Double Fixed Wheel.

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OP
OP
Boon 51

Boon 51

Veteran
Location
Deal. Kent.
What would be the supposed advantage to having them both on the same side?

Being lazy so you don't have to take the wheel out. lol
 
D

Deleted member 26715

Guest
I assume if you use a chain tensioner then it would be convenient, that does not resolve the chainline though.
But wouldn't that sort of defeat the perceived advantages of a fixed gear bike?
 

Ian H

Ancient randonneur
A tensioner won't work with fixed. Neither will leaving the chain slack (or it might for a while until it comes off). So you'd have to slacken and move the wheel to re-tension each time you changed gear. Perhaps marginally less trouble than turning the wheel around. You would probably get away with chain alignment using a flexible derailleur chain, but it would be less than optimal.
 

Milkfloat

An Peanut
Location
Midlands
Actually ignore me - a chain tensioner on a fixed gear bike would be a really bad idea.

Edit: cross post with Ian. I just imagined trying to pedal backwards on a fixed gear with a chain tensioner, all sorts of pain came to mind.
 

Sharky

Guru
Location
Kent
A dual fixed set up would be a solution for hubs which have a lock nut thread only on one side.

It may also have been a solution for TT riders in the 30's and 40's. I believe some riders when riding a straight out and back timetrial would ride a lower gear into a headwind and then turn the wheel to give a higher gear for the return leg. A dual fixed sprocket would be quicker than flip/flopping the rear wheel.
 

battered

Guru
what do you do about the chainline though - its either a bit out on both or a lot out on one?

and chain tension as you change sprockets?
I've never met anyone who can set chainline to that degree of precision. You do need to reset the tension. A friend has this arrangement on her old French ladies' bike. Easy done. Racers used to do this all the time, pre derailleur.
 

All uphill

Still rolling along
Location
Somerset
Maybe I'm wrong, but...

I fancy building up my old Raleigh with a 16/18 combination at the back and with a 44/42 crankset. That way (in my mind) I'd get two gear ratios, constant chain length and two perfect chain lines.

Hmmm.
 
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