Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - What to change on a Mercier Kilo TT

So I've finally decided, after borrowing my friends fixed gear for a few months to have it taken away, to buy a fixed gear for myself. I have been reading around the forum and I've decided that I'm going to buy a Mercier Kilo TT because I am on a very tight budget (I will hardly be able to afford it on its own.)

So here's my real question: I know that the Kilo tt comes stock with a 46/16 gear ratio (Correct me if I'm wrong.) which means only one skid patch. I plan to be skidding or skipstopping a decent amount so I think the first thing I want to do is find a ratio that provides more skid patches.
At first I was looking at getting a different chainring but that's pretty expensive. Then I realized that I could get a decent back cog with 17 teeth for around $10. That's pretty cheap and would give me 17 skidpatches.

So I was wondering if I would just be able to take off the stock cog on the kilo tt and replace it with the one that I will purchase. I'm pretty new to bikes so I'm not sure how difficult this would be, but I have a friend who could easily help me and provide the needed parts if possible.


Also I've heard that the lockring on the kilo tt sucks so would it be worth getting a decent new lockring for about $10 at the same time when I order the cog?

Thanks a lot bike forums!
-Tim

Not hard. You can get the crappy Avenir multitool for pretty cheap. It has a lockring spanner, chainwhip(two things you would need), a 14mm and 15mm wrench, and a bottle opener. It's a pain in the ass to use but it works.

take it to ur LBS?
my LBS did everything for about 15bucks (that includes the new cog)

I might be wrong (math skills are fuzzy), but wouldn't 46/16 give you 8 skid patches?

Also, FWIW, skid patches is kind of a silly way to choose your gear ratio. You should go with whatever is most practical for the kind of riding you'll be doing. I suppose if the majority of your riding is spent showing off your skidding skills to the ladies downtown, then go for 17 skid patches, but nine times out of ten, you should pick the ratio that is best for your style of riding (not stopping). If that results in too few skid patches, just take your wheel off every once in awhile and rotate it a few teeth forward. Am I the only person that flops their hub from time to time?

itgotsjets is correct.

google images gets us:
http://rideyourbike.com/images/skidspots.jpg

But the OP was talking about switching his 46x16 to 17 which results in 17 skid patches.

btw, kilos comes 48x16 (from BD). But looks like 17t is the magic number anyway..

I would suggest changing the rear cog to 17 like you said, and get a better lockring and a lockring tool (or tighten at your LBS). The stock lockring will strip.

Then get decent leather doublestraps or get a front brake. It's tough to brake with the stock nylon single straps.

that chart is not for everyone (at least for the GI portion). the math is for 32" wide tires & 27" wheels, if I recall correctly.

Please don't skimp out on cheap cog and lockring...those are the diff bettween life and death..your prob thinking getting the cheapest cog and lock ring replacement which are stamped and cheap..which will result in stripping ect. Also have it installed professionally by your lbs and make sire they grease all the threads and torqe them properly. on a budget go Dura ace or eai ect

yeah the kilo does come with 48/16 which is only 1 skid patch.

Thanks a lot everyone for the helpful replies!

Also, FWIW, skid patches is kind of a silly way to choose your gear ratio. You should go with whatever is most practical for the kind of riding you'll be doing. I suppose if the majority of your riding is spent showing off your skidding skills to the ladies downtown, then go for 17 skid patches, but nine times out of ten, you should pick the ratio that is best for your style of riding (not stopping). If that results in too few skid patches, just take your wheel off every once in awhile and rotate it a few teeth forward. Am I the only person that flops their hub from time to time?
Hahaha. I'm definitely not a hipster or trying to be one like that. I don't plan on doing skid tricks or anything like that either. I am just really broke and I cant afford to be replacing a rear tire a lot so the more skid patches the better.
Could anyone with knowledge of Portland, Oregon, tell me if a 46/17 would be good or bad gear wise? I only have a few hills on my commute and they aren't too steep.

I would suggest changing the rear cog to 17 like you said, and get a better lockring and a lockring tool (or tighten at your LBS). The stock lockring will strip.

Then get decent leather doublestraps or get a front brake. It's tough to brake with the stock nylon single straps.
I definitely agree. I plan on using the stock straps for the first few weeks while I can get more money, then I was thinking about buying some powergrips (I've never tried them before, but they seem like a good idea.)

Please don't skimp out on cheap cog and lockring...those are the diff bettween life and death..your prob thinking getting the cheapest cog and lock ring replacement which are stamped and cheap..which will result in stripping ect. Also have it installed professionally by your lbs and make sire they grease all the threads and torqe them properly. on a budget go Dura ace or eai ect
You make a very good point. I just scanned the internet to find some base prices. What do you think would be a good price for a good rear cog and lockring on a tight budget? Also I have a friend who has tons of bikes that he builds and he can help me out with everything since he knows what he's doing so I don't need to go into my lbs to get anything installed.

