Need help converting a BMX Redline Monocog to Fixed Gear

30 Jul 2004 11:01:43 -0700,
<[email hidden]>, [email hidden]

(Lobo Tommy) said:

Is it as easy as that? Just removing the freewheel and adding a fixed
gear sprocket? Sounds a little too easy no?

No, though removing the freewheel requires a special tool.

A lockring would be nice but as long as you've got one brake even
that's not too critical.
--
zk

Quoted message said:

Is it as easy as that? Just removing the freewheel and adding a fixed
gear sprocket? Sounds a little too easy no?

Nope, it's that simple, although if you end up backpedaling to brake, you
are likely to unscrew the track cog from the hub, thus dropping the cog over
the axle, detensioning the chain, letting it droop, allowing it to get
caught in the spokes, winding it up and locking the rear wheel up.

Then the spokes will exceed yield tension and spontaneously all break at
once, because once one goes, they all go. The spoke fragments attached to
the nipples will explode, flying in all directions and piercing through the
rim strip, your tube, your tire, your saddle, and ultimately, your butt.
Then the bike will do a complete endo, sending you, your bike, and your
porcupine-looking derriere flying into a solid concrete mass. This will
break your arms, your legs, your torso, and your head, rendering you a
quivering pile of goo. Then your bike will follow into the immovable
concrete mass, and the frame will bend at the downtube, jamming the front
wheel back giving you a 90-degree headtube angle, and your frame maker will
warranty it. On the way back, you'll fall off the side of a mountain, and
once you reach the parking lot "The Blob" style, you'll open your car door
and nick yourself in the face above your eyebrow. And then you'll come back
here and tell us about it.

Well, okay maybe the last paragraph won't happen, but make sure you have
enough threads to get a lockring, or you could get a proper hub that is
specifically designed to take a lockring.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

"Zoot Katz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

30 Jul 2004 11:01:43 -0700,
<[email hidden]>, [email hidden]

(Lobo Tommy) said:

Is it as easy as that? Just removing the freewheel and adding a fixed
gear sprocket? Sounds a little too easy no?

No, though removing the freewheel requires a special tool.

....and some big muscles and a lot of swear words.

How do I avoid this from happening? Once I have the fixed gear
sprocket where do I put the lock ring?

"ZeeExSixAre" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Is it as easy as that? Just removing the freewheel and adding a fixed
gear sprocket? Sounds a little too easy no?

Nope, it's that simple, although if you end up backpedaling to brake, you
are likely to unscrew the track cog from the hub, thus dropping the cog over
the axle, detensioning the chain, letting it droop, allowing it to get
caught in the spokes, winding it up and locking the rear wheel up.

Then the spokes will exceed yield tension and spontaneously all break at
once, because once one goes, they all go. The spoke fragments attached to
the nipples will explode, flying in all directions and piercing through the
rim strip, your tube, your tire, your saddle, and ultimately, your butt.
Then the bike will do a complete endo, sending you, your bike, and your
porcupine-looking derriere flying into a solid concrete mass. This will
break your arms, your legs, your torso, and your head, rendering you a
quivering pile of goo. Then your bike will follow into the immovable
concrete mass, and the frame will bend at the downtube, jamming the front
wheel back giving you a 90-degree headtube angle, and your frame maker will
warranty it. On the way back, you'll fall off the side of a mountain, and
once you reach the parking lot "The Blob" style, you'll open your car door
and nick yourself in the face above your eyebrow. And then you'll come back
here and tell us about it.

Well, okay maybe the last paragraph won't happen, but make sure you have
enough threads to get a lockring, or you could get a proper hub that is
specifically designed to take a lockring.

(Lobo Tommy) said:

"ZeeExSixAre" <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

This will
break your arms, your legs, your torso, and your head, rendering you a
quivering pile of goo.

Quoted message said:

How do I avoid this from happening? Once I have the fixed gear
sprocket where do I put the lock ring?

The lock ring spins onto the same freewheel threads after the track
cog and is tightened against the cog. The drawback is that it's
threaded in the same direction as the cog, unlike a track hub, so it
offers less protection against unscrewing the cog than a track hub
would. Many people recommend using thread locking compound on the cog
in addition to a lockring against the cog to keep the cog on the hub.

I'm going to write the word "cog" one more time: cog.

A lockring from a non-cartridge bottom bracket has the same thread as
the freewheel threads and can be used as a cog lockring.

Good luck,
Steve

[email hidden] (Lobo Tommy) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

How do I avoid this from happening? Once I have the fixed gear
sprocket where do I put the lock ring?

I'm assuming you have a regular freewheel hub. In this case, you could
use a old BB lockring to help keep the cog secure. I've heard of folks
using Locktite, too.

However, keep in mind that even this is a bit of a hack. Real track
hubs use a smaller left-hand threaded lockring to insure the cog
cannot be spun off.

With your setup, it may be wise to keep both brakes. Just for added
redundancy in the event you still spin off the cog.

One thing I would definitely advise: Dont skimp on your cog. Cheaper
cogs sometimes have sloppy threads, and will take it out on your hub's
threads when you're depending on them most.

"Steve-o" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

I'm going to write the word "cog" one more time: cog.

A lockring from a non-cartridge bottom bracket has the same thread as
the freewheel threads and can be used as a cog lockring.

From Merriam-Webster:
Main Entry: cog
Pronunciation: 'käg
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English cogge, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian kug
cog
1 : a tooth on the rim of a wheel or gear

From Sheldon Brown:
Sprocket
A toothed wheel or gear that is part of a chain drive.
The front sprockets are also commonly called chainwheels or chainrings. The
term "sprocket" is perfectly correct to refer to either front or rear, but use
most adult cyclists use this term mainly to refer to the rear sprockets.

Peter Cole said:

From Merriam-Webster:
Main Entry: cog
Pronunciation: 'käg
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English cogge, of Scandinavian origin; akin to
Norwegian kug cog
1 : a tooth on the rim of a wheel or gear

ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.........................

Bill "liked Monique's reading of the post a bit better" S.

[email hidden] (Lobo Tommy) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I actually need someone to verify this information is correct. This
is what I was roughly told to convert a Redline Monocog to Fixed gear.
I can't believe it's this simple but I'm not a mechanic:

"You can go one of two routes. You can either get an old 110mm Track
hub - because the Monocog is a 110mm rear hub. Or you can use the
existing hub already on the bike. You can unscrew and remove the
freewheel and in it's place put in a fixed gear sprocket. The
sprockets cost around $20. I recommend going to a 14 instead of a 16
because you will keep spinning out."

Is it as easy as that? Just removing the freewheel and adding a fixed
gear sprocket? Sounds a little too easy no?

I found an old nut that would screw onto the threads of a regular
freewheel's thread diameter. It's stopgap and fine if you're just
trying it out for giggles. I pulled it off an old spin bike, but you
might be able to find one at home depot or a local bike shop that
trades in old and unusual stuff.
You'll probably want a sleeve-spacer on the inside between the spokes
and the cog. 3/16" will probably do it.
Otherwise, many hubs are fixed on one side and free on the other. My
Surly fixed hub has been used and abused daily for the past year with
no complaints. It's a 120 spacing, but if your frame is steel it
shouldn't be a problem.
Also, check http://www.63xc.com/
/s