Is the washer serrated?

" It's comforting to see that people are just as ****ing weird as the last time I was here.

Is this dude really sniveling about the cost of axle nuts? "

Welcome back! Hadn't even noticed you'd left.

Hi Veg, check your local bike shop, buy 5 pair, then send them my way. They're cheap, right? Threadlings have decided they don't cost much and should never have been manufactured because no one wants or uses them. Outlets like Fastenal should be informed.

Specialty fasteners are more expensive than regular ones. It's true in all industries... my exhaust flanges on my car use an m10x1.25 bolt and they were a 2 or 3$ each for a plain bolt in that thread size from the local fastener place. The actual shoulder bolts from the dealer were like 15$ and came with new springs... but it's only a few cents worth of steel.... kinda how it goes.

If the price of a track nut is too much to swallow just get flange nuts, they'll work almost as well and are much cheaper from aliexpress.

I must be in that "Rockefeller crowd" -- I paid whatever Harris Cyclery charged for track nuts 6 years ago and it impacted my quality of life not one iota!

"If the price of a track nut is too much to swallow just get flange nuts"

One piece flanged would do the job and if it comes down to it that's fine. There are quite a few bikes at the Co-Op that would've been just a little nicer with free spinners, but c'est la vie. If I posted an online source that offered them for 50c a piece, all the grinders here would buy from there instead of their LBS yet they'd never admit it. Guys on bike forums will go to extreme lengths (and pay for it!) to save a few grams yet pose a legitimate question on saving money and it's heresy. But, I'm going to drop it because the time I'd spent here responding was more valuable than any potential savings on a fastener. If I manage to find an alternative source I'll take the time to post it for those who were actually interested. Thanks y'all.

Weight weenies are found more in the road biking and racing forums. You don't see as much of that here in SS/FG.

In fact, many of us are not extreme about money OR weight savings. I like to save some cash when it's convenient, but I'll spend any reasonable amount for something I need or want. And I like the idea of light bikes, but find their cost is disproportionate to their benefits for most of my riding, so all my bikes are fairly heavy. I'm not sure that makes sense. I might have just contradicted myself. None of my bikes or bike parts/accessories was really cheap. Nor is any of them really light. They're all fun, functional, down-to-earth stuff. I probably paid more than I "should" have for all of it, and yet I could certainly save weight in many areas (by spending even more) if this were important to me. Doesn't matter... I ride them every day and derive LOTS of enjoyment from them. What more can one ask? I suspect many FG/SS riders hold very similar sentiments.

It comes down to this: the more you fret over weight or cost savings, the less time and ambition you have for what's really important, which is riding your bike.

I mean spending extra money on something I don't need is always going to be expensive but I would happily rather support my local shop then Billionaire Jeff Bezos or some other large corporation that doesn't care about you or anyone but profits. I mean if I am looking to be economical I am not going to buy something I don't need and that really won't improve my ride quality much. It is not like you are buying 5 Campagnolo Super Record 12 speed gruppos you are buying some track nuts.

When you start buying multiple Campy SR 12 gruppos then I can see maybe trying to save a little money but even then I might go to my local shop and say hey I am buying 5 gruppos is there any discount you can give me and especially if I am a regular who spends money there I might actually get something. I will sometimes give discounts to regular customers because I know they will keep coming back and support us so I am happy to support them, it is a good symbiotic relationship that benefits all.

I've used generic replacements for specialized bike parts, and I'm happy to save money. I've just never seen any alternative to a track nut that does what a track nut does. I suspect the peculiar thread standards used on bike axles is going to frustrate your search, but nobody's stopping you. So far nobody has mentioned the weight issue, and I don't think that mainstream steel track nuts offer any weight savings.

Apparently, even though the stock photo on their website doesn't show the washer face
.

Cool. See, you're getting closer.

$5 for something that could last the life of the bike and plays a critical role in your safety seems reasonable

But remember he is cheap but is buying a part he doesn't need but doesn't want to spend money on that part. Of course to a normal person 5 Smackaroons is not a big deal for something as you have described it.