how important are front wheels to a fixed?
 

i just got a surly/open pro rear wheel and its great, but now i feel like i should replace my shimano 600/cxp12. its a little wobbly and there are some stress marks at the spoke holes, but is that enough to need to replace it? i'll probably call my LBS and get a price check on a surly/open pro front soon, but should i even go with that? i can either stick with what i have, replace it with a low-cost wheel, or (for full hipster points) have a miss-match and slap a dayglow color deep v on the front

Once the rear of the bike is fixed, there is very little, if any importance to the front wheel.

Ya, what MKRG said. You can just take your front wheel off and ride it like a unicycle.


Sarcasam asside, when you skid [if you skid] all your weight is over the front wheel. I think its actually quite important to have a good [matching] front wheel in this case.

agreed

alright, well anyone know anything good or bad about surly front hubs?

You can either stick with what you have, replace it with a low-cost wheel, or (for full hipster points) have a miss-match and slap a dayglow color deep v on the front.

For ultimate hipster points, stick a 16" front wheel on there, built from a pink Phil hub.

I'd say definitely go with a front and back wheel. The unicycle thing is played out. Honestly imo I would say the front wheel is just as important as the back. Yes the back takes a lot more stress, but if your front wheel fails you are going to go down fast and hard.

*on hold with lbs, getting price*

Shimano 600s are nice. I'd say fix the wobble and stick with it. Though matching front and rear looks better, and Surly hubs are sealed bearings which means less matienence.

yeah, it'll be 135ish for the wheel, gotta order it once i get paid. i figure cause i just upgraded about everything else on my bike, the wobble was "the best they could do" after a hit, and the stress marks worry me. plus it'd be nice to not have to worry about the quick release any more

Confuse your local roadies and rock a low spoke count front wheel that looks like it should be on a nice carbon racing machine.

Dude, don't buy a nice front wheel. Of course the front wheel is important, however, that doesn't mean that it was to be a nice wheel. Jeez, I ride my fixie with throwaway 27"ers on the front and I'm completely fine.

Save yourself some money. Put it toward some tires, a tune-up, or your next drivetrain upgrade.

you dont really need a front wheel

yeh, someone please post that link to that new and fresh cycling dancers video!?

i just upgraded my crankset/bb/rear wheel/rear tube/rear tire/headset/cog/chain. so i mean there isnt much else to put it towards (i keep telling myself i dont really need a new seat post)

No need to order a special Surly hub and build up a wheel. A front wheel is a front wheel. Boom.

i do that, 24 spoke Xero, paired so it looks to be 12 spoke from a distance.

Stress cracks? I would not want to ride anything with stress cracks.

I say wait 'til something goes on special and grab it. Mismatching rules.

its very hard to ride without a front wheel.

Ive tried.

Very hard.

Stress cracks?

Have a GOOD bikeshop rebuild your wheel using the 600 hub. get a hose clamp for the QR. then quit worrying

Hose clamp?

Might as well get a unicycle, then.

are shimano 600's that good?

I'm probably too late to this thread to be of any good, but I've got a Surly front hub, and I'm really "eh" on it. The bearings are pretty much shot after 8 months, the locknuts (or whatever the equivalent is called on a cartridge hub) tend to work themselves kind of loose. I think monkey had similar problems with the bearings.