Advice needed from fixie riders

EKE_38BPM

First fixed commute today. Nothing untoward to report.

Getting the 16T sprocket off was a nightmare, so I tried removing the lockring and doing some heavy leg braking in an attempt to loosen it.
No joy, so I tried using my oil filter removal tool as a chainwhip (like I've used on cassettes).
No joy, so I went to Halfrauds to buy a chainwhip, but the monkey behind the counter didn't have a clue what I was on about (not sure if it was a language problem or cycling tool ignorance) and I saw a chainwhip sized gap in the display.
No joy there, so I went to another branch of Halfrauds and saw another chainwhip sized gap in the display but I was so eager to get the sprocket changed that I bought a cycling tool kit that had a chainwhip in it even though I have most of the tools already (I needed some new bits anyway).
I rode home, took the rear wheel off and attempted to use the chainwhip to remove the sprocket.
No joy. The chain on the chainwhip is 3/32" and the sprocket is 1/8" so it wouldn't fit properly. I went through a massive palaver to swap the chain on the chainwhip for the chain on the oil filter remover (that sentence covers about an hour of faffing around) and tried to remove the sprocket again.
No joy. No matter what I did the sprocket would not budge with just brute strength (well, my brute strength, anyway). So after much head scratching I managed to bolt the chainwhip to my work-bench (through two conveniently placed holes in the body of the tool and using some treaded rods & nuts).
Joy!!!

I'm now running the 18T on the back like I wanted to and it feels fine. Dunno about climbing Hampstead Hill or Archway though.

Oddjob, what did you do the DD on? I know I'm very new at all of this, but doing a ride like that on a fixie sounds like torture. I'm already thinking of investing in some other sprockets in the future and maybe an 18T freewheel (yes, you can get them).

_Brun_

The easy way to install and remove sprockets: Rotafix

Not the most straightforward concept to get your head around, but works flawlessly. Use a rag between BB and chain if your frame is precious.

EKE_38BPM

_Brun_ wrote:

The easy way to install and remove sprockets: Rotafix

Not the most straightforward concept to get your head around, but works flawlessly. Use a rag between BB and chain if your frame is precious.

I like that a lot, but I now have a 1/8" chainwhip! Maybe if I had posted my woes at the time you would have saved me a trip to two different Halfrauds.