so, I'm probably gonna buy a track bike from this guy who is willing to throw in a wheelset for an additional $100.

here is an excerpt from his last email:

***I have a set of Campy lo flange hubs laced to Mavic MA-40 rims,
these are a bomb proof road wheel set that I paid $100 for and redished
(undished) for single speed.
They do not have a provision for a lock ring but I have ridden lots of
miles with similar set up and if you run a brake they are fine.
If you want that set I will include them for an extra $100 and I will
throw in an EAI cog (those are $30) that only has a few miles on it.

my questions are:

1. What does he mean by "redished (undished) for single speed"?

2. Is it unsafe to ride without a lock ring? I intend to put a front brake on, so will I be all set? I am a newbie, too, so I'm probably not gonna be doing any skidding.

3. this sound like a good deal to me... what do you think?


Thanks for your help

M

get a proper wheel set. end

is this not a proper wheelset?

correction:
a proper track/fixed wheelset. Best to start off on the right foot in my opinion.

no, this is not a proper wheelset. this is a freewheel that has been modified for fixed gear use. it is a much better idea to buy a set of inexpensive but track-specific wheels, or at least a rear wheel with a track hub. prices go from real cheap (suze jr. which i hear is crap) to phil wood (gorgeous but mucho expensive -- my phil wheels cost $400 plus) search the forum for specific recommendations, but IRO, surly and others make decent inexpensive hubs, and decent complete wheels featuring these hubs can be had for less than $200. if you want to spend less, bikeworks (www.bikecult.com) has a bottom of the line set for $120. any of these would be much better investment than some homebrew setup like the kind you describe.

yeah, i've seen surlys laced to mavic ma3s on ebay for 130 a pair. don't go the route that guy is talking about. search this forum and see all the grief wheels like that have caused folks (not to say they probably aren't bad wheels for their purpose). listen to 165 and NYCpistarider and tons of other people on here, you won't go wrong, for the most part :-)

I was kinda' wondering how a 130 spaced road hub was gonna' fit that 120 spaced track frame...then it dawned on me that perhaps it's not a track frame after all. MattyO, is it a converted fixie (e.g., ex road frame with ders & brakes removed; 130 spacing) or is it a track frame (no hanger for rear der; 120 spacing)? You'll need to know the rear spacing to buy hubs/wheels.

My road frame was re spaced to 120.

Then, my road frame was re spaced to 135.

Nothing that a sledge hammer and car jack won't adjust.

Yeah, WK, but I imagine MattyO isn't aware of such things since he's new...heck, he might even get getting one of those new-fangled aluminum frames which don't take kindly to respacing...lol.

He moved the hub over to the left by loosening the spokes on the drive side and then tightening the spokes on the non-drive side. The hub (originally with gears) is now centered with the rim, rather than offset to the right to allow for the gear cluster on the drive side.

Yes it's unsafe if you skid a lot. No it's not unsafe if you have a front brake and don't skid at all. If you're gonna go this route, slap on a BB lockring and use some blue Loctite on the threads. Thats what I've got on my ride but I'm gonna build a new rear wheel using a fixed gear specific hub like a Surly or Iro.

Depends on what you're paying for for the rest of the bike. If you're really dead set on these wheels of his, try knocking him down in price since he said he paid $100 for them and then redished them afterwards.

If I were you I'd go with a new set of track/fixed specific wheels, or a rear anyways. As [165] said, better to start of on the right foot.

he said they were redished freewheel hubs, not cassette hubs. probably spaced @ 126. that's not that much of a stretch for a steel track frame.

The jalco sovos wheels are actually pretty good and they look beast.

Well, it's an option for steel frames. And now he knows...

But, AL, well, it's blessed fancy steel really...