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Recumbent chainline gallery

(6 posts)
  • Started 12 years ago by Darkerside
  • Latest reply from Darkerside

  1. Darkerside
    Member

    Hi all

    I'm in the middle of a winter upgrade to the Fuego, and am still pondering whether to play with the chainline or leave it alone. "Terracycle idlers" keep appearing in my search history for some reason, but I'm aware that I have a history of "improving" things that already work well enough and ending up with less function and less cash.

    Anyway, there's a definite lack on t'web of a load of pictures of 'here's how I manage my chain' and comments on whether it works well, what you'd change, etc. So, I've stuck a post on the recumbent YACF forum asking for side-on pictures of people's bikes, along with relevant comments. I'll then highlight the driveline and relevant parts and stick the whole lot in a single blog posting for community reference or whatever. Bit self serving, but hopefully useful for anyone else fettling as well...

    Should any of the other laid back folk feel like contributing, please let me know! I've got a suitable pic of the standard Fuego setup, but anything else welcome (and indeed, comments on the fuego). Happy to copy pics off blogs or whatever, and it's your comments on what works well that I'm really after.

    Cheers

    Rob

    Posted 12 years ago #

  2. Arellcat
    Moderator

    I'm not entirely convinced that high-end idlers make that much of a difference, compared with coroplast tailboxes and aero rims. As for driveline management, I prefer pulleys to tubes because I'm willing to trade chain slap for reduced friction; vulverable areas can be protected with heli tape or carbon/leather abrasion patches.

    Remember that most of us geary types are using derailleurs at the back (honourable exceptions for the White Fright, Bromptons, and chdot's fleet), and the chain runs pretty smoothly through the tensioner, so an additional pulley above the fork isn't necessarily a bad thing.

    My little black recumbent had a power-side TC ti idler for a time, but I changed it back to the stock one which was quieter and actually stayed cleaner. The monstrousbike then inherited the TC idler, but again, the noise and cleanliness meant that the original one eventually went back on. It still looks like a rolling TC advertisement anyway.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  3. LaidBack
    Member

    Some TC idlers may not mesh with chain and then they could be noisy.

    Catbike Musashi is the closest recent US bike to Fuego. Think its idlers though are of the Flevo type. Reviewed in last Velo Vision.

    Semi-low racers have to have extra guides to manage chain really and even the Musashi has a short length of chain tube.

    All a balance between chain management with some resistance versus free running chain that can also move side to side - as Arellcat says.

    This pic of new 30 speed Fuego shows you chain line pretty well and the minmal amount the powerside idler would contacts chain. swbr has owned a few bikes before so will have views
    Good pic of chainline...

    Posted 12 years ago #

  4. TwoWheels
    Member

    There is no way that I can prove it, but my chain does run noticeably smoother using the Terracycle power-side idler. It took a couple hundred miles to brake in. I'm much happier with it than with what was stock on my recumbent, but it's a RANS, and Randy is notoriously cheap with his idlers.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  5. Greenroofer
    Member

    Isn't cycling great? We all cycle in our different ways, on our different steeds, and we describe ourselves as 'cyclists' (although I understand that there may be a debate about whether we are citizen cyclists or not).

    However, enthusiastic cyclist that I am, I must confess that I don't understand one word of this entire thread.

    It's not a criticism at all, just a celebration of the amazing diversity of our chosen enthusiasm!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  6. Darkerside
    Member

    Totally agree greenroofer - I'm exactly the same with any piece of cycling gear prefixed by "tri"! Tricycles, tribars, triathlon. All Greek to me.

    Posted 12 years ago #

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