skewers for fixie

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

Quoted message said:

Has anyone tried riding a fixie with a skewer on the back wheel, seem to
remember that this was a big no no as the chain tension would pull the

wheel

Quoted message said:

out from the dropouts. the front shouldnt really make that much difference
though.

The reason i am asking is i have aquired some new wheels but they have
skewer axles, is it easy to replace the skewer axle with a solid.

cheers
Jon_H

reading through another post i had a quick look on Sheldon Brown's site and
he has ridden with a skewer on the rear, so i think i'll give it a go.

cheers
Jon_H

Jon_H said:

reading through another post i had a quick look on Sheldon Brown's
site and he has ridden with a skewer on the rear, so i think i'll
give it a go.

cheers
Jon_H

In my experience a QR skewer is usually fine, an allen bolt skewer is
usually not fine. Be sure to crank it down hard.

Jon_H said:

Has anyone tried riding a fixie with a skewer on the back wheel, seem to
remember that this was a big no no as the chain tension would pull the wheel
out from the dropouts. the front shouldnt really make that much difference
though.

Well, I don't pull a wheel over on my road bike with horizontal
dropouts, so yes it will work. Don't expect to be allowed on a
velodrome though.

I cannot see why the chain tension is any different on a fixie to a
freewheel/cassette of the same gear ratio. A freewheel/cassette is
effectively a solid drive when the chain is in tension - isn't it?? I have
never had any problems with skewers in my fixie back wheels.

"Zog The Undeniable" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:418a90c8.0@entanet...

Quoted message said:

Jon_H said:

Has anyone tried riding a fixie with a skewer on the back wheel, seem to
remember that this was a big no no as the chain tension would pull the

wheel

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

out from the dropouts. the front shouldnt really make that much

difference

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

though.

Well, I don't pull a wheel over on my road bike with horizontal
dropouts, so yes it will work. Don't expect to be allowed on a
velodrome though.

In article <[email hidden]>, Jon_H

Quoted message said:

reading through another post i had a quick look on Sheldon Brown's site and
he has ridden with a skewer on the rear, so i think i'll give it a go.

cheers
Jon_H

I've used steel skewers (cheaper than aluminum too!). Just clamp down
tightly. And for those with non-QR axles; an option to hexagonal bolts
are steel wingnuts. I've used these on and off for years on horiz
drops. More appealing to the eye also.

luke

The skewers are now on order to give it a go.

cheers
Jon_H

Graham Steer said:

I cannot see why the chain tension is any different on a fixie to a
freewheel/cassette of the same gear ratio. A freewheel/cassette is
effectively a solid drive when the chain is in tension - isn't it?? I
have never had any problems with skewers in my fixie back wheels.

Fixies usually have horizontal dropouts. Therefore, the axle is free to
move fore and aft in these dropouts if not tightened down enough. A
freewheel/cassette is usually used with vertical dropouts or horizontal
dropouts with a chain tensioner and attached derailleur hanger. This means
that with a freewheel/cassette, the wheel cannot move fore and aft in the
dropout. Therefore less clamping force is required on a bike with multiple
gears.
--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

Phil said:

Graham Steer said:

I cannot see why the chain tension is any different on a fixie to a
freewheel/cassette of the same gear ratio. A freewheel/cassette is
effectively a solid drive when the chain is in tension - isn't it?? I
have never had any problems with skewers in my fixie back wheels.

Fixies usually have horizontal dropouts. Therefore, the axle is free
to move fore and aft in these dropouts if not tightened down enough.
A freewheel/cassette is usually used with vertical dropouts or
horizontal dropouts with a chain tensioner and attached derailleur
hanger. This means that with a freewheel/cassette, the wheel cannot
move fore and aft in the dropout. Therefore less clamping force is
required on a bike with multiple gears.

Also, if a wheel does slip on a derailer equipped bike, you will know by
the tire rubbing on the frame. If a wheel slips on a fixie you will know
by the chain losing tension and possibly falling off, causing an accident.

Jon_H said:

Has anyone tried riding a fixie with a skewer on the back wheel, seem
to remember that this was a big no no as the chain tension would pull
the wheel out from the dropouts. the front shouldnt really make that
much difference though.

