Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Rusty Piton on January 30, 2009 at 3:21am

Seriously?
I use a lockring because that's how the hub was designed.
See those two levels of threads? The lockring goes on the one farthest from the hub body.
Put one on or your cog will unthread itself when you resist the rotation of the pedals and you will die horribly under the wheels of a truck.

Permalink Reply by mike w. on January 30, 2009 at 7:14am

Just an informal poll, actually...

i am horrified by the large number of trackies who don't use them. i've been told with a straight face that you "don't need them on the track really, because there's no need to worry about the cog unscrewing"- since of course, you'll never have cause to lock it up (!!)

What? are they saving weight?

i'll need to check the rulebooks regarding that. It seems foolhardy to go without and i don't want to buy it because someone in the bunch stripped out.

The worst crash i ever had involved the threads on a borrowed campag hubbed wheel stripping out at the beginning of an interval sprint. Seems the owner hadn't been too careful about tightening -or using- a lockring. The cog was only just holding on by the remnant threads.

Needless to say, that was the LAST TIME i EVER borrowed a wheel, road or track.

Now that the prevailing urban fashion seems to be fixed gear riding, i wonder how many of the folks i see on fixies are using lockrings -or even track hubs... i have seen a more than a few with track cogs screwed onto road hubs on half-arsed "conversions."

Rusty Piton said:

Seriously?
I use a lockring because that's how the hub was designed.
See those two levels of threads? The lockring goes on the one farthest from the hub body.
Put one on or your cog will unthread itself when you resist the rotation of the pedals and you will die horribly under the wheels of a truck.

Permalink Reply by Rusty Piton on January 30, 2009 at 7:47am

My favorite thing stupid people do is thread a cog onto an old-school freewheel hub and expect some locktite to be sufficient to hold the cog on while riding in traffic.

Permalink Reply by mike w. on January 30, 2009 at 7:52am

YOW.

Darwin Award candidates...

Rusty Piton said:

My favorite thing stupid people do is thread a cog onto an old-school freewheel hub and expect some locktite to be sufficient to hold the cog on while riding in traffic.

Permalink Reply by GabeW (not the other Gabe) on January 30, 2009 at 8:24am

OK, I was reading your question and wondering who didn't use a lockring and what type of fixed hub didn't use one...I assumed all fixed hubs had a lockring to prevent the cog from loosening when you put backpedal pressure on it. Now reading your response, it seams like anybody who knows the simple physics of "rightie tightie, lefty loosey" knows why you need one. It's the same reason why your left pedal is threaded in reverse - so it don't come off at 30mph! (or trying to stop from 30mph)

So now I'm not confused as to types of components, just types of so called mechanics who would suggest such a thing.

(and if I might add, nice pics in your profile mike!)

Permalink Reply by mike w. on January 30, 2009 at 12:50pm

If a mechanic tells you it's okay to omit a lockring, get a new mechanic immediately!!

i have learned over the years that a lot of folks (and racers in particular,) are dangerous with tools in hand. There are riders i've known over the years whom i respect for their athletic abilities but who i would chase away from a workshop and from whom i'd NEVER buy a bike they'd worked on without going over it down to the last bearing.

Unfortunately, you don't always have a choice about who's riding next to or in front of you...
you have to hope that their machines are safe.

Actually, the pedals are designed to unscrew themselves in the event the bearings sieze up (so a clipped-in rider doesn't break an ankle...)

Thanks for the nod for the pics, Gabe. i will admit i stole a couple of 'em... wanted to share and hope i didn't step on the TOS...

GabeW said:

OK, I was reading your question and wondering who didn't use a lockring and what type of fixed hub didn't use one...I assumed all fixed hubs had a lockring to prevent the cog from loosening when you put backpedal pressure on it. Now reading your response, it seams like anybody who knows the simple physics of "rightie tightie, lefty loosey" knows why you need one. It's the same reason why your left pedal is threaded in reverse - so it don't come off at 30mph! (or trying to stop from 30mph)

So now I'm not confused as to types of components, just types of so called mechanics who would suggest such a thing.

(and if I might add, nice pics in your profile mike!)

Permalink Reply by Norm Hansen on February 2, 2009 at 4:47pm

I want to go a little farther on this. If by chance you buy a new Fixed gear Bike or wheel.

I always take Lockring of and cog, inspect threads then lube threads, put cog back on tighten with chainwhip then put lockring back on tighten with a lockring tool.

Make sure that Lock ring is TIGHT.

Permalink Reply by Danielle on February 8, 2009 at 6:39pm

I only use one because I don't want to die, really. If it weren't so fashionably safe, I'd pass.

Permalink Reply by Rusty Piton on February 11, 2009 at 3:07pm

Will I die If I take my old freewheel and braze the pawls so it's fixed?
Is that ok?
I ride breakless kuz breaks R 4 poosies.