The funny thing is, you could probably put a freewheel on the fixed side now, as the lockring threads are stripped but the main threads are not. The freewheel doesn't need too many threads to stay on the hub body.

For the record, I only bike singlespeed. Tried FG and hated it.

I bought a low-gear freewheel to be able to commute while nursing an injury, but never used it after that. I removed it when I had to rebuild the wheel. Now it's hanging on my wall. Maybe I'll use it when I finally build my Monocog.

If I'm going to have a freewheel, I might as well just take my 27 speed Surly.

Both of my fixed gear bikes have fixed cogs on both sides. When I had a freewheel, I never, ever used it.

Here's my take on the matter. When you can't coast, you don't coast. And never coasting is far more efficient. With one fixed gear you must keep pedaling no matter how bad the headwind or steep the hill. Therefore, your legs manage to find the right pace to match the conditions.

But if you have only one gear and a freewheel, you will be tempted to pedal faster than you should, then back off for a rest. You can always tell a roadie who is in the wrong gear - they pedal, coast, pedal, coast and so on. Well, most of the time, on a fixed gear or singlespeed, you are in the wrong gear unless it's perfectly flat and the air is calm.

And when you are in the wrong gear, it's best not to have the option of coasting.

im converting a road bike with a flip-flop; single speed / fixed for my lil bro. he lives in manhatten and doesn't yet feel comfortable with the fixed concept for his daily commute. i have a feeling the freewheel will come off after his first few rides.

My '55 Lenton came with a double sided fixed hub with British threading on the lock ring which made running a freewheel easy (same threading) but in these parts, finding English lock rings (1.29 by 24 tpi) was and is a PITA... every shop here seems to carry Italian threaded lock rings which are 1.32 by 24 tpi.

I installed a freewheel and used it once instead of the fixed cog and hated it. I was also in the process of trying to find a good source for English lock rings and recalled that some older coaster hubs used a threaded rather than a splined cog and a reverse threaded lock ring and was quite sure they would have been English threaded for both.

When I went through the old hubs at the shop I found I was right on both counts... so I found my needed lock ring and also found a great, albeit limited source, for very decent vintage cogs for both my vintage fixed gear and for a few other conversions I have done.

If I was to build another wheel with a flip flop hub it would have to be able to run a fixed/fixed combination rather than a fixed/free setup as riding fixed has spoilt me for any ss riding on the road.

I do now that I have a fixed/fixed setup.

I have never used my freewheel. The only time I could see myself using it is if I get hurt, sick, or something like that and I couldn't pedal home.

and the way to your home happened to be on a constant decline?

You are clearly not one of the sheep that goes around flaunting their correct punctuation and trying to pose like an english professor or something. God I hate those hipsters!

+1 me either

next time I'll get the hub fixed/fixed

**** flipflop hubs, double fixed is the way to go.

never used the fixed side.

Ive used both and will flip back and forth....sometimes even during the middle of a ride I have stopped and switched from fixed to free or the other way.... I like both

If I ran a freewheel on my fixed gear bike I'm sure the instant it engaged I am going to think my chain exploded.

Happens every-time I switch bikes. No way I could do fixed / free, my brain couldn't comprehend it.

I like both side. I use the freewheel side almost exclusively though.

I've flipped my hub to the freewheel when I've been at the tail end of long riders (50+ miles) when I don't feel like grinding down hills at 10 mph.

It really is just a case of running what makes you happy and I can't see why something as simple as expressing one's preference for fixed or free can make so many people so pissy.

Apparently...some of us like freewheeling and some of us like fixed, some of us like changing between them, and some of us don't, and some people wish they could.

Most of all, just consider yourself lucky if you are out there riding whatever makes you happy.

Thank you teacher for pointing out my flaws! I will try much harder to be more like you in the future Oh wise one! You are truly wise beyond your years! So very wise indeed! :rolleyes: Teacher, I have used the EDIT button on my prior post for you my teacher! I truly hope it is up to your standards! (I am so excited!) If it is not up to your standards Oh wise one I will commit my shamefull ****ing soul to the deepest darkest pits of satans bowels! or Ill just stop talking like a ****ing Data/KungFu robot and tell you to go **** yourself ;)

Mt. Rose, right on! Tahoe is a great place to ride.

So you effectively have just one brake when you ride that side. I hope you never have any kind of mechanical problem, man. You are a lot braver than I am. Or something.

Currently, I only use the fixed side because I only have one fixed gear bike built up. When I get around to building a second fixed I will put duplex fixed hubs on it. I will take my current fixed setup flip the wheel and run it SS. So I do have plans for the free side but I am not just there yet.

I have a 135mm flipflop hub on my 1x1. I go back and forth pretty frequently depending on what sort of trails I'll be riding and who I'm riding with. Some trails are a little too technical for a fixie...

It has been flipped to the fixed side for the past couple months though. Most of my riding has been solo or slow rides in snow and ice. I'll flip it back when the the group rides resume and the speeds get faster.

Chris

What good will a BB lockring do? If the cog is going to spin loose, it'll take the BB lockring with it while quite possibly damaging the hub threads.
Like I said, with quality cogs, they'll stay put, with or without locktite. Just use the front brake for stopping.

i think maybe in ten, fifteen years, there will be a large constituancy of knees who wish the freewheel side got used more.

I doubt it because those people who sustain knee injuries from riding fixed don't know how to have a bike properly fitted. My guess is that they will have given up on riding fixed (or any bike for that matter) a long time ago because it was too uncomfortable on their poorly fitted bike. Riding fixed actually makes my knees feel better. I know I am not the only one that feels this way.

second the above— i got seriously into cycling for commuting, recreation, and fitness after 13 years of playing soccer (midfield), and exacerbated all my old injuries until i built a fixed and ditched the roadie. now my knees hurt if i don't ride for a few days.

Strangely enough it is a constant decline on the way home from my standard commute. I was speaking more along the lines of not being able to keep up a constant pedal over a couple miles though.

I've never had knee problems but I can definitely tell in my knees if my saddle position is off. Only takes a few milimeters to get out of whack. But with a good fit, I would argue that it strengthens knees by building up the muscles supporting them.

Glad this thread came up.

I am about to have a free hub built up into my new frame. I'm curious how I'm going to like it.

But the only reason I'm doing it is knee trouble. I've ridden fixed for a about 3 years now, and my right knee has gotten worse and worse. If I stay off the bike and rest and only ride my geared road bike, it gets better. I'm not sure if it is because of back pedaling or skipping. But something just ain't right when riding a lot of fixed. I can assure you it was not fit related as well.

I'm just really curious now how I'm going to like the SS thing.