Moonshot

A few questions if you'll please indulge me:

I'm 5'8", 170 lbs. Can I safely use 28 hole wheels on a fixed gear? The spokes are straight gauge. Hub is high flange. I sometimes enjoy standing on the pedals and pumping hard if that matters.

Will a track cog work ok with a regular 8 speed chain?

Will a track cog work ok with my Cook Bros crankset (Shimano chainrings)? Any difference with Campy? Both have the older 8 speed chainrings, not the new narrow stuff.

Will the track cog work on the flop side as a freewheel?

Thanks!

pitboss

1. as far as the wheels go, I run 32h as a minimum, and I am 5'10", 175lbs (ahhh...beer). I prefer 32 as a minimum, but I do not see why 28h won't work...just not sure on the overall wear and tear. Sorry I can't provide more valuable info.
2. 8spd chain as in 3/32? Don't see why not, but if you are concerned about torque/pressure put on the drive train by your pedaling habits, best use a 1/8. I run a 1/8 as they are 'stronger' that 3/32 and without a brake, it is best to go with a stronger chain as it will last longer AND with back pedaling and skids, the chain becomes part of the braking system.
3. Best to match up the pitch (1/8 and 3/32 are pitches) if possible. You can use a 1/8 chain with 3/32 ring/cog, but don't do the opposite. I have a 3/32 ring with 1/8 chain and cog set up now.
4. Not sure what you are referring to here. Most cogs are thread-on (Miche uses something of a combo here I think).

Overall, if you want to do it right get the right kit. Run the same pitch throughout if possible. Now, that being said, there are a slew of riders here that have more knowledge and experience with mix and match set-ups. My response is based on best practices. I hope they help a little.

commander_taco

1) 28 spokes is more than adequate for your weight. If you are using one of the modern stronger rims then your spoke count is not a concern.

2) 1/8 and 3/32 are NOT pitches. They are tooth thickness. Pitch is always 1/2 inch (it is the distance betwen the two holes in the chain). There are some old inch pitch chains around, but I am digressing. According to sheldon 3/32 chain (6-7-8 speed) is as strong as 1/8 chain (track). I cannot shed more light on this, but I have not come across any empirical evidence (how hard would it be to do the experiment?) to suggest that 1/8 is infact better than 3/32. Both chains use ths same diameter of rolling pins which is where the wear happens, so they should be identical (modulo manufacturing quality) in strength. Just remember that a 8 speed chian does not work well with cog with 1/8 thickness teeth since the spacing between side plates is too small for cog teeths to sink.

3) If your crankset has 3/32 teeth and your track cog has 1/8 thickness teeth then you should use 1/8 chain since 3/32 chain does not work with your thicker cog. If your crankset and cog has 3/32 then you can get by with either chain. I would recommend a 3/32 chain where possible since it is *no doubt* lighter.

4) What is a flip side of the freewheel? Are you referring to the side where freewheel goes (with only one threading) ? If so, the answer is yes and no. Yes because you can thread the cog but you cannot thread the lockring since it has reverse threads. So the cog will come off during pedal breaking. Some people have tried locktite and other stuff but I am not sure how far they got. I have not come across any convincing solution to this problem of using cog on freewheel side. Of course if you use brakes and don't use pedal to break then there is no issue.

fixedgearhead

Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
No. A freewheel is a freewheel. A freewheel will work on a fixed/fixed hub by threading on in place of a track cog, thereby becoming a flop/flop hub with a fixed side and then by turning it around a freewheel side. But, you need a freewheel on that side to do it. The hub accepts whatever you decide to thread on it.

Fixedgearhead

Moonshot

Thanks everyone.

One last question. Does anyone have a recommendation on where to buy a wheelset for a fixed gear/singlespeed?

What do you think of some of the wheelsets being sold on ebay? Does anyone have anything good or bad to say about those that Bensbike is selling? They look like a good value.

You can PM me if you wish.

pitboss

good stuff...learned something new. thanks

roadfix

I'd stay away from low profile rims. Deep rims would be my choice for low spoke count. I'm 165 and had nothing but trouble with low profile rims (Campy Cronos) with 28 spoke count.

Lasalles

170lbs isnt heavy for a track rider,im around 200lbs and some of the giants are 220lbs.