Fixed gear problem, help!
 

Hey, I just bought a fixed gear bike second hand and today i can suddenly pedal backward/coast. There's no resistance at all, it's as if it were a single speed, not fixed. I can still pedal forward, and that part feels the same. Any ideas?

Update, here's a pic http://i.imgur.com/p4LmE.jpg if that helps.

Thats odd. What happens when you shift gears. Sounds to me like you have a single speed. Is there a cog on the other side of the hub? You might need to flip the wheel around!

Your "fixed gear" was most likely a single speed bike with a bunch of Loctite in the freewheel. Common scam.

damn, i was hoping i wouldn't have to track down the guy i got it from. still have the # though.

this.
If it has a flip flop hub, tracking him down might not be worth it. He probably won't return your calls anyway. Just put a cog and lockring on the other side of the hub and call it good if the rest of the bike is ok.

EDIT:
Looks like you have a quick release back wheel. In other words, you're gonna need even more parts to make it a proper FG. Find this man and make him pay.

good luck

That is definitely a single speed cog from the picture..

Thanks for the help. Should have done more research before buying!

people throw loctite in singlespeed cogs? crazy...

I would think something like jbweld or some other epoxy would work better.

this

Nice freewheel, bro!

Oops! That's what I meant. JB Weld.

Rather than locking up a freewheel with JB Weld, why not just thread a fixed cog onto the hub? It might spin off but so will a locked up freewheel.

OP: did the bike freewheel when you test rode it?

Use a BB lockring to help hold the fixed cog in place. It's not as strong as a reverse threaded track lockring, but better than nothing. Install a front brake and avoid skid stops.

Yep.

Womp womp.

Hopefully it came with some brakes.

Quick release works fine as long as it's tightened properly. Makes chain tensioning a literal two-second job.

I think what EpicSchwinn meant was that since it's a quick release it's likely not a track hub capable of running a lockring.

while I don't agree with your logic, and I don't like you strictly based on your user ID I'm going to say it's unlikely a track hub based on equally faulty logic that the hub is low flange and in my time jerking off to bike parts I'm not able to recall seeing a low flange track hub, at least for a rear wheel.

Though after googling I did find them.

Definitely not a track hub. No doubts.

If you don't mind spending a little money you could just buy a wheelset and put that on there. When I wanted to try fixed the first thing I did was strip the deraileur and buy an alexrims wheelset. Some people on this forum don't like this company but it is perfect for a newbie just looking to wet his beak. Anyway the rear wheel will run you about 100$ and comes with a flip flop hub (yes! you can keep that freewheel you payed for!). You may also need a new chain. I ran into this problem as my old chain was too thin, I bought a BMX chain for strength.

<--- has a low flange track hub

You're obviously jerking off to the wrong pictures:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1133/...58b8ec2c_o.jpg

av - what the hell's up with your sig???

:lol: So many Wesley Willis songs. I forgot that one.

pretty sure he's going Sheen on us...

Off topic for bikes, on topic for Wesley Willis. The Daddy of Rock and Roll made me want to cry. If you enjoy Wesley Willis this will increase both respect for and enjoyment of the man and his music. Also in the last couple of weeks I've heard of a ton of people falling victim to CL scams of various sorts, I wonder if there is more scamming than usual, or I just know people who have had ****ty luck lately.

My good friend Valentina was dating the bass player from his band back in 1997-98. I was lucky enough to be around him whenever I would visit Chicago and got to know him pretty well. One of my best memories of him was the time we took him out for ice cream and he jumped up on a booth, began flapping his arms and shouting "I'm a bird! I'm a big ol' bird mother****er! Read 'em and weep! I'm a bird and I got ice cream!"

Nothing but love for that dude.

I don't know what you're talking about but I think I'm flattered.

7 gram rocks.