Lightning Riders

After buying replacement idlers from Lightning after only 3,000 miles and having those idlers wear out within another 4,000 miles I switched to TerraCycle idlers. I've had them on my P-38 for the last 9,000 miles with no problems - for the most part. The front idler is a little large in diameter and rubs the front fork if you turn the front wheel sharply. I fixed that by taking a little off the rim of the idler. They work great. See http://www.terracycle.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=... for all TerraCycle idlers.

Rick Mandle

Thanks for the tip. I have pictures from several years ago when the bike was newer that show the protector tubes.

Looking at the picture of the new Lightning Phantom (aka Stealth of yesteryear) on the www.lightningbikes.com website, I would guess that the newer front idler could be used with an older frame.

But you will need to talk to Tim Brummer - or someone else at Lightning - to make sure. You will also have to talk to them to find out how much $$$ they want for one.

I think the advantage of the new idler is that you can adjust the crankset position for different riders without inserting and removing chain links. This is a real convenience for riders who share a bike with someone else of different stature.

But if you are the only person riding your Stealth, you probably should leave well enough alone. The older style chain idler works well, especially in front, where it tends to last a very long time.

I'm puzzled by your reference to a chain tube though. Ordinary Stealth and Phantom bikes do not use chain tubes. Maybe someone added a tube to keep their pant legs cleaner.

Safe riding,
Joel Dickman