Does winter muck and grime have you down? Well, we have the answer to that problem. This little single speed device saves you time, money, and hassle. Employing use of this simple and affordable chain tensioner could significantly increase your overall quality of life. Yes, you may be saying I need less tension in my life, but I say you need more tension in the right places. Ahh!
If you like the more simple things in life, then you’re like me, and the Yess pro is the best bike component to fit our lifestyle. With the Yess tensioner, its now simple to cut out time throwing your bike around washing away dirt and grime. Forget adjusting cable tension and agonizing over derailleur alignment. Stop spending money on cables, housing, worn out chains and cassettes, and those complicated derailleurs. Friends, say, “Yess!” to single speed!
The fine folks at Yess Pro Industries in Surrey, British Columbia, are known to build and machine some high quality products and frames – ever heard of Cove bikes? This quality craftsmanship is directly passed down to all Yess Pro products, including this fine single speed tensioner that was made to be bomb proof. The roller is quiet and wide, with a Shimano pulley that is laterally adjustable to dial in various different chain lines depending on the bike setup. The amount of resistance is easily adjustable by changing the interface angle between the two tensioner arms that contain the stiff spring with 9 adjustment settings. A big 6 mm bolt attaches the tensioner to the derailleur hanger and a couple of other bolts at the rear of the tensioner clamp the hanger and make for a solid connection between rider and drivetrain. The stiff cantilever brake spring in the forward pivot keeps your hanger sprung longer, harder, awesomer! The resulting clean aesthetics of a single speed alone have untold value, and the $70 (US) of this pricey tensioner is easily justifiable if you crave the simple ease of single speed. The new and improved design is strong and beautifully machined, embodied in this easily adjustable tensioner that will likely last eons.
The inconvenient part about this setup has nothing to do with cleaning my drivetrain or adjusting derailleurs, or even lubing the chain. There is one small strike against this tensioner given the 135 mm rear dropouts on my Demo 7 and quick release skewer. I must remove the skewer to allow the hub to squeeze past the tensioner into the dropouts. This is a minor inconvenience to me compared to a cluttered bar, the sound of chain slap, and wear on my thumbs. This will likely be a problem with any bikes that have FSR, Horst Links, or linkage where the rear pivot is in front and below the rear dropouts. See Images.
***Unfortunately, a 135 mm hub with solid axle may have trouble clearing the tensioner though a 150 mm thru-axle is plug-n-play!***
Yess Industries opened their doors in 1994 in Surrey, British Columbia, with the mission of producing and improving on aluminum fabrications. Check them out and read up at www.yesspro.com. Along the way they have developed a couple of single speed tensioners, the ETR/D being the latest incarnation.
Bringing Yess onto your crew can make your life easier. Isn’t this amazing chain tensioner what you’ve been waiting for? If not, that’s fine… At least me and my Yess tensioner will be shredding the gnar when all the wimpy broke-down derailleurs are resting in forgotten parts bins for failing and not inspiring greatness on man rockets!
Yours Truly,
Sir Ben Kahn
