Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - hub lockrings

I know everybody recommends using a lockring with the track cog on a converted freewheel hub. But after putting in a spacer for chain alignment there isn't enough room on the threads for a lockring on any hub I have used. I have never had a problem with a cog loosening on me and, in fact, have a heck of a time removing the cog when I go to change it. Does anybody else go without a lockring without problems?

Sure, sometimes I take off my handlebars, chain or various other components to see how they affect my ride.


Seriously, your cog doesn't loosen when you apply force against the pedals to stop?

Fixed gears don't have alot of parts but the ones they have are vital!

Clean threads w/acetone(very important). Install cog w/blue locktight. If your don't clean the threads thoroughly, grease and other impurities will contaminate the locktite and deactivate it. Ride immediately to tighten fully or tighten immediately with a chain whip. Should be fine. By the way, how many spacers are you using??

If you don't have real track hubs and a lockring, put on a front brake. I had the freewheel conversion setup for a while, but it broke loose after about a week and I was coasting with no brakes.

cory

In 10+ years of riding soley Fixed, I've never used a lockring or locktite, and I've never unscrewed a cog.

Advantages of brakes, I guess.

I apologize for my sarcasm. I have tried to ride w/o a lockring and I know I can not do it.

Different people ride differently.

spacers?! on a track hub?! get a new crank, or move the chainring to the inside. or something.. you should never have to use a spacer on a track hub.

Originally posted by aeroman
track cog on a converted freewheel hub.

aah. failed to see that. still though...respace the hub on the axle...re-dish the wheel...ANYTHING but put a spacer between the cog and the hub...

I like your idea of respacing the rear axle and redishing the rear wheel. Still using a spacer is OK as long as the cog threads on 3 full turns. Go to www.loosescrews.com, type spacer in search engine and it will take you to some 1mm spacers that work well here.

I am still trying to envision why one would need a spacer. Putting the chainring on the inside of a double crank has always established a straight chainline. Redishing a wheel may change the rim position relative to the dropouts, but it does not move the hub. Check to see if there is a spacer between the cone and locknut on the drive side. If so move it to the left side to move the wheel toward the drive side.

With all deference to to Stevo's "10 years no lockring" fixie experience (I have only 2) I would NEVER ride a fixed gear without a lockring. I am hesitant even to try the bb lockring setup on a regular freewheel hub. I will stick with hubs having threads for a track lockring. I have both brakes and use them, but I also prefer to stop without them most of the time.

re-dishing the wheel by itself would only move the rim, BUT, redishing the wheel AND removing the spacer on the hub would move the hub closer...okay, so the spacer is the only thing that moves the hub, BUT if you remove a large spacer you HAVE to redish the wheel so...i'm almost right.

Originally posted by RainmanP
I would NEVER ride a fixed gear without a lockring.

Obviously, everyone has their own sensiblities about everything, but FWIW, I have ridden without a lockring often enough to know that it is perfectly feasible, not necessarily ideal, but feasible.

Putting the chainring on the inner side of a crank doesn't always correct the chainline. See the post in this section recently titled "chainline" for more info on that. There are many different ways to correct chainline. OneTinSloth's method is perfectly workable, as is putting a spacer behind the cog on the hub.

The most expensive way to solve a chainline problem is to go out and buy new cranks or a new bottom bracket, and you better have your numbers straight(axle end factors, etc...) b4 you do that or you're going to be throwing your money away.

And if one does what you suggest by moving a spacer fron the drive side to the left side of the hub, the wheel will have to be re-dished. See OneTinSloth's idea.