Cog break in period or am I doing something wrong?
 

So, I got a new tark cog today and had my LBS put it on for me (i don't have a chain whip or lock ring tool). They told me that I should come in in a few days and have them give the lock ring another crank. This is a reputable shop and the tech is experienced with fixed gear bikes. Is a cog/lock ring always expected to have a settling period or are we doing something wrong?

Whenever I've put on a cog myself or had the LBS put it on I eventually get some slippage in a week or two. In another thread this was treated like a result of poor setup. Is it really, or do the rest of you get this break in period?
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I can't say I have ever heard of that. I would think that you would be able to get the cog sufficiently tight the first time. I have only tightened my cog once, when I initially installed it, and it has not come loose at all. This all being said, my fixed gear experience is limited (>1 year), so I may just be ignorant.

bestway to tighten a cog/lockring is the rotafix method(im sure someone here has the link to it) after you rotafix your cog on, tighten your lockring and you should be set for quite a while

yeah i'm not an expert or anything

but i've changed cogs and lockrings many, many times, and the only time i've ever had slippage of the cog was when the cog itself wasn't deep enough for the hub, so the lockring wasn't able to touch it.

other then that, with the proper cog/lockring, never had slippage.

seems like they/you aren't tightening something properly.

yeah, it happens. depending how strong/big you are and how strong/big the LBS person is that put on the cog.

Thanks for the input.
I did rotafix one of the times that it slipped, but I didn't have a proper lockring tool so I think that's where I went wrong there.
The other time it was installed by a guy that probably didn't have as much fg experience (they aren't that popular where I'm from)
Anyway, I'll see how it goes this time. I saw the guy tighten it this time and it looked like he got a good do on it.

If the cog slips it wasn't installed properly. If it slips when pedaling it wasn't tightened enough and now the lockring won't be tight which is a great way to strip the threads on your hub going back and forth between tight and loose. If it slips when you're doing an amazing 1000 foot skid the lockring wasn't tightened enough. Both of these are completely avoidable. I'd suggest learning how to do it yourself, especially if your shop is doing it wrong.

I've been riding fixed gear bikes for years, and I've never had a cog slip that was tightened properly (using a chain whip). I put a good amount of grease on the threads, too, to keep them from seizing.

http://204.73.203.34/fisso/eng/schpignone.htm

I use the Rotafix method. Then I ride up the biggest hill I can find. Then I crank down on the lockring as tight as I can.

As for lockrings, get yourself a nice steel one. Scrod's got $10 lockrings in his shop. I personally use a Dura Ace lockring, which you can find on eBay for $11 and some change. I've never actually had an issue with an alloy lockring, but because it is such a highly stressed component in street riding, it's not a part I feel comfortable skimping material/weight on.

i also suggest checking your lockring before every ride, or at least once a week, just in case

you're better off 'wasting' 2 mins to check it before you leave than risking damage to your rear hub or worse yet, yourself

I don't trust the Rotafix method as described with ...
Always use a lockring! If there is any break-in period it is because it wasn't tightened properly to begin with. Grease the threads tighten with whip, ride a hill, rotafix it, whatever. Then lock it in with a lockring tightened properly.

No. He's not.

I wouldn't ride on the street without a lockring either. That sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

as i said in another thread,the only time i have had a slippage issue was when the threads on the hub were not machined properly. I love the rotofix method and then tighten down the lockring. I need to be careful as I can strip the lockring threads if im not careful while installing it... it also helps to have quality machined parts, NJS all the way! LOL! :p really though the cog and lockring are the only NJS parts that will EVER touch my bike... :lol:

this is what i hate about inexperienced car modifiers jumping ship to fixed gear.

engines have 'break in periods' bikes don't. bikes just have 'poorly installed cogs'

OP, sorry if i missed this but are you rocking a suicide hub?

Nope, regular fixed gear hub (left and right threads). The rotafixing was just to get the cog really tight - I'm not going without a lockring like the rotafix site implies you can.

Huh. Well, keep us posted, i guess. I rotafix with a lockring and have had no problems so far. Also i don't use a "proper" lockring tool, i filed down a pair of channel locks (like this) and they work great. Just me though.

I'd consider that proper enough. Flathead screwdriver and a hammer ... not cool

I've never had a cog slip - and I've also never used the rotafix method.

this reminds me, I never thightened my cog/lockring. Hasn't failed me after 4 years, and if the hub is stripped than oh well.

You're also a big dude and can put out a lot more force on a chainwhip and lockring tool. There have been multiple times where I just could not put out enough torque to get a lockring/cog off and had to resort to using a pipe extension or Rotafix to get a larger lever arm.

I'd look into buying these tools. They aren't terribly expensive and they can allow you to work on your own bike(s).

As others have said- if it's put on right the first time you shouldn't have to go back for re-tightening.

+1

here's my 2 cents:

- buy a chainwhip and lockring tool
- grease your threads well
- install your cog tight and then your lockring tight
- go climb a hill
- at the top, check and re-tighten your lockring if necessary

i've always done this and have never had any issues and have never really had to retighten the lockring or cog.

if you do it right the first time, you should be good to go, but you should always double check with a new cog/lockring install.

True.