The reason i am asking is i have aquired some new wheels but they have
skewer axles, is it easy to replace the skewer axle with a solid.

cheers
Jon_H

Should be OK if you get a skewer with an internal cam.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/skewers.html

--
Andy Morris

AndyAtJinkasDotFreeserve.Co.UK

Love this:
Put an end to Outlook Express's messy quotes
http://home.in.tum.de/~jain/software/oe-quotefix/

Jon_H said:

The reason i am asking is i have aquired some new wheels but they have
skewer axles, is it easy to replace the skewer axle with a solid.

cheers
Jon_H

To answer the solid axle question- the change over is easy. The
threading will depend on the hub. Take your axle in and have the bike
shop find a replacement. Remove the cones, etc., and swap it over to
the solid axle. Remember to get nuts! When I bought a solid axle, the
nuts weren't included.

Jon_H said:

Has anyone tried riding a fixie with a skewer on the back wheel, seem to
remember that this was a big no no as the chain tension would pull the wheel
out from the dropouts. the front shouldnt really make that much difference
though.

The reason i am asking is i have aquired some new wheels but they have
skewer axles, is it easy to replace the skewer axle with a solid.

Either system works if everything is lubricated and
installed correctly.

Modern external cam QR skewers stink IMHO , especially
compared to classic design skewers.

And yes, if you prefer solid it's a simple switch.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

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

Phil said:

Quoted message said:

Fixies usually have horizontal dropouts. Therefore, the axle is free
to move fore and aft in these dropouts if not tightened down enough.
A freewheel/cassette is usually used with vertical dropouts or
horizontal dropouts with a chain tensioner and attached derailleur
hanger. This means that with a freewheel/cassette, the wheel cannot
move fore and aft in the dropout. Therefore less clamping force is
required on a bike with multiple gears.

I don't believe this is true. In my experience the deraileur doesn't stop
the wheel from moving forward on a bike with horizontal dropouts. I had a
bike with chrome dropouts that needed to have the skewers very tight or upon
a sprint or steep hill the bike would come to a halt as a result of the
drive side slipping forward and the tire being pushed hard into the left
chainstay. This is the exact same result I had one (and only) time on my
fixed gear when my skewer wasn't tight enough. The cure in both cases was
simply tighten the skewer a bit more and then no problems regardless how
steep the hill or hard the sprint.

Quoted message said:

Also, if a wheel does slip on a derailer equipped bike, you will know by
the tire rubbing on the frame. If a wheel slips on a fixie you will know
by the chain losing tension and possibly falling off, causing an accident.

Emphasis on "possibly". As noted above, my bike just came to a stop from
the pressure of the tire on the left chainstay. I am not at all
uncomfortable using a skewer on my fixed gear. If the skewer is tight
enough the wheel doesn't move on my bikes.

In article <[email hidden]>,
"Phil, Squid-in-Training" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Graham Steer said:

I cannot see why the chain tension is any different on a fixie to a
freewheel/cassette of the same gear ratio. A freewheel/cassette is
effectively a solid drive when the chain is in tension - isn't it?? I
have never had any problems with skewers in my fixie back wheels.

Fixies usually have horizontal dropouts. Therefore, the axle is free to
move fore and aft in these dropouts if not tightened down enough. A
freewheel/cassette is usually used with vertical dropouts or horizontal
dropouts with a chain tensioner and attached derailleur hanger. This means
that with a freewheel/cassette, the wheel cannot move fore and aft in the
dropout. Therefore less clamping force is required on a bike with multiple
gears.

Sorry Phil you are wrong on this one.

I have plenty of bikes with (near)horizontal dropouts, both freewheeling
and fixed. Nuts or skewers, either works on either. Some skewers don't
work, but good ones do.

Fixies don't have any more chain tension than freewheel bikes. They do
have tension both ways, though.

On a fixie, is the chain tension higher when driving or braking the
wheel? [Stands back]

Jon_H said:

Has anyone tried riding a fixie with a skewer on the back wheel, seem to
remember that this was a big no no as the chain tension would pull the
wheel out from the dropouts. the front shouldnt really make that much
difference though.

No problem at all. As long as you use a good skewer and cinch it up
tight, it works IMNSHO better than bolts. For one thing, changing a tire
is no problem. The wheel should not slip. I occasionally climb hills
that are as steep as I can bash up, with no slipping. And I weigh 200
lbs, so that bashing up hills would be a good test.

But use a skewer with an enclosed cam, and of course a steel rod. No
weight-weenie ti skewers for this. I actually recommend Shimano skewers,
since I did have trouble with an old Campy one (though maybe it just
needed lubrication; however, the Shimano works great).

