Loose chain on kids bike

[Mike]

My little brother thought it would be fun to take his bike
apart and then put it back together. Now the problem is that
the chain is loose. I can't figure out what happened and how
to fix this. The bike is a regular kids bike, meaning it's
very simple and has the rear brakes only. So how do I get
the chain tightened?

 

[Q.]

"Mike" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My little brother thought it would be fun to take his bike
> apart and then put it back together.

It IS fun! I do it all the time, especially in the winter.

> Now the problem is that the chain is loose. I can't figure
> out what happened and how to fix this. The bike is a
> regular kids bike, meaning it's very simple and has the
> rear brakes only. So how do I get the chain tightened?

The bike has horizontal dropouts like so:

http://tinyurl.com/36t85

Just loosen the bolts, and pull the wheel back until the
chain isn't loose anymore.

You can find more detailed instructions here:

http://tinyurl.com/3bedr

Read chapter 26. It would be a good idea too to read the
rest of the chapters as well ... hell, print them out
and give them to your brother too before he looses all
his teeth.

C.Q.C.

 

[Zog The Undenia]

Mike wrote:

> My little brother thought it would be fun to take his bike
> apart and then put it back together. Now the problem is
> that the chain is loose. I can't figure out what happened
> and how to fix this. The bike is a regular kids bike,
> meaning it's very simple and has the rear brakes only. So
> how do I get the chain tightened?

Loosen the rear wheel nuts and pull the wheel back in the
frame. Check that there are no excessively tight spots
afterwards. If there are, something is out-of-round. On
track bikes, which use the same system, it's not unusual to
spend ages messing with the chainring bolts to get the ring
perfectly concentric with the bottom bracket, so there are
no tight spots.

 

[A Muzi]

Mike wrote:

> My little brother thought it would be fun to take his bike
> apart and then put it back together. Now the problem is
> that the chain is loose. I can't figure out what happened
> and how to fix this. The bike is a regular kids bike,
> meaning it's very simple and has the rear brakes only. So
> how do I get the chain tightened?

Wash in hot water and tumble dry?

Seriously, move the wheel back in the bike:
http://www.yellowjersey.org/chainchk.html

by loosening one axle nut at a time .

--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1
April, 1971