It maybe possible to get an old style steel QR to tighten down enough to hold a fixed wheel in place but I know I could defeat the new fangled Al and plastic QR. Even with a good QR I wouldn't trust it without a chain tensioner in place. A tracknut or a Phil style bolt can provide a very secure attachment using the leverage provided by a good wrench, while the QR is limited by the leverage provided by the much shorter QR lever acting over only 90 degrees. Tracknuts take about 10 additional seconds to use during a wheel change, I think the security provided is well worth the extra time.
Craig

Well Max, what I think really is nice about axle nuts in general is that you can get a good tactile feel for how tight they are, since you know that you cranked 'em down real tight when you put the wheel back on. It's harder for a lot of people to judge how much force it takes to get a QR nice and tight. I can see this as an advantage, since a fixed wheel coming loose isn't just an annoyance, it can be extremely dangerous. For some reason though, the myth has arisen that a QR won't hold tight enough, and now it won't go away. As with many such myths, I am on a one-man quest to try and dispell this one .

igloo, I can't wait to hear more about your new bike - how much does it weigh? How's the handling? Do you like the tires? Etc. I must know!

That would depend upon the type of QR you're talking about. https://www.juggleart.com/catalog/pro...pg&w=203&h=200
This QR = good.

https://www.amclassic.com/images/Skewers.jpg
This QR = bad.

I know it might be hard to believe, but a rider hammering away on a fixed gear doesn't pull on the axle any harder than a rider hammering away on a derailer bicycle. Back when roadies still had horizontal drops, I don't think that any pro racers felt any need to hesitate before going nuts on their pedals. A QR holds pretty damn tight. Track riders have long believed that they are somehow stronger than other riders and put more stresses on their drivetrains, but this isn't actually true as long as they are driving forward (obviously, a freewheeling rider is incapable of putting stress on the drivetrain in the opposite direction). This belief has found its way into the fixed-gear community, though. A rider in the granny ring on an MTB puts several times more force on their chain and freewheel bearings than a fixed-gear rider can possibly bring to bear. A good thing, too, as that kind of torque would probably strip a hub instantly as soon as they tried to skid!

All that said, I already mentioned that there are benefits to using axle nuts, but that doesn't mean that they are somehow superior to a QR. I'm not too anxious about having to use a wrench instead of a quick-release, but I'm annoyed by the myth of their insufficiency.

I'm not sure how much it weighs, or how i would find that out (i know, duh, just weigh it, but where?)

I can say that it doesn't feel that heavy when i pick it up, it feels nimble enough on the road, and it's definitely a lighter bike than my Trek aluminum mountain bike - despite the fact that the Redline is cromoly.

I actually won't get the opportunity to really really ride it until Saturday since I've been working day and night wed-thur-fri this week, and i only picked up the bike on Tues. And the problem with Saturday is that it's supposed to be about 14 to 20 degrees in the Boston area - - all weekend. Which brings me to my next question:

On a bike you don't have to shift: Mittens, Gloves, or biking gloves (no finger tip coverage) in the winter?

Anybody wear one of those thin face masks that runner's sometimes wear?

at 14-20 definitely mittens... singlespeed is easy with them.

and the face mask thing is called a balaclava. i don't wear one but then i don't usually ride below 20. if your beard is anywhere near as thick as that pic it certainly helps keep your face warm(er).

It actually depends on the quality of the QR. I remember buying these fancy QRs from some Ti manufacturer on closeout. Yep, stupid upgrade from the cheapie Shimanos (that worked fine!).Turns out that the wheel kept slipping, no matter how hard I tightened down the QR. So, I ended up putting the old QRs back on. YMMV

What you say makes sense except the direction of the forces is not quite the same between a horizontal dropout and a track end, however a good QR still should work with track ends. The only problem is finding good QRs as most manufacturers seemed to have switched to aluminum or other weaker material once verticle dropouts became common. The only steel QRs I've had have been on the old road bikes I've picked up that had horizontal dropouts. Still I don't find the tracknuts to be an inconvience so I won't change.
Craig

Well, I'll stop by Sears tonight and pick up a 15mm wrench for those rear bolts. It's not that big a deal to carry a compact wrench in the saddle bag.

Damn I wish it wasn't going to be so freakin' cold on Saturday!

Today, Thursday, in Boston Massachusetts, it is SIXTY DEGREES! SIX ZERO! And I'm stuck here at the day job, wishing I was out riding...

I asked this skewer question on this forum and received the saged advice about using an older style steel QR. I tried following this recommendation but I am not happy with the results. I commute on flat streets 15 miles each way and at around mile 10 on the return trip my chain rolled off because the rear wheel slipped forward. I tightened the QR the previous night where I could barely move it. That did not suffice.

I have since ordered a pair of chain tensioners. That should do the trick

you know you REALLY only need one on the drive side. but lots of people use both for symetry.

I have read that but they sell as a pair

I do like the symmetry idea and the fact that I can adjust both sides of the hub in the drop-outs.

igloo - what shop did you get the redline at? I'm interested in checking one out.

i first stumbled into it on a whim and checked it out at Cambridge Cycles on Mass Ave in Central Square. They didn't have any larger than 54cm. I'm glad, because I wanted to do a bunch of research 1st. I would up buying a 58cm at Harris Cyclery in Newton - - where Sheldon Brown is a mechanic.