--

David L. Johnson

__o | If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a
_`\(,_ | conclusion. -- George Bernard Shaw
(_)/ (_) |

Dan Daniel said:

Remember to get nuts! When I bought a solid axle, the nuts weren't
included.

And real track nuts are expensive. Be prepared for that.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | When you are up to your ass in alligators, it's hard to remember
_`\(,_ | that your initial objective was to drain the swamp. -- LBJ
(_)/ (_) |

Jacobe Hazzard said:

Quoted message said:

Fixies usually have horizontal dropouts. Therefore, the axle is free to
move fore and aft in these dropouts if not tightened down enough. A
freewheel/cassette is usually used with vertical dropouts or horizontal
dropouts with a chain tensioner and attached derailleur hanger.

What the chain tensioner (?) or derailleur hanger has to do with this
is not clear. A road bike with horizontal dropouts, or a track bike with
standard fork ends, will be the same mechanically as far as the issue of a
wheel being pulled out of position is concerned.

Quoted message said:

Also, if a wheel does slip on a derailer equipped bike, you will know by
the tire rubbing on the frame. If a wheel slips on a fixie you will know
by the chain losing tension and possibly falling off, causing an
accident.

Oh. pshaw. The only time you might have a wheel shift is in a steep
climb, and the wheel will do exactly the same thing, fixed or derailleur.
In this situation, the freewheel is locked in place by the tension, so
acts in exactly the same way as a fixed gear. In either case, the chain
might fall off, but by then you will be stopping anyway, since your wheel
will be rubbing on the stays and you will be at a near stop.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all
_`\(,_ | mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so
(_)/ (_) | that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am
nothing. [1 Corinth. 13:2]

Luke said:

tightly. And for those with non-QR axles; an option to hexagonal bolts are
steel wingnuts. I've used these on and off for years on horiz drops. More
appealing to the eye also.

Wing nuts? Thanks, but no thanks. I had a bike with wing nuts once.
RPITA.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | And what if you track down these men and kill them, what if you
_`\(,_ | killed all of us? From every corner of Europe, hundreds,
(_)/ (_) | thousands would rise up to take our places. Even Nazis can't
kill that fast. -- Paul Henreid (Casablanca).

Jacobe Hazzard said:

In my experience a QR skewer is usually fine, an allen bolt skewer is
usually not fine. Be sure to crank it down hard.

I agree. I did try an allen-bolt skewer ( since I wanted the wheel to be
track-legal). I found that they cannot take as much tension, since the
tension is applied by torquing the skewer, tending to shear it off. this
happened to me once. Never found the other end. But with a QR the
tension is not applied with torque, so you can make it much tighter
without breaking it.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Become MicroSoft-free forever. Ask me how.
_`\(,_ |
(_)/ (_) |

Ted said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
"Phil, Squid-in-Training" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Graham Steer said:

I cannot see why the chain tension is any different on a fixie to a
freewheel/cassette of the same gear ratio. A freewheel/cassette is
effectively a solid drive when the chain is in tension - isn't it??
I have never had any problems with skewers in my fixie back wheels.

Fixies usually have horizontal dropouts. Therefore, the axle is
free to move fore and aft in these dropouts if not tightened down
enough. A freewheel/cassette is usually used with vertical dropouts
or horizontal dropouts with a chain tensioner and attached
derailleur hanger. This means that with a freewheel/cassette, the
wheel cannot move fore and aft in the dropout. Therefore less
clamping force is required on a bike with multiple gears.

Sorry Phil you are wrong on this one.

I'm not sure how I'm wrong.

Quoted message said:

I have plenty of bikes with (near)horizontal dropouts, both
freewheeling and fixed. Nuts or skewers, either works on either.
Some skewers don't work, but good ones do.

Agreed.

Quoted message said:

Fixies don't have any more chain tension than freewheel bikes. They
do have tension both ways, though.

No disagreement here.

Quoted message said:

On a fixie, is the chain tension higher when driving or braking the
wheel?

Driving, of course. Are you asking or are you telling?

I think I didn't make myself clear earlier. When I spoke of horizontal
dropouts with gears, I was speaking of the type of replaceable DROPOUT on
up-and-coming mountain bikes, some of which are dual-duty for geared or
single-speed use. The Santa Cruz Chameleon is one such frame:

http://www.nicolai.net/04/order/details/det-plus-m-pire-st.html

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training