20+ years and didn't want a motor to break it down faster then it should).

so now I'm broke, out of a way for long distance transportation and won't see any cash flow anytime soon. I'm not having a good week.

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yep, those stock kit chain tensioners are deadly. same thing happened to me probably a year ago. hit up some yard sales, most will have a bike or two for $10 or $15, you can rob the back wheel off that

if you can get away with it, throw away the chain tensioner. buy a half link or something if necessary. if the chain line doesn't work without the tensioner, get you a piece of steel bar stock and make a new tensioner system that attaches to both the chain stay and the seat stay (basically copy this design http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motor-Bike-...248?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ae4aa9840 ). the only tools you'll need are a drill and a dremel. you could get away with a hacksaw and a file instead of a dremel if you don't have one but I guarantee someone you know has a dremel handy.

or if you can afford it, one of these tensioners ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/49-66-80cc-...t=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item2a3020ccd1 ) will turn that thing from a toy to a real reliable mode of transportation
 
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That's pretty scary, could've been bad.If you have no aversion to them, when you get funds, friction drives do away with all those problems and are reasonable $$ wise, and reliable (with reliable engine) as you can get.
 
yep, those stock kit chain tensioners are deadly. same thing happened to me probably a year ago. hit up some yard sales, most will have a bike or two for $10 or $15, you can rob the back wheel off that

if you can get away with it, throw away the chain tensioner. buy a half link or something if necessary. if the chain line doesn't work without the tensioner, get you a piece of steel bar stock and make a new tensioner system that attaches to both the chain stay and the seat stay (basically copy this design http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motor-Bike-...248?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ae4aa9840 ). the only tools you'll need are a drill and a dremel. you could get away with a hacksaw and a file instead of a dremel if you don't have one but I guarantee someone you know has a dremel handy.

or if you can afford it, one of these tensioners ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/49-66-80cc-...t=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item2a3020ccd1 ) will turn that thing from a toy to a real reliable mode of transportation

Deadly?
Hardly.

Had it been tightened properly, with lock washers, and tensioned against the chain properly, the chain should have been holding it in place.

If the vibration of the engine and riding + the force from the chain riding on it made it move that much, you did NOT have it mounted tight enough.

But then again.

Your chain tensioner looks ALOT cheaper than the one that came with my kit.
 
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That sucks! Glad you didn't get hurt. It's very important to regularly check every bolt for tightness. I prefer 4 bolt chain tensioners, less chance of slippage. I'v seen tensioner tack welded in place and set screws are common. I personally use grade 8 or better hardware and double sided tape then crank them down as tight as they will go and check the bolts after every few rides. So far, so good.

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the 4 bolt ones are OK, the 2 bolt ones will wreck you if you don't check it every 20 minutes
 
Deadly?
Hardly.

Had it been tightened properly, with lock washers, and tensioned against the chain properly, the chain should have been holding it in place.
I agree with you.
I have no issues with stock chain tensioners, but then I get the sprocket dead true...
The chain line straight to start with...
And I won't use a Huffy wheel to start with.

None of that helps you being broke, no job, and no ride however.
Check your local http://craigslist.org web page under bicycles for sale by owner.
Maybe you can trade something for better bike or at least a new back wheel.

Be sure to make sure the new wheel and your sprocket are true before you put the sprocket on.
If you have a warped rear sprocket it will never be reliable, I know, I have a stack of like 10 sprockets that have a factory warp and can't be used.
Luckily I do a lot of jackshaft builds so I also have a larger stack of good new one s ;-}
 
I agree with you.
I have no issues with stock chain tensioners, but then I get the sprocket dead true...
The chain line straight to start with...
And I won't use a Huffy wheel to start with.

None of that helps you being broke, no job, and no ride however.
Check your local http://craigslist.org web page under bicycles for sale by owner.
Maybe you can trade something for better bike or at least a new back wheel.

Be sure to make sure the new wheel and your sprocket are true before you put the sprocket on.
If you have a warped rear sprocket it will never be reliable, I know, I have a stack of like 10 sprockets that have a factory warp and can't be used.
Luckily I do a lot of jackshaft builds so I also have a larger stack of good new one s ;-}

But I shall take this to heart. Im just about ready to throw this Huffy Rim into a garbage disposal and trade up for a much better set.
 
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