Pick-a-Chain
By MrFixie
Chain Advice
In most cases you can reuse the chain of the existing bike. You’ll need a chain tool to split the chain up and shorten it significantly since there will be no derailleur to traverse. Chains these days are basically one of two sizes. 3/32 is probably what you already have on your existing road bike. 1/8 is the standard bmx and track width, a tad wider than 3/32. Although there is some speculation, popular thought in the fixed gear community is that 1/8 is stronger than 3/32 due to its extra width. 3/32 has an advantage over 1/8 in that it is more versatile. You can run a 1/8 chain on a 3/32 cog but you can’t run a 3/32 chain on a 1/8 cog. Since there are two different width chains, there are two different chain tools, but the 3/32 chain tool will work on some track chains.
Chainline – Your bike’s chainline is of central importance to a fixed gear bike. Use spacers on the rear axel or get a new bottom bracket to assure the chainline perfectly straight. A straight chainline results in less power loss and you will go faster with less effort.
Chain tension – On a fixie with horizontal dropouts you loosen the rear wheel nuts and pull the wheel back to make the chain tight, then tighten the nuts to keep the chain nice and tight. Sometimes it is advisable to use a BMX style chain tensioner on the drive side of the bike, this will help prevent wheel slippage in the dropout area.
