Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Fixed gear newbie here.

and I've got lots of questions. Over the weekend I removed the threaded freehub from my rear hub. Today at lunch I redished the wheel but still need to check the centering of it. Looks pretty good. Now, here the questions start. What kind of cog/sprocket do I thread on the hub and how do I keep it there? I've read about British BB lock rings according to Sheldon Brown ("If you go this route, it is a good idea to use LocTite or a similar thread adhesive. You can use an old lock ring from a British-threaded bottom bracket as an additional safety measure, it is the same thread") and left-hand threaded lock rings. I don't beleive I have the left-hand threaded part on my hub as it is not a true track hub right? Does a regular lock ring like the kind found on a Freehub work at keeoing the cog on? Or should I just go SS with the bike? It's an older Miele that my dad bought at a garage sale back in Ottawa many moons ago.

Thanks for reading!

James

I ride a road bike that is single speed freewheel. A few observations, when you are tired, it is real nice to coast. When you are scared, it is real nice to be able to stop on a dime. A freewheel has most of the simplicity of a fix, but is much more user friendly. I think that along down the road, i will go fixed, but for right now, SS is perfect until i get better urban riding skills. I would suggest staying SS unless you are a very strong and skilled rider. Its a personal thing. Are you mechanically compotent? if so, just use your sixth sense and figure out what will work. I do that a lot and it works out well. If not, Sheldon Brown is your man.

Thanks for reading!

James

I would start out with freewheel if you are going to not use a true fixed gear hub. I know that many people advocate not bothering with a lock ring even on a true track hub but, why take the chance of it unscrewing. You can use a BB lock ring and it will help somewhat if you locktite it, but you better use brakes on the bike if you do. If you are serious about going fixed then get a track hub and go the right way from the start. At least with the hub that you have, you can get up and running with a singlespeed for the price of a single speed freewheel.

fixedgearhead

Does a regular lock ring like the kind found on a Freehub work at keeoing the cog on?
James

Depends how aggressive you are. If you are running a brake and don't do a lot of forceful backpedaling you may be alright. I spun cogs off of two different wheels before finally getting a proper track hub. It's really not a fun experience if it happens in traffic. If you want to run fixed, buy or build a wheel using a track hub...or string up some brakes and leave the skids and the skip stops to the cool kids.

You would not use a freehub lock ring but the lock ring on the BB. Look at your cranks on the left side, that is ring you would use, It needs to be one for an English BB(That is what most BBs are)
I ran this setup, freewheel hub, trackcog, BB lockring for about fifteen hundred miles with out it loosening, but I have some good loctite a bigass chainwhip and matching lockring pliers. You might want to try the single speed route first, then get a trackcog and stick it on, just to make sure you want to make the leap before buying a dedicated track hub wheel.
If you do go fixed remember the most important part, ... don't forget to pedal.

why not just throw down for a 5 buck solid steel track lockring??

because a normal track lockring won't work. the threads go in a different direction and track lockrings are smaller in diameter than BB lockrings and won't fit on a normal single speed hub.

As some of you suggested, I think I will go the SS route first, and then try the track cog/lockring later on down the line. And, if, like my ss mtb, I end up loving it, I will go with a dedicated track hub.

Thanks again for all your input!! Much appreciated!

James

Keep us updated on the switch to fixed gear. It's a helluva lot of fun to ride a fixie.

Keep us updated on the switch to fixed gear. It's a helluva lot of fun to ride a fixie.

Yes. I started a fixed gear for training on my road bike. In the last year I've ridden the road bike approx 3 times. I ride almost only fixed now.

WK, that's my fear. But I also can't wait to get on the road bike this summer after riding the fixie for a while (even with time off for spring wind here).

Besides, my wife would kill me, and I'd deserve it, if I didn't ride my road bike.

Heh! I just sold my road-only bike to fund a new track frame. I haven't given up multi-gears though, still have the Cyclocross bike for 'cross season in the fall. :D

I redished the wheel. Looks pretty good as I eyeball it. Did this during my lunch hour last week. Today, I was trying to respace the axle and had to get the LBS to untighten a very tight cone. While I was there I bought a crank puller and a 16T freewheel. I put the freewheel on and there is about a half inch of overhang as the freewheel is a bit wider than the hub threads. I'll need to redish the wheel and then respace the axle again so that it (freewheel) clears the drops right? Or am I just FUBAR and looking for a new to me rear wheel my next thing to do?

Thanks again for reading!

James

Now that you have your new freewheel, calculate your chainline (should run straight from chainring to rear cog), then respace the axle, then redish. Go back and reread Sheldon if necessary.

Now that you have your new freewheel, calculate your chainline (should run straight from chainring to rear cog), then respace the axle, then redish. Go back and reread Sheldon if necessary.

The whole straight chainline thing will be done soon, most likely tomorrow morning between dropping my kids off at the bus stop and getting ready to go to work. I'm just worried about the overhang. I don't think I'll encounter any problems as the majority of the threads are, well, threaded.

WK, that's my fear.

Don't fear the inevitable. Embrace it.