Going fixed - can someone take a peek at my hub?

[Justin Fox]

Hi all,

Just picked up this bike from eBay. It's a freewheel single speed but I'd like to convert it to fixed, just to see if I like fixed (or not!).

I was just wondering if I could do it on the current rear wheel that's on the bike? I can't quite get my head around the hub/s at the moment. Is my rear wheel useless for fixed? Or is that cog on the back a freewheel cog and I can just replace it with a standard track cog?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Pic:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3069/2426967460_4ce206bb62_o.jpg

[pistol]

i would say you probably wont be able to just put a fixed cog on the bike unless you have two different threads on the same side,

fixed hubs have the larger thread that the cog screws onto and then a smaller thread that the lock nut screws onto to stop the cog unwinding when your slowing down! that hubs a free wheeling only hub

pete

[addmin]

hmm i wonder if you would be able to somehow put a bolt through the freewheel into the hub, this would involve drilling through the freewheel and into the hub which would be risky as inside the hub you have bearings, cones, etc to deal with it,

i have seen it done successfully with a cassette style hub (see link)
http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/articles/panula/freehub/

what do others think?? would it work or would the internals of the hub get in the way too much

[Sekt]

Whatever you do to it, you'll end up with what is known as a suicide hub. They're called that with good reason. Dangerous and likely to fail at the worst possible moment.

Spend $120 and pick up a cheap fixed hub.

As mentioned, a track hub has a thread for the cog and a second reverse thread that takes a lock ring. Any back pressure on the pedals that may unwind the cog will cause it to tighten into the lock ring, which will actually keep it screwed on.

[Justin Fox]

Ah OK! All good guys, thanks for that.

I'll look into a new rear wheel then, perhaps something with a flip/flop one side fixed one not which I've seen on eBay international.

Cheers.

[stabbsy]

flip flop is here

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Single-Speed-Fixed-Gear-Flip-Flop-Track-Wheels-Wheelset_W0QQitemZ350049673380QQihZ022QQcategoryZ5 8099QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Ambrosio-hand-built-track-wheelset-flip-flop-rear-hub_W0QQitemZ180232622696QQihZ008QQcategoryZ58099Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[dirtlove]

Looks like a frame I've got. Is it an old apollo? I'd be interested to know how it holds up to fixed riding. Thinking about transferring the parts from my current fixed bike as the frame is bigger on the old one.

['Ross]

Can you take a birds eye view pic of the hub? For the record you can get fixed cogs that will screw on where your freewheel is, the only thing Im unsure about is fitting a lockring on. Ive never seen a lockring big enough to fit that thread, but there is a chance they exist.

[addmin]

the only thing Im unsure about is fitting a lockring on. Ive never seen a lockring big enough to fit that thread, but there is a chance they exist.


could you use the lockring off a bottom bracket??

[Customjimmy]

Firstly, the fixie thread (http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=54357&highlight=fixie)well help with all your fixie needs. A new hub is definitely the go.

[Sekt]

It somewhat defeats the purpose of a lockring when it is threaded in the same direction as the cog. It's ok for stuff like headsets where there's not large amounts of torque being applied, but on a rear hub it's not going to achieve much.

[jasco]

Can you take a birds eye view pic of the hub? For the record you can get fixed cogs that will screw on where your freewheel is, the only thing Im unsure about is fitting a lockring on. Ive never seen a lockring big enough to fit that thread, but there is a chance they exist.

1st up, The freewheel thread is the same as a track cog

2nd There is pretty much no use in putting a lockring that is threaded in the same direction as what you're trying to stop coming off.

For someone who talks so much about fixies Ross, you seem to have missed a couple of key bits of information about it.

-Garth

[alexb618]

Can you take a birds eye view pic of the hub? For the record you can get fixed cogs that will screw on where your freewheel is, the only thing Im unsure about is fitting a lockring on. Ive never seen a lockring big enough to fit that thread, but there is a chance they exist.

its the same thread but without the lockring reverse thread

not that big a deal to fix that type of hub so long as you are using brakes to slow down

[n plus one]

Like the boys said - it's a suicide set up.

But hey I'm not gunna' judge you - may be we would be better off without you, who knows?

So here goes - get some HD grade loctite and install your cog tight as a barstard.

Then do the same with a BB lock ring.

Then if you're keen you can clean the area and use liquid metal on the lockring thread area or score the thread with a chisel - to prevent uncrewing.

And run at least one brake.

Or not.

[shue]

Like the boys said - it's a suicide set up.

But hey I'm not gunna' judge you - may be we would be better off without you, who knows?

So here goes - get some HD grade loctite and install your cog tight as a barstard.

Then do the same with a BB lock ring.

Then if you're keen you can clean the area and use liquid metal on the lockring thread area or score the thread with a chisel - to prevent uncrewing.

And run at least one brake.

Or not.

Death.

Remember Murphy's Law: "If anything bad can happen; it will happen".

['Ross]

1st up, The freewheel thread is the same as a track cog

2nd There is pretty much no use in putting a lockring that is threaded in the same direction as what you're trying to stop coming off.

For someone who talks so much about fixies Ross, you seem to have missed a couple of key bits of information about it.

-Garth

ok superstar, ive never tried to put a fixed cog on a freehwheel thread but its obviously possible. A lockring is not totally essential anyway, just ask lebronmtb.

I did forget a key piece of information about lockrings :p but having one on there would surely provide some bit of resistance if the cog was to unscrew.

[Blas4me]

<snip> I did forget a key piece of information about lockrings :p but having one on there would surely provide some bit of resistance if the cog was to unscrew.

Maybe. Or maybe it's so the "tink" as it comes off alerts you to the fact that the cog will be next? ;)

My first two fixed wheel bikes had suicide hub conversions, but they both had at least a front brake, plus I'm not much of a skidder (ohhhh, I got 15 inches that time!)
I have a flip flop hub now, that I got not long after my first forays in fixedwheeling, and still run the front brake for if I need to flip it to freewheeling.

I still can't skid though...