Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - cheap fix: sprocket + loctite + BB lockring?

hi everyone,
has anyone done up a fixie using this method? i want to do it using an old rear wheel i have, to see if i like riding fixed enough to invest in a proper wheel.

the only instructions i could find on sheldon brown's site seem pretty minimal, can anyone elaborate on what steps i need to take? also, how do i know what size/type of sprocket and bb lockring i need to get? are those the kinds of things that i could order from a place like nashbar? thanks!

loctite? Lockring? they're for the insecure.

the instructions arent over-simplified. simply remove the freewheel; and thread on the track cog. voila! Just make sure the chainline is straight; you may need to throw a few spacers in there, or worse case, redish the wheel.

What size sprocket depends on your preferred gearing. before you set out on the fg, spend some time on the geared bike figuring what your best 'single' gear is. then by the cog which gives you the same chainring/cog ratio.

Please dont shop online. Your LBS needs you. If you develop a relationship with the LBS, they wind up giving you things like BB lockrings. Nashbar wont do that.

thanks for the advice stevo, it's good to know that i wasn't missing out on some crucial steps.

as for the LBS, i definitely hear you, except that i'm currently a workin stiff living and working in the heart of the most expensive part of the silicon valley (palo alto, menlo park, etc) and the only LBS's in my area cater exclusively to the $3,000 carbon frame crowd. i tried asking them for advice on switching to fixed, and they looked at me (and my rusted sekine cycles frame) with confusion. even my "expensive" road bike (a $500 allez with 105 components) isn't good enough to be sold at these shops.

rusty sekine? 'good' allez. Like your style dude....there are much better investments in life than a bike.

anywho; if the yup shops wont help, run into town; i'd imagine there must be some urban-focused shops out there to help you...even in car-lovin cali.

Worse case, call Harris Cyclery (boston); they seem to be helpful to beginners and have loads of parts.

If you're going to follow steve-o's advice, be sure you use a front brake and I'd avoid skidding. It all depends on your riding style, use of the bike, etc but IMO, loctite, a bb lockring, or ideally a proper track hub with lockring are minimal investments to make for a safer wheel.

word. i'm going to keep both brakes on the bike, at least during my learning phase. i basically wanted to do this as cheap as possible (like a trial phase) before committing to spending $100 or more on a real fixed-gear wheel. being married (expecially when you're young and don't have a lot of money) forces you to be completely sure anytime you spend a lot of money.

I've been running a Surly cog and a BB lockring on a redished rear 27" wheel since the spring and I haven't had any problems. I have a front brake but skid occasionally. I just recently built up another NOS rear 27" wheel with the same set up. Just gotta buy me some new rubber! Just make sure you check your setup every once in a while to make sure it's still locked down tight! Forgot to mention I'm also using the blue loctite as well as the BB lockring.

I used that setup (blue loctite with BB lockring) and it lasted about a 2 months of hard messenger duty.
I guess if you redo the loctite every so often, and use your brake, it should hold alright. Just make sure that as soon as you put the cog and locite on, go out and ride around the block accelerating really hard to crank the cog down (your legs will always apply more torque than your arms with a chaintool can), then put the lockring with loctite on. I use a punch and hammer to really tighten the lockring down.

loctite? Lockring? they're for the insecure.


They're for the ones that for some reason want to stay alive.

One of my fixies is set up using the loctite/BB lockring method. Works fine; though I'm not much on skidding. Bike has taken four months of reasonably hard riding-- I ride it a lot because with an investment of under 40$, I won't be too pissed if it's stolen. Frankly, the old sunshine hub that everything is connected to has taken the abuse a lot better than the Suzue JR. "Track" "hub" I once had on another fixie.

"They're for the ones that for some reason want to stay alive."

Theres an argument there. Of course, theres an argument for brakes and sobriety keeping one alive,too.

True I suppose... I didn't exactly mean I wanted to stay alive, but I suppose I probably do. But I usually don't take chances I can easily avoid.

..been usin this method minus the bb lockring for a few years..no brakes for a couple years..never have had a problem.. and I never skid..

hi everyone,
has anyone done up a fixie using this method? i want to do it using an old rear wheel i have, to see if i like riding fixed enough to invest in a proper wheel.

i think that is super ghetto, but i am a consumer solutionist. i even buy tires, rather than making them from scratch. i suppose it is a cheap way to see if you like riding fixed though.

however, my friend did this, though i recommended he get a track hub instead of rigging a bum bike, and his cog came unscrewed last weekend during the midnight classic ride in denver. he was running a front brake, blue locktite, and a bb lockring. perhaps him running a taller gear ratio and trying to not use his brake contributed to this, aside from the bum bike setup. if you're going to do this, i recommend flipping your bars up so your hands ride on the underside of your drops, with your bar ends facing forward.

perhaps we all should drink hairspray instead of buying beer since hairspray has alcohol in it. it's all the same... right!?

