Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Reading Surly

When you're riding your rig and look down at your Surly hub, should Surly be read left to right for your sake or should it be right to left upside down for the world to read? Perhaps it's merely aesthetic, but it seems my inner axis considers it extremely important in efforts to maintain verticality. Naturally your front and rear hubs should match.



I have two Irish Terriers; Fergus and Tara

Dunno about the hub question, but I want to see pictures of Fergus and Tara.

I have two Irish Terriers; Fergus and Tara

Sorry about your luck.

i have the same question...and i usually just put the rear on, and whichever way it's facing, i match the front to it. luckily, i don't have to deal with flip-flop hubs...my god, what a connundrum.

I know that on my Surly 1x1 fork, the lettering goes down the tube, so that it can be read by somebody approaching me--as opposed to going backwards up the tube so that I can read it while hunched over the bars. Feng Shui dictates that the hub should then be facing outward, also, inviting the world to your rig. Along the same line, if you have a baseball card in the front left-side spokes, there should be a corresponding card in the right-side rear spokes. Just remember, NL up front, AL in back, and no catchers.

I know that on my Surly 1x1 fork, the lettering goes down the tube, so that it can be read by somebody approaching me--as opposed to going backwards up the tube so that I can read it while hunched over the bars. Feng Shui dictates that the hub should then be facing outward, also, inviting the world to your rig. Along the same line, if you have a baseball card in the front left-side spokes, there should be a corresponding card in the right-side rear spokes. Just remember, NL up front, AL in back, and no catchers.
nicely played

I prefer to have them facing me, thereby increasing my Surlescent fortitude for the ride. But I digress, it should never be about the rider for we already now of these powers. In true fashion, you should spray your hubs with WD40 and then ride through a dusty street. The grit will stick to the hubs, hiding any corporate/manufacturer identity that one might point out as uncool. It is ALL about satisfying the masses. At no time should your own personal opinion come into play.

In an attempt to avoid this problem all together I alternately think of a basketful of puppies and my own death by hari-kari, thus allow for spiritual thereby physical equilibrium. May this also work for you.

When you're riding your rig and look down at your Surly hub, should Surly be read left to right for your sake or should it be


Don't know, I'm still trying to figure out my tire labels. First they're right side up, then upside down, then right side up again.

And you'd think I could get the front and rear in sync...............

I have mine so that if you're in front of the bike you can read the front hub and if you're in back of the bike you can read the back hub. This set-up falls in line with my belief that my ass is the center of the universe and is the source from which all things originate.

According to a wheel building book I read, the hubs should be placed such that the writing can be properly viewed from the riders perspective.

Of course, it doesn't really matter in the long run, but according to the book this is the accepted, traditional method and should be used whenever someone is building nice wheels. This should be set up so the rim stickers read properly from the drive side of the bike at the same time.l

Can't remember what the title of the book was, but it was pretty decent.

According to proper wheel building, as slide13 stated.. the hubs should have the writing facing the rider on the front hub. and the rear should mimic it. It's proper technique, and how all nice wheels are laced.

According to a wheel building book I read, the hubs should be placed such that the writing can be properly viewed from the riders perspective.


So it shouldn't read YFFUH? Drat.

odd. i started riding fixed so i'd have less to worry about.

Oh you guys miss the proper ettiqutte in wheel building, not only does the hub lettering have to be facing so the rider can read it, when you build your wheel you need to line the writing up so you can see it through the hole for the tube stem, then lace up that wheel. There are two schools of thought for the tire label. One says you line the tire label up with the rim label, facing drive side. The scond argues for the tire label to be alinged with the stem of the tube. Not sure on just why each of these camps argues for either, both do agree that the tire label and rim label face drive side. I find myself in the later camp.

After having read and replied to this thread, I though to myself, "Gee, the things people obsess about".

This was right before I spent an two hours sitting on a bucket, neatly routing, winding and wrapping the cord for my cyclocomputer.

Obsessive hobbies, they are such fun

The tire label should be alinged with the stem of the tube, for common sense. If you get a flat, and can find the hole in the tube, you can align the tube with the tire (since everytime its the same way) The hole will be in 1 of the two sides.
Rim labels face drive side for mechanic reasons. Everything is on the drive side, so if everything can be read/seen from that side it is easier to work with, especially in race mode.

odd. i started riding fixed so i'd have less to worry about.
Wow...you may want to reconsider your choice. There are a sh*tload of rules to be followed so all the other statuesque, flowing haired, fixed riders will accept you into their cliqueless clique. I killed 3 people just so someone else riding a fixed gear would wave to me. At that moment, I realized that not only would I be accepted by this new strata of cycling society, but that I was destined to be the new fish in prison.

There are a sh*tload of rules to be followed so all the other statuesque, flowing haired, fixed riders will accept you into their cliqueless clique.

Do you have a listing of these rules? That might explain why I was being shunned last night. Perhaps my employment of sweatpants (emblazened with the words "Daytona Beach" down the legs), hoodie sweatshirt ("Cincinatti Bengals", was a present from my bro), white socks, bright orange gloves and ratty old skate lid was a little to gauche.

Or maybe my labels weren't lined up properly.

While on the subject, do you people put your water bottles in thier cages with the logos facing up or to the side? And spouts closed or open? Ditto on frame pumps.

While on the subject, do you people put your water bottles in thier cages with the logos facing up or to the side? And spouts closed or open? Ditto on frame pumps.

What are these things?

Quick...send this man the rulebook...

Schiek where in dc are ya?

Feng Shui dictates that the hub should then be facing outward..

They have a cream for that. Just in case you're afflicted.

this is fun and funny...

And you'd think I could get the front and rear in sync...............

Not with 170 cranks.

Larry used to say the decal should cover the seam of the rim, that the seam is the heavest part of the rim, and that the stem from the tub should be exactly opposite to counterbalance the weight.

He also said the WD in WD40 means "water displacement."

They have a cream for that. Just in case you're afflicted.

Yeah, I saw that the Navy was buying it in bulk.

Yeah, I saw that the Navy was buying it in bulk.


For humanitarian concerns for guys just like you. Got clean you before they glean you.

Schiek where in dc are ya?

Live in NE. Work within spitting distance of the President...not that I would ever...

He also said the WD in WD40 means "water displacement."
This is true. I mistakenly said something about it and got lecture once.

40 means it was try number 40.

Well at least none of you align all the nuts and bolts on your bike so they're horizontal, with the writing the right way up (I hope...). Classic car owners are an odd bunch :)

i try to line up the writing on my oury grips. they always end up getting twisted though...is there a cream for that?

Live in NE. Work within spitting distance of the President...not that I would ever...


What shop do u goto??

What shop do u goto??

CityBikes in Adams Morgan

According to a wheel building book I read, the hubs should be placed such that the writing can be properly viewed from the riders perspective.

Of course, it doesn't really matter in the long run, but according to the book this is the accepted, traditional method and should be used whenever someone is building nice wheels. This should be set up so the rim stickers read properly from the drive side of the bike at the same time.l

Can't remember what the title of the book was, but it was pretty decent.


It may be covered in "The Bicycle Wheel." Also, if you look through the stem hole in the rim, you should be able to read the hub label. This is just a matter of pride of the wheel builder, I've done it for all but my first wheel.

I didn't do it for my first wheel, and was so obsessed with doing it "right" I tore the wheel down and relaced it so the label on the hub was lined up with the stem hole.

I didn't do it for my first wheel, and was so obsessed with doing it "right" I tore the wheel down and relaced it so the label on the hub was lined up with the stem hole.

A big sticker would have fixed that.