Chain Guide for the Leitra
By Carl Georg Rasmussen
Chain guide drawing © by Carl Georg Rasmussen
Please do not disribute without permission of the
respective owners.
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There are two ways to arrange the chain drive of the Leitra:
- A single (long) chain
- Two chains with an intermediate hub (or an intermediate gearbox)
First possibility:
The big distance between bottom bracket and rear axle requires a
long chain, which must not touch the frame and has to run clear of
the seat. This requires guidance of the chain by one ore more deflection
pulleys.
Second possibility:
This is the standard solution for the Leitra. Two chains are used together
with an intermediate hub. This hub uses two pinions. It is possible to
modify the gearing by using pinions of different sizes. This normally
works without an additional chain guidance. But if the rear chain
is not running straight (e.g. when using a ladder network) or if the
chain can swing sideways because of too low chain tension, the chain
can jump off if you drive over humps or during shifting. It can even
get jammed between the two pinions of the intermediate hub. This can
mean a medium tragedy in the dark or during rain.
However, this can be prevented by a very simple guidance of the
chain, which is shown on the drawing below. It can be built from
flat aluminum sticks. They are coated with rubber tubes in places
where the chain may hit them to avoid noise. These guidance sticks
must be mounted firmly to the frame and they must be close to the
chain without touching it.
Michael Koppenhoefer
Please notice the important remarks and the disclaimer on my
main page.