Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - flip-flop rear wheel with quick change levers

Do those flip-flop rear wheels come with quick change levers like all other road bikes?

It would be useful to be able to switch from freewheel to fixed and viceversa on the road sometimes.

I heard track bikes don't come with quick change levers on the hub (to remove wheels from bike frame)

Do those flip-flop rear wheels come with quick change levers like all other road bikes?

It would be useful to be able to switch from freewheel to fixed and viceversa on the road sometimes.

I heard track bikes don't come with quick change levers on the hub (to remove wheels from bike frame)


I have never seen a flip flop or even just a fixed gear wheel with a quick release lever. Maybe some of the other members have, but I have not. I guess if I think about it, it doesnt really make sense to have that on the back wheel since the wheel has to be attached very tight, if you use a quick release you may find yourself pulling the wheel into your frame. When I converted my girlfriends old 10 speed into a singlespeed she had a quick release and I had to change it out for that same reason, it kept sliding forward. just get a regular bolt on rear wheel and carry a small wrench with you.

Agreed - you should bolt on the rear wheel, and never use a QR for fixed riding. There may be people here that tell you they've done it, but I'm guessing they're just lucky.

agreed, although i guess the advantage of the quick release is that when you have to stop every 5 minutes to re-adjust your wheel, you won't need a tool.

agreed, although i guess the advantage of the quick release is that when you have to stop every 5 minutes to re-adjust your wheel, you won't need a tool.

If you have to stop every 5 min to re-adjust your wheel, I'd be willing to bet that using a QR is the reason you are stopping. The whole reason for the bolts is to keep it from needing adjustment.

You COULD use QR on some of flipflops if you really want.
You can just change the axle to qr one, or if you have phil wood or goldtec hubs, then you only need to get the skewer since they have hollow axles.
If you have a good reliable skewer, it is possible to tighten it enough to stop the hub from slipping.
But then, QR aren't really the best thing in the city IMO.

i've been riding with a QR and haven't had any problems so far (knock on wood). then again, i'm planning on getting a new set of wheels, so i won't be pretty soon...

I've seen a couple of guys riding with rear QR's and I don't know how they keep them from slipping! However I have seen the following set up work with QR, if you have a track frame or just a frame with rear loading horizontal dropouts you can use some BMX chain tensioners to keep the chain tight and run a QR through them. I would use them on both sides. Also use tensioners that lock in place so they dont wiggle loose when you pop off your back wheel like these redline units @ www.danscomp.com Look under chain tensioners. The surly tensioner would work if you added a nut on the tension screw to lock it in place against the body of the tensioner...

It's a lot safer to bolt the rear wheel on. It doesn't take that much effort
and should be easier to get the chain properly tensioned. I have no reason
to remove my wheel unless it gets a flat. I have four fixies, so far, and select
one with the best gearing for that day's ride. Even using a flip/flop hub seems
like cheating to me.

David Kresge

In the words of the all-knowing Sheldon Brown:

Conventional wisdom is that you need a solid (nutted or "bolt-on") axle hub for fixed-gear or singlespeed use, and that a quick-release will not hold the wheel solidly enogh in a horizontal fork end. This is not true, however.
Since most newer bikes have vertical dropouts, people have gotten used to wimpy aluminum skewers, and often don't adjust them as tightly as they might. If you use a good quality (I think Shimano is the best) skewer, tightened securely, it will hold just fine.

A quick release is a considerable timesaver in switching a flip-flop wheel around, and having a QR means that you don't need to carry a big wrench to be able to replace a damaged inner tube.

I have not tried it on a fixie yet as it seems that it would be a process to replace the solid axle with a hollow axle (I don't know of any fixed hubs, flip flop or otherwise, that come with a hollow axle for a QR skewer). Couple that with the fact that I don't mind carrying a wrench around, i just don't see the need right now. I will try it some day just for the heck of it. I will never stop tinkering.

"but I'm guessing they're just lucky."

I've been lucky for 15 years of exclusive FG riding.

A good QR cam will (should?) be just as tight as a properly tensioned nut.