Originally Posted by
kilburnfixie
Old thread, I know, but - if the conclusion is that the pitlock isn't enough for horizontal dropouts, is there any fix that would correct this? e.g. could a chain-tensioner (i.e. that just keeps the wheel in place), so that a bolt providing a lesser amount of torque could be used to keep it in place?
In addition to wanting to use a pitlock, I don't want to carry arround a a 2-foot wrench in case of a puncture.
I use track nuts (those 15mm hex nuts that have an incorporated washer available at any store that sells fix gears - bring your hub, threads vary) and tighten with the classic peanut butter wrenches or a Pedros Trixie. So 8-10 inches times say 20 pounds of force (I wrap my PB wrench handles with innertube to spare my hands) = 200 in-lbs = 17 ft-lbs. Been doing this for decades. No, I am not an animal but I do climb almost anything on those bikes. (For many years my wrench was a 6" crescent wrench. That too worked just fine and I was a lot stronger then. The same wrench served me for 15 years.)
Now, the details make a difference. Locknuts with a pattern that serve as teeth help. Bare steel dropouts are much easier to secure than chromed ones. I thought the ti dropouts of my custom would be a challenge, but they are not. I use the same wrenches and force. (And that bike has done some very serious climbing.)
Ben