JayBlurr

JB Weld but you still could die

seau grateau

Ziptie it to the spokes.

sleepytor

lol

DrDuktayp

I have a nice hub that I want to use on my project bike. It's not a track hub but I will have brakes (front and rear) and the trickiest thing I would want to do is trackstand and maybe try to go backward. As hard as the cogs are to remove I too think that I will be fine for the type of riding I expect to do. Which would be to and from work and maybe some knocking about on the weekend with friends.

I haven't done the rotafix method before but it sure is simple and combined with a lockring should hold pretty good.

Tom

SeanBikes

I have ridden a FG conversion with a track cog (+ BB lockring) on a freewheel hub for the past four years without issue, despite frequently skidding like a reckless teenager. HOWEVER, I Loctite'd (blue) the s**t out of both the cog and the lockring, and tightened both with my entire body weight on the whip/lockring tool. They aren't going anywhere.

I confirmed this recently in a rather costly way. I went to swap out the 16T cog for a 17T one (to increase my skid patch number), but neither the cog nor the lockring would budge. I eventually got the lockring off with some help from the hammer, but I broke my chain whip trying to remove the cog. I have tried heating it, soaking it with rubbing alcohol, applying lube... still nothing. Going on day three of attempts, it sounds like my best option is to up the heat and keep trying.

So in direct answer to your question, use Loctite and you will be fine. I do, however, always run a front brake "just in case" because I don't want to die on a bike.

Cheers!

Mikefule

The original question was posted 6 years ago.

Run a front brake because however good you are at skidding, there are times when a brake will prevent an accident. A brake doesn't stop anyone from doing fixie skids, just as my lifejacket doesn't stop me from sailing. Also, I'd rather replace my brake blocks every few years than my tyres every few months.

SeanBikes

Thanks, I did notice that... Not sure why that's relevant though -- especially since you also felt the need to share your opinion. Sine I came across this thread by trying to figure out how to remove my cog despite heavily bonded Loctite, it is still clearly relevant and will be until people stop trying to convert freewheel hubs to fixed (which I don't foresee happening). As such, I thought my experience with a virtually welded cog from blue Loctite may help some other desperate soul who doesn't like their gear ratio, while concomitantly demonstrating the safety of such a design (with a front brake as a failsafe, of course).

UPDATE:
Good news is that I managed to get the old 16T cog removed! It took a lot of heat, an old chain (since I busted my chain whip), some vice-grips, a hammer, and some swing endurance (took about 1000 hammer strikes ), but the cog finally released. No damage to the hub or its threads, but the wheel is slightly out of true. Easy fix -- not a bad trade-off for longer tire life.

UPDATE:
Tried to use less Loctite this time so that I could remove the cog in the future... Spun the cog off at a stop sign! That's why I always run a front brake... Lathered on the Loctite again and I haven't had a problem since. However, that cog is never coming off.

Mikefule

I didn't know whether you had noticed or not, but I interpreted part of your post as being an an answer to the original question. I think the bit that fooled me was when you wrote, "So in direct answer to your question...".

Presumably by now the OP has found an answer or moved on. Of course, that doesn't mean that the general discussion of related issues should stop.

The second part: sharing my opinion, was a direct response to the part of your post, which I had quoted, rather than the OP.

I have learned from my experience and feel suitably chastised.

SeanBikes