When I was building the various track wheels for the 1978-1983 SRC Raleigh team out of Ames, Iowa, I would keep the cones slightly on the loose side for this very reason.
Andy Bohlmann
Colorado Springs, CO USA
http://www.tourofcolorado.com
http://www.sandcreeksports.com
>I know this may sound silly Tom, but are you sure you are not pulling
> the wheel back to far and thus putting too much tension on the chain.
> If the chain is even a tiny bit too tight it can bind the rear wheel,
> especially if the sprocket and the chainwheel are not quite round or the
> chain alignment is off a bit. Anyway, just a thought.
> Edward Albert,
> Chappaqua, NY, USA
>
>>>> "Tom Hayes" <hayesbikes@gmail.com> 09/30/07 9:54 AM >>>
> Yesterday, after fitting a track bike with a rear wheel and tightening
> the
> locknuts on the dropouts, I noticed that the wheels did not spin
> smoothly
> and stopped abruptly. I surmised that tightening the locknutsl onto the
> frame squeezed or put too much pressure on the cones, forcing it against
> the
> bearings instead of riding smoothly. I used a different rear with the
> same
> result. The spacing in the rear drop-outs is about 114 mm, and the
> wheels
> are approximately the same from locknut to locknut. As it is right now,
> the
> only way I can get the wheel to spin smoothly is to tighten the locknuts
> into a position where, when riding the bike, I would for sure pull the
> rear
> wheel forward or make it go into the chainstays.
>
> Anyone have experience with such a problem and might know a ready
> solution?
> Both wheels have cup and cone bearings.
>
> Thank you.
>
> Cheers.
>
> Tom Hayes
> Chagrin Falls, Ohio USA