The chainline is the angle of a bicycle chain relative to the centerline of the bicycle frame.[1] A bicycle is said to have a perfect chainline if the chain is parallel to the centerline of the frame, which means that the rear sprocket is directly behind the front chainring.[1] Chainline can also refer to the distance between a sprocket and the centerline of the frame.
Bicycles without a straight chainline are slightly less efficient due to frictional losses incurred by running the chain at an angle between the front chainring and rear sprocket.[1] This is the main reason that a single-speed bicycle can be more efficient than a derailleur geared bicycle. Single-speed bicycles should have the straightest possible chainline.[2]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Sheldon Brown, John Allen (2012). "About Bicycle Chainline". Retrieved 2013-03-16.
- ^ Sheldon Brown (2011-11-22). "Fixed Gear Conversions". Retrieved 2013-03-16.
with a fixed-gear setup. It is quite important to get the chain line just right.