Again, Thank you everyone for your help.

I'm definitely not a hipster.....Portland, Oregon

Uh-huh. *wink*

I'm definitely not a hipster.....Portland, OregonUh-huh. *wink*
Hahaha. You make a very strong point. I still deny everything though

On a budget, 20-30 for a cog, 10-15 for a lockring. Like someone mentioned, EAI and dura ace is an affordable combo.

No one's going to be able to tell you what ratio is good for you. We all have different abilities on a bike. I say ride the stock ratio for a while and see how you do on it. Then size up or down accordingly. You could always use the stock 48T chainring (it's not 46) with a 17 or 19 cog if it's too rough for you and increase skid patches at the same time. I wouldn't worry too much about preserving the stock tires. If you plan on skidding, plan on replacing it sooner rather than later. If you can't afford tires, then don't skid and use a brake.

48/18 ftw

^ +1

Just got this tool and it's the cheapest piece of junk I've ever purchased!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001IM29OY/ref=oss_T15_product

I wanted to save a few bucks and broke my rule of never buying cheap tools. Big mistake!


Lock ring got kinda stripped, lock ring part of tool is now slightly bent and the lock ring is STILL on the wheel. Oh well, going to LBS after work.

Bottom line, don't buy cheap tools and replace your lock ring and cog...Terrible quality!

I dont think people would be having problems with the rear hub on the Kilo TT if they just left the 16 tooth alone. People are getting carried away with changing it out either incorrectly or using the wrong or cheap tools. If you want to constantly change your sprocket, get a road bike with a derailleur.

It aint the tool, its most likely the cheap lock ring. It is a Kilo after all. Mine got stripped as well.

I dont think people would be having problems with the rear hub on the Kilo TT if they just left the 16 tooth alone. People are getting carried away with changing it out either incorrectly or using the wrong or cheap tools. If you want to constantly change your sprocket, get a road bike with a derailleur.

what are you talking about? it's important to have the right gear ratio on your bike. Once you have it, you can leave it alone. Also, I'd like to point out that track racers (the people to whom our wheels/cogs/lockrings are made for) change their cogs out several times a day...

What are skid patches?

http://tinyurl.com/y9vuw23

If you're really on a budget, go raid the used parts bins at one of the recyclerys or some other shop in Portland. You might be able to find a cheap new takeoff cog/lockring? I got a new takeoff 15t cog and formula lockring for $5 at recycled cycles up here.

Get a EAI cog and dura-ace lock ring, you will not regret it. Those are not the parts you want to skimp out on.

To the OP, I just did this on my new Kilo TT--switched the cog from the stock 16 tooth cog up to a 17 tooth cog. I went to my LBS and asked them to switch it out, got a slightly used Euro-Asia cog for $20, and had them put it on for $7. Easy peasie.

I'm not super familiar with Portland, but I just went for a ride today around Seattle and the 48/17 ratio, while certainly manageable on most hills, did kicked my ass.

Definitely replace the lockring. I rode my Kilo out of the box before getting everything properly tightened up (something you should definitely not do), and the torque on the drivetrain popped the cog off the hub, destroying the lockring. Granted, this was mainly due to my colossal idiocy, but still, the lockring is pretty flimsy, and that is bad.

Edit: Also, make sure your drivetrain is straight. The angle of the chain on my bike out of the box was pretty garish. All of these things can be done at your LBS for pretty cheap.

P.S: Lose some spacers, if it hasn't been said yet.

I got a dura ace cog for about $12 and a dura ace lockring for about $6 (I say about because it's in ¥).

The shop also changed them over for me for about $5.

They did it properly with dura ace grease and made sure it was tight. Perfect.

better than buying a tool because I don't change the cog often.

Btw, my Kilo TT came out of the box 48x17

replacing original parts with Surly cog and Milwaukee lock ring.

what are you talking about? it's important to have the right gear ratio on your bike. Once you have it, you can leave it alone. Also, I'd like to point out that track racers (the people to whom our wheels/cogs/lockrings are made for) change their cogs out several times a day...

Point taken, but how many people competitively ride a stock Mercier Kilo TT in a velodrome? I was just saying that the more you dork with the cog/lockring on this budget bike, the greater your chances are of having a problem with the threads.

1. front/rear lights
2. saddle
3. pedals
4. handlebars + stem
5. steerer trim
6. wheels + tires + cog
7. cranks + bb
8. chain
9. seat post
10.eventually the entire frame