Langster Fixed Gear / Lockring Issues

Fixxxer87

Bought a new Spesh Langster last Wednesday. I took it out on the road and after about 1 - 2hrs, whilst doing some resistive pedalling the lockring decided to pop off - resulting in a bit of a brown trouser moment. Fortunately, I'm riding with brakes so it's not a huge problem, aside from being a bit p*ssed off about the whole experience.

Anyway, I decided to buy a 12-tooth sprocket whilst the lockring was off and fitted it the next night. I tightened the cog using the rotafix method and popped the lockring back on, and put it to what I thought was tight-as-hell (no clicking noises when tightening up, though). About 30 seconds into my next ride - pop - off comes the lockring again. It seems as though the sprocket is loose too but it doesn't give any play with the chain whip.

So, is it me not tightening the lockring enough (I thought I really gave it a good going over. I lubed the hub too, perhaps a bit too much? There's a thin layer in all the grooves of the hub thread) or is this likely to be a problem with the hub itself?

Any help appreciated. (On another note, I also found out that my Langster BB has gone too!)

pitchshifter

Did you buy this from a retailer?

Doesnt the langster come with a flip flop hub? Sounds like you have a suicide hub going on...

I would take it back and get them to sort it, the lock ring should not come off if you have a proper track hub.

A 12 tooth sprocket? Are you Chris Hoy? I wish your knees good luck..

Fixxxer87

Fixxxer87 wrote:

It seems as though the sprocket is loose too but it doesn't give any play with the chain whip.

Disregard that bit. On further inspection, it was tight as hell.

pitchshifter wrote:

Doesnt the langster come with a flip flop hub? Sounds like you have a suicide hub going on...

I would take it back and get them to sort it, the lock ring should not come off if you have a proper track hub.

A 12 tooth sprocket? Are you Chris Hoy? I wish your knees good luck..

Yep, I've been riding it with the freewheel so far. Had a quick look at the lockring this morning and I can't get it tight at all now (whilst the sprocket is on). When tightening, the lock ring does tighten up then suddenly gives way, tightens up again...repeat. When the sprocket isn't on the hub, the lockring tightens up without any problems.

I meant 14 tooth, whoops! Decided to get the 14 tooth after flying up home on the 16 tooth freewheel, although the 14 is leaving my chain a bit slack. Maybe I should switch back to the 16?

Fixxxer87

pitchshifter wrote:

Did you buy this from a retailer?

Doesnt the langster come with a flip flop hub? Sounds like you have a suicide hub going on...

It's a flip flop hub, the track side should have two different diameter mounts, one for the cog and the smaller for the lock ring, right? That's the side I've been using whilst having these issues.

pitchshifter

Sounds like the threads gone to be honest which isnt good for a fairly new bike. I would take it back to a dealer and get them to have a look.. Chances are that it wasnt tight enough in the first place which may have caused the problems.

I used 42 x 17

Fixxxer87

pitchshifter wrote:

Sounds like the threads gone to be honest which isnt good for a fairly new bike. I would take it back to a dealer and get them to have a look.. Chances are that it wasnt tight enough in the first place which may have caused the problems.

I used 42 x 17

Thanks for your help pitchshifter.

Cycle Surgery have confirmed what you and I suspected..the thread on the hub is completely gone. They've set about looking for a new wheel although I seized the opportunity and told them I'd be happy to pay the difference between the warranty wheel and a more expensive upgrade, then switch to the better wheel. I'm a bit nervous they won't do it under warranty (and will claim I stripped the thread when I popped the lockring back on the 2nd time). However, I'm ready to argue my point. I figured I'd tell them the lock ring should tighten when backpedalling, so having it pop off must have damaged the thread. Having it stay on when I put the lock ring back on was never going to happen.

As for the bottom bracket, it's making the classic clunk clunk now..after being tightened by 3 different mechanics at 3 CS stores! Time for a new one, and whilst they're chasing the wheel I'm going to ask that they check that the frame / BB has been faced properly.

markrjohnson

Langsters: I love them, and I have 3. However, they are not without faults.
1. The BB is dry as a nun's pedundra from new. It is essential that you strip it and pack it with descent grease. It then lasts forever. Also the 103 standard can be hard/expensive to find. I use a 107mm Shimano replacement and space the freewheel out by 2mm.
2. The hubs appear to be made from cream cheese. You were spot on upgrading the wheelset.
3. The headset can be a a pain to source when the old (crap) one commits hari kari. You need an IS2 Cane Creek unit. There are other, cheaper,makes of this standard but having tried them all I would got for the more expensive CC every time.

Once set up properly a Langster is an absolute joy.

yakk

Hi there, I have a first generation Langster, 3-4 years old. Hubs were serviced (greased) early on and have been fine, and still on the original BB without probs. Thanks for the tips re headset, Mark.
Hope you get the wheel replaced on warranty - let us know how you got on.
Yak

GarethPJ

Yakk wrote:

Hi there, I have a first generation Langster, 3-4 years old. Hubs were serviced (greased) early on and have been fine, and still on the original BB without probs. Thanks for the tips re headset, Mark.
Hope you get the wheel replaced on warranty - let us know how you got on.
Yak

3-4 years old would be probably be second generation (curve fork or straight and thick?), however I have to say my first generation bike six years ago ran a long way wihthout any problems with the wheels or transmission or indeed any other OE parts.

Most likely cause of a stripped thread is over tightening - people tend not to use a torque wrench but just lean on the C spanner as hard as they can which is usually way more than the recommended torque. It never ceases to amaze me how many cyclists lean on every spanner and allen key with all their strength.

Second on the list these days is a cheap lock ring. There are quite a few lock rings around these days which look to have been cast rather than machined. I got one of these free with a wheel a couple of years ago and when I put it on the hud there was quite a lot of play on the thread. I thought at first I had a dodgy hub but swapping the lock ring for my Dura Ace one showed no appreciable play at all. A loose thread is very likely to strip. If the lock ring is of harder material than the hub (very likely with an aluminium hub) then it will be the thread on the hub that goes.

Next on the list is, oddly enough, undertightening. This gives the spocket chance to work against the lock ring which will of course tighten the lock ring more. The problem here can be that if everything is loose the lock ring can only be held on by a couple of turns of thread and that is enough to strip it. Of course once one or two turns have gone there isn't enough left to hold even when everything is tightened properly.

The third most likely cause is poor manufacturing of the hub. With even cheap stuff tending to be machined on computer controlled rigs these days this is pretty rare.

When you get the replacement wheel check that your lock ring fits well on the thread. If it doesn't then check a good quality lock ring, if that fits well then buy it. If that doesn't fit well then it could be the hub that's iffy. Most budget fixed hubs are the same generic hub branded differently and I did hear tell of a dodgy batch escaping a year or two ago.

MrGrumpy

had same issues with my langster on 08 model. Been through 2 rear wheels replaced under warranty with the same issue off stripped threads. Decided to buy a handbuilt wheel which touch would seems better. Oh and the 2nd bottom bracket is now showing play, so gonna have to replace that soon maybe as well buying a new chainset as the 103 size is hard to find, well was last time??

redvee

MrGrumpy wrote:

Oh and the 2nd bottom bracket is now showing play, so gonna have to replace that soon maybe as well buying a new chainset as the 103 size is hard to find, well was last time??

Velosolo had mine when I bought it not that I really needed it, about £20 IIRC which is what I paid for a BB from the Specialised shop in Brizzle.