FIXIE REAR WHEEL HELP

[Joe24]

From Sheldon Brown: (but what does he know?)

I should mention that there are those who say you shouldn't use a lockring. This theory is based on the fact that if the chain should come off the chainwheel and get caught, a sprocket without a lockring will just unscrew, rather than locking up the rear wheel.

My feeling is that it is better to use a lockring so that you can rely on being able to slow the bike down with your feet, especially if you ride with only one brake.

That isnt fact though, thats Sheldons opinion. It would be the same as Sheldons opinion on helmets.
Im not saying he is wrong for wanting to ride with a lockring, and i wouldnt mock or think someone is wrong for using a lockring.
Im telling the person who has started the opening post about a cheap way of doing it, that still safe.
Its just a different way of doing it, and its my opinion that you dont need a lockring, if the sprocket is put on right.

 

[Eat MY Dust]

That isnt fact though, thats Sheldons opinion.

Like I said what does he know. My lockring was free, so my method is as cheap as yours, but safer.

 

[Joe24]

I know some long standing fixed wheel riders (multiple PBP finishers) who've had incidents of sprockets without lockrings coming undone. It's rarely catastrophic as it is, apparently, obvious when the sprocket is starting to unscrew and you can simply apply the brakes whilst continuing to pedal. It may be a little hairy if this occurs whilst going downhill. Find a nearby hill and hnnnnnrrrgh up it and it'll be reasonable tight again.

If you're riding brakeless and it starts to come undone then it could be interesting, but then you're taking your life into your own hands riding brakeless anyway.

The main thing is that without a lockring there's always a risk that it can come undone and it does, albeit rarely, happen. Untightening doesn't always require a huge constant force (as you would apply with a chainwhip). Lots of jolts caused by skid-stopping and general pressure of leg-braking can do it over time.

I have to use a lockring as I use Miche Sprockets on a carrier. The sprockets sit on the carrier (they don't screw on to anything) and so a lockring is required to hold them in place.

Exactly. Although, ive tried the riding up a steep hill to tighten the sprocket up. I didnt find it did it up as much as it needed.
If you use a lockring though, you can do this, then put the lockring on tight and it shouldnt move.
But when i did it and then didnt tighten the lockring up to the sprocket and i skidded, the sprocket undid itself to the lockring.
When my mate used his chainwhip(i dont have a chainwhip) to tighten up the sprocket, i could skid on it and the sprocket wouldnt move, even without a lockring on.

 

[Joe24]

Like I said what does he know. My lockring was free, so my method is as cheap as yours, but safer.

So were my lockrings, i want a coloured one though

 

[Greenbank]

Exactly. Although, ive tried the riding up a steep hill to tighten the sprocket up. I didnt find it did it up as much as it needed.

That's why I said "reasonably tight".

Without a chainwhip you can always use the "Rotafix" method which can impart much more force (well torque) than a chainwhip and doesn't require any special tools (but it does require a bit of messing around with the chain).