fixed gear with no lockring?

10timesbetter

right now i still have my stock rear hub, i just pulled off the old 5speed freewheel, and replaced it with one of my old bmx ones, i also have a fixed gear sprocket, which i intend to go to eventually, but it doesn't have the step threads, i can only put on the sprocket, and no lockring, so i was curious if anyone's done this on a road bike for a period of time and had any problems?

I used to have the sprocket on my old bmx bike just to mess around with, and considering you spend a lot more time pedaling forward as opposed to backwards, i never had any problems with it coming loose, when i wanted it off i'd have to hold the back brake and jump on the pedals a few times to even loosen it, but the only difference now, is i'm living in the city, and i don't wanna be in the middle of downtown traffic if that sprocket lets loose,

any opinions? well, any opinions other than the general "i think it's a bad idea and not safe", i'm more of looking for anyone who's rode a fixed gear without a lockring, and what they thing, maybe just a little jbweld on the threads before i put on the sprocket??

climbo

have not done it myself, I know people who have tried it and it worked OK as long as you don't put a lot of back pressure on the cog. If you use a brake and control your slowing down that way instead of using the pedals it should be OK. Definitely use some loc-tite or something like that to keep it on tight though.

10timesbetter

yeah, after i got my bullhorn bars on yesterday, i really wanted the fixed gear, so i ended up putting it on, i still have the front brake on, and it's alright, i took it for a test ride around my block last night, and i tried to stop it on real tight for the first half, then i tried stopping a few times with just my feet, and like the 3rd time the ring spun loose, so i'll just make sure i leave my brake on until it's permanently stuck, i just had a 16t sitting around, eventaully i wanna go back to the 14t i had for a freewheel, and when i do, i think i'm just gonna cover the threads in jbweld, and then put a nice layer around the outside too, and let it sit for a day

closesupport

i spotted a lock ring on ebay yesterday! maybe you could have a look and you may just get lucky rather than making any perminant fixture to your cog.

10timesbetter

easy enough, i bought a hub the other day, and i just got back from the bike store, he had lockrings for $4, so i'm happy, i'm gonna lace up the new wheel this weekend and hopefully when i get back to school on monday i'll be good to go, but for anyone who cares, i've been riding around for a few days now, and it held up alright, the first spin around the block i got it to break loose after locking up the back tire 3 times in a row, but after that, i haven't had any problems, but i have been using my brake too, once i get the new wheel on, i'm just gonna flip the axle around so the spacer is on the non-chain side, and redish the wheel, so it's lined up, and i'll just keep it as a spare single speed wheel with a freewheel on it

3speedfan

I've got two fixed-gear bikes and I've never used a lockring until recently. I've been riding fixed for about six years now and I have never had a cog unscrew itself, despite the fact that I can ride to work (seven miles one way) and never use the handbrake, just using back-pressure on the pedals.

Actually I never learned to skid until last month when someone taught me how to do it but I'm still not confident enough to go brakeless!

10timesbetter

on my bike now, i just put a fixed gear hub on it, but i heard somewhere, that old european bb lockrings were the same size as normal hub threads, can anyone specify on this? it'd just be nice to know for the future,

I tried brakeless for about 2 days, it was enjoyable, i almost slammed into the back of a dumptruck, but the only real problem, is my chain line isn't lined up perfectly, it's lined up good enough that you don't notice much with normal riding, but within those two days, i had the chain pop off twice when i was trying to stop, luckily it wasn't when i was coming up to a redlight or anything like that, and then then final straw was when a pin somehow came out of my chain, and then chain just fell on the ground, I'm working on getting a new right crank arm so i can put a seperate chain ring on the front, a wider one, because right now it's still the thin steel one, and i think a thicker one would be better for the chain, but yeah, i've still got my brake on...

ishiwata

i ride a fix with no lock ring - front and rear brakes, of course - and it's no problem. i don't ride messenger-style of course - no skids, etc. do one big hill and the thing will be stuck on there pretty good.

also, i've heard a rumor that certain older B.B. lockrings will fit on a freewheel hub and work as a make-shift lockring.. any knowledge on this?

10timesbetter

they do, i just took off my good back wheel with the flipflop hub for winter, and put on my old stock wheel, with the flipped axle adn redished rim, and i've got a track cog and a bb lock ring, i did a skid at some point in the day and it came a little loose, but i tightened it back up, and i'm gonna put some loctite on it and see hwo it goes, i did but the front brake on though while i've got that wheel on it

ishiwata

can you just use any english bb ring? or is it something obscure?

10timesbetter

standard english bb lockring, i go to my local bike shop and find them laying on the ground, and he sells them to me for 50 cents, haha

franklin pierce

I'm a very abusive rider, I've made cogs slip even with lockrings. The lockring did its job and the cog didn't come all the way off, so no thanks on the no lockring idea.

10timesbetter

i've got mine on temporarily just the cog and lockring, but like i said, i put the brake back on and i've been nicer to the bike, but my friend has some of the strong loctite i'm going to use when i get back to school, if you're gonna keep the wheel like that long term i'd recomment some loctite or jbweld, unless you take it easy on the wheel, then it's not a big deal

victorthewombat

Basically I do not like to ride a fixie sans the lockring. That said, with blue lock tite it has been my experience the bloody cog stays on there pretty well... the problem is do not do too much riding that is going to use back pressure ie; going downhill.

As for bottom bracket lock rings yes it works surprisingly well. My experience was the same as 10timesbetter, after everyride I would have to retighten the bottom bracket lockring with a spanner.

VTW