Re: [CR]Track hub Newby question

This is a subject that comes up regularly on the fixed gear list. You may wish to check out their archives. http://archive.davintech.ca/fixed-gear/ If you are considering putting a track axle on a freewheel hub, you might wish to try out the quick release first. It will almost certainly hold fine. The freewheel threads are a little wider than the right hand track threads. The combined right hand and left hand threads of a track hub are about the width of a normal freewheel threading. You can thread a single speed freewheel onto a track hub with maybe a bit more than half of the threads engaged with no problems other than a slightly different chainline. Steve Barner also mentioned using a BB lockring to lock a fixed cog on a freewheel hub. Some people on the fixed gear list advocate it or even no lock ring or just locktite as a cheap conversion and have had little problems with it, but there seem to be just as many stories of cogs backing off at the worst times. As long as you have proper brakes, no lockring isn't a problem, but that kinda negates the purpose of the fixed gear. I personally advocate a proper track hub with reversed lockring. Most of us on the CR list are collectors and a fixed hub wheel can be built or purchased fairly cheaply if you wish to just try it out. Check out the fixed gear gallery for inspiration: http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/ The only problem I see is that you might just get hooked on it. I started riding fixed only three years ago, and I just put together my fourth, and still never ridden one on a track. Its a sickness. ;^)

Dan Artley Parkton, Maryland
>>> "Stephen Barner" steve@sburl.com> 03/12/2004 8:59:07 AM >> We recently had a thread on the topic of threading track cogs onto freewheel hubs (a pun there). Personally, I hold the opinion that a satisfactory setup is not likely to result from the use of a right-hand threaded lockring. Perhaps your mileage will vary, but it didn't work for me when I tried it 30 years ago. But, this brings up a survey topic. We are just starting the season up here in northern Vermont, where we have plenty of hills. You fixed gear riders out there...what are you running for gear ratios, and what kind of terrain are you riding? We did a similar thread at the end of last winter, but it would be interesting to see if anything has changed. --Steve Barner, Bolton, Vermont, where it is forcast to start snowing again in a couple of hours.

> Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2004 20:58:45 EST
> From: Bikerdaver@aol.com
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: [CR]Track hub Newby question
>
> Hello-
> I have never done any track racing nor have I ever had a single speed, but I
> am thinking that might change. I have a newby question that is probably easy
> to answer for most folks on the list, so I could use some help. Are the threads
> on a regular freewheel hub compatible or equal to the threads on a track hub?
> That is to say if I have a Campy NR track axle complete with washers, nuts,
> cones, etc., can I replace it with the axle assembly in a regular Campy NR hub?
> >From what I know, it seems to me that the amount of threads to mount a
> freewheel are basically the same amount for the track cog. Am I just doing some
> wishful thinking or what? Cheers>
> Dave Anderson
> Cut Bank MT