"i recommend flipping your bars up so your hands ride on the underside of your drops, with your bar ends facing forward. "

thats always a sweet setup.

for nearly a hundred years, people unscrewed their freewheels and screwed on cogs, whether it be for the winter, or for good. Only in the last 5 years, when it became 'cool' to ride track on the street', has there been all this hogwash about the inherint danger of not using a 'proper' track hub.

besides, I dont accept safety as a viable arguement from people who ride brakeless.

I dont accept safety as a viable arguement from people who ride brakeless.
hahaha, true true. i do ride brakeless, and quite frequently do so after much hairspray drinking. not very safe at all i suppose, but i'm not recommending that to anyone. i just cringe thinking of some newbie eating asphalt all in the name of convenience.

I run this setup on my tubular set and it never loosened, but I didnt skip them much. There is a nice touch of cool to reusing an old freewheel hub. I respaced the hub to get the chainline right and then redished the wheel to get the rim centered.

thanks for all the replies guys. i'll try to buy a track cog this weekend, and see if i like the whole fixed thing. i'll be careful: i won't try skipping, and i'll probably keep both brakes on.

Mex, Hey if you've got the funds a track hub is a great way to go. If it's the flip/flop variety you'll have some gear choices too.

I've got lots of miles on my "bum" setup with no problems at all.

I don't ever skid so that's not an issue. (I'll always have brakes) I like having old Campy hubs and polished concave Weinemann rims. My hubs and rims are older than most of the folks in this forum. I think it's kind of cool to make something most people think is really out of date fit an updated purpose.

I did have problems trying to use quick release skewers however so I can't recommend them for fixed.

"My hubs and rims are older than most of the folks in this forum"

They must pretty damn old :)

"I did have problems trying to use quick release skewers however so I can't recommend them for fixed."

were they steel?

They must pretty damn old :)

Sorry Chuck. I'm betting most of these guys were "made" somtime in the late 70s or early 80s. My wheels are a little before then. At least a few of us have some experience and wisdom. :D

Steevo,

Yep, steel skewers. I just couldn't keep them from slipping. 'Could have been the powder coat on the frame but I have had zero movement since I went to solid axle and nuts. It's like with hubs using lockrings, some people have had issues other have no problems. I know a few other fixers that also had issues using QR as well. I think some of the folks here use them with no problem. Maybe it's because of my size along with the gear combination and hills that results in a lot of force on the hub. Lot's of variables to consider.

I think we may have spoken about this before. The one thing that doesn't make sense is why my Raleigh frame with horizontal drops and multi-gears doesn't do it too? Is it just a virtue of forcing your way up climbs in a gear you would shift out of on geared bikes?

loctite? Lockring? they're for the insecure.


Or those that ride like lilly legged freaks.

I can't see how this is safe Stevo.. I've striped a "proper" set up 3 times. Your method would be destroyed with in a mile of my front door.

Of course, theres an argument for brakes and sobriety keeping one alive,too.

Do you lump riding brakeless into riding drunk, as if people who do one, do the other?

You a recovering acoholic Steve?

"Do you lump riding brakeless into riding drunk, as if people who do one, do the other?"

not at all. do you lump people poking fun at HereNT with people who generalize?

seriously, if youve stripped three (what you consider to be) proper hubs, i'd seriously look into your riding style and/or mechanical skills.

no; i'm not recovering. That would involve going sober.

I'm a smooth-pedalling, low-gear type- two brakes, high cadence kinda thing..........

Been riding fixed all winter for more than 30 years. Tried all manner of hubs, from Maillard and Normandy to Phil Wood and Campy. Never stripped one- track or 'bum'. Only ever had a problem once- when I tried to ride up a 1:3 hill locally, for a bet.........

Much as I respect the idea of buying the correct tool for the job, i.e., the track hub- personal history suggests that riding style and maintenance regime are the keys for me.

The Blue locktite is OK, but I reccomend using the red. It is much stronger and use a BB lock ring tool to torque it down with, but be cautious most of the hubs we use are old aluminum hubs and the lock rings are steel and could easily strip the threads if you are not careful. If everything is properly assembled the union beteween the cog and lockring becomes a jam-nut and can be very strong.