Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Slipping or Skipping problem

I started having a problem today, I dont know if it would be considered the chain skipping or slipping. Either way, if I put too much force on a downstroke the pedals skip forward a bit, if I put enough pressure the opposite way it skips/slips back into place. Very annoying. Is this due to poor chain tension? How can I tell if my cog isnt tight enough and could that be the problem? I did recently get a new chain and cog. The cog was put on by someone at a bike shop, and I know chains need to be worked in. Any ideas? I wanna get this problem fixed now before it turns into something much larger.

Its sound like a loose cog/lockring issue to me

Well I recently got new wheels built and I had a new cog put on. I took it to a bike shop and had them put the cog on since I dont have the proper tools.

Which hub & cog are you running?

Well the wheels were built by Velocity with their hub, the cog is an 18t Phil Wood

is there a lock ring on the outside of the cog?

Is it even possible for there not to be? I dont mean that in a mean way, I just thought they were necessary. But yea, there is.

I've seen people ride without them. Could be that they did not tighten the cog and lockring enough in the shop or the cog/ring combination might not work.

I think your best bet would be to take it back to the shop and just have them re-tighten things. This situation has happened to me before, sometimes thing just kinda settle into place and you need to go back and tighten both the cog and the lock ring.

Interesting. Well Ive been riding all week since I got the wheels and cog with no problems. Today it started doing this.

I think your best bet would be to take it back to the shop and just have them re-tighten things. This situation has happened to me before, sometimes thing just kinda settle into place and you need to go back and tighten both the cog and the lock ring.


Ill do that, only I cant go back to that shop. I was able to go to them because all I had was the wheel with me. They dont work on any bike that doesnt have brakes, not even sure theyll let you bring it inside.

I dont know then man, maybe just look into geting a lock ring wrench and do the ol' rotofix manuevere

Ill do that, only I cant go back to that shop. I was able to go to them because all I had was the wheel with me. They dont work on any bike that doesnt have brakes, not even sure theyll let you bring it inside.
Bring the wheel in and have them tighten it. How do they know you don't have a brake on yer bike. ;)

Chainring bolts can loosen causing the ring to slip on the up/down stroke when starting and backpeddling.

Im stopping by a friends house tomorrow morning to use his lockring tool so hopefully my problem is that simple.

Im stopping by a friends house tomorrow morning to use his lockring tool so hopefully my problem is that simple.Tighten the cog down real good before tightening the lockring.

take off everything..clean the threads..
put tinybit of grease on the cog...then rotafix.
and tiny bit of frease on the lockring....and WRENCH the f#$ker in as hard as u could..I use lockring tool and a 40cm pole to help leverage.

all done...

PS: I used to have the same problems but then I start using philwoog cogs and lockriing..problem solved.

Chainring bolts can loosen causing the ring to slip on the up/down stroke when starting and backpeddling.

I feel like this is more likely the issue. It's really easy to overlook, and even easier to fix, but many people don't catch it and end up with chainring bolts falling out.

Lay off the steroids duder. You're legs are already 6x the size since I last saw you!