Grolby, Im sure you are much wiser about this stuff than
I am but from my own experience Ive owned two bikes
that the quick releases wouldnt hold the wheel straight. One
was a Viscount that needed to be recentered on every ride.
I eventually put nuts and bolts through the drop outs in
front of the axle so it couldnt move forward. The second bike
is my Early model Motobecane that is my winter beater.
Despite its age and appearance this bike hasnt seen too many
miles and I have to recenter the back wheel about every 80-100
miles or every week for me.....This is what lead to my initial comment
about wheels moving in the drop outs.
I prefer nuts just because I have no need to take wheels off.

Well, the thing about the quick-releases is that they must be tightened securely, and they must be well-made and still in good condition. If the serrations are worn off, if it's not a good QR, etc, it's likely that it won't work as well. The thing that really is nice about the nuts is that you know you can rely on them. A handy feature! Certainly in recent years, with the move to vertical dropouts, inferior quick-releases have become common, especially the open-cam type from my second link above. Blech. Those are no good, stay away from them for any purpose! In any case, given that the nuts take maybe a few seconds longer to remove or reinstall, I don't see any reason not to use them, in any case. There's nothing wrong with them, it's just that a QR really can and does work, in spite of common belief to the contrary.

I installed a CatEye MC100W wireless cyclometer tonight. Nice model -- groovy backlight. Naturally, there are more options on this thing than I need, but I'll survive. Since the bike is new, the odometer will be pretty accurate. I'll be able to know how many freakin' miles I've put on the bike in the course of a year. I realize I may be the only one excited by that right now, but I'm having a party, and any one of you can join me whenever you like!

Realizing I should've posted the above in the appropriate thread (that I started!)....

Hi igloomaster,

I'm interested in acquiring a 925 myself and was curious about the sizing of the compact frame, what were your considerations on getting the 58 cm? By the way, I'm 5'11" with an inseam of 32.5 and from the charts provided by Redline I extrapolated that I would possibly need a 56 cm.

Thanks
Tim

I test rode a 54, and while I loved it, and it was too small. But that's all this particular bike shop had in stock at the moment. I'm just over 6' tall; 6' 1" on a good day, and both the bike shop pros and myself both felt that the 58cm was the best fit for me.
You might do fine on a 56cm - but try both to be sure.

Incidentally, I did my first commute back and forth to work today - just over 30 miles, and I highly recommend this bicycle.

Great commute!! Are there many hills in your route? Are you stretched out on the hoods? I assume that you used the 42X16-SS instead of the fixed.

Here in Athens I’ve a few hills to deal with during my commute. I’ve got a Olmo Pista with a 42X15 fixed and have no problem riding other than dodging the Ohio University Students during class breaks. It’s amazing, they look right at you and still walk right in front of you then are startled.

This is one of the reasons that I’m interested in the 925 SS, BRAKES!

What do you really like about the 925, the handling?

Running fixed does not preclude the use of brakes. All of my fixies have had atleast a front brake and most have had front and rear brakes. I know many people run fixes brakeless but I couldn't imagine going without.
Craig

I run a front brake on my Olmo. After 30+ years of commuting I want a single speed with two brakes to save my knees from sudden deceleration.

Hi - - Yes, I'm riding S/S not fixed. There are indeed hills, especially going TO work, and what I refer to as pain-in-the-a$$ long gradual inclines. Sometimes my legs feel like I'm pushing a tank up a hill. Last night I stopped by a LBS on the way home (not the shop I bought this bike from) and put lights and a rack on my 925. The owner had just received a new 925 and they were putting it together. It was literally 30 minutes old. While he was very impressed with the hubs & design of the bike, he said he thought the 42X16 gearing might be too tough. Is 42x15 easier going up hills? As this is my 1st adult SS bike, I'm still learning about this stuff.

This morning I timed my commute. The cyclometer said 15 miles. My Casio wristwatch timer said 66 minutes. That is almost the EXACT amount of time it used to take me last summer to do the exact same commute, but on a Trek 4500 aluminum, GEARED mountain bike (with Surley straight fork.) What does that tell me? I guess it means that while the gears on the Trek made it easier to climb hills, (certainly felt a little easier) it still was not faster than a cromoly S/S Redline 925.

42x15 would be harder than 42x16 (Same Chainring upfront, smaller cog in the back). Brush up over at Sheldon Brown's site: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/gain.html

I'm running a SS right now at 42x18 (of course, once you read Sheldon's article you'll find that this is meaningless unless I also tell you my wheel size and crank length - 26" and 175mm, I think). I find it to be pretty easy and want to get down to 15 or 16. You might want to give an 18 cog a try. Take it into Harris and they'll do the switch for you, I'm sure. I'd hang onto the 16 though, because you'll likely want to go back to it eventually.

Does anyone know if the seat tube size on the 925 is measured center-to-center or center-to-top.
Wondering how big the 60 really is. If it is center-to-center then it is like a 63 or 64 in most other bikes.