I'm looking into getting a fixie and one bike I found had this in the ad,
"Rear cog attached using method popularized by track legend Giovanni Petella: https://204.73.203.34/fisso/eng/schpignone.htm. Warning - not using a track hub with a left handed lock ring is considered dangerous by the bicycling industry and I recommend never depending on using leg/pedal resistance to stop."

I was wondering if any one here has their fixie set up like this or would it be extremely unsafe for a first timer.

Thanks!

Seems like you could just put a lockring on after you get the bike, unless it's got a freewheel only hub.

Yes. It was rotofixed. You can't run a lockring. The cog will spin off eventually. And likely hurt. And the paint on the BB shell is probably all buggered now.

You could run a freewheel.

Or lace a new hub in. One with reverse threading for a lockring.

I use this method to put my cog on before I also put on the lockring...

rotofix...suicide hub same difference both end up in the ER eventually

btw rotofixing is bad for the hub and the wheel in general as you are using a 3' long chain whip which puts really high stresses on everything use a regular track hub and the proper tools for install wheels are cheap hospital bills aren't

or do what most people do to start off go over to BD and get a kilo or and hour and get at it

Thanks everyone,

I just got this email from the buyer "I included left handed lock ring in price, $20 more if you also want a 16 tooth freewheel on non fixed side."

Would that mean that if I bought the bike I could take the chain off and redo it?

That means you'd have the option of installing the rear wheel either way depending on whether you wanted to coast or ride fixed, as the hub will have a fixed cog/lockring on one side and a freewheel on the other.