Cheap Track Hub with adjustable chainline

Mr. Grieves

After riding with a suicide hub on my fixed gear for long enough, I think it's time I got a proper track hub. I don't want to spend big money though, it's not an absolutely necessary purchase.

I've a problem though. As far as I can tell, most track hubs are designed for a 42mm chainline and unlike regular threaded hubs, don't have spacers on the axle either side of the hub which would allow you to adjust the chainline. Because of my chainring setup, my chainline needs to be about 46mm unless I spend a fair bit more changing the cranks/chainring.

Could anyone who has used either of the following hubs tell me if the chainline is adjustable or recommend another cheap hub which is?

http://www.cyclebasket.com/products.php?plid=m9b0s415p1331

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=28617

Any other suggestions about getting a good chainline? I'm used to having it dead straight!

Thanks

flickerx

Mr. Grieves wrote: »

Any other suggestions about getting a good chainline? I'm used to having it dead straight!

You could always get a bottom bracket with the required mm change, they're cheap.

steinone

Or do what I did, put a little spacer in between the cup of your bb and your frame, or even easier...(if possible) put the chainring to the ouside position on your crank spider.

Mr. Grieves

@ Steinone: Both those suggestions would move the chain to the right, wouldn't they? I need it to go to the left. I'm not too familiar with bottom brackets but I don't imagine any spacer arrangment is going to bring the chainring to the left, or am I wrong?

flickerx

So you need to move the crank arm or chainring closer to the frame? Sorry but I found your post a bit confusing, apologies. You need to make sure first that this movement, however small, wont result in the teeth of the chainring hitting off the chainstay tube. If you take off your crank, you should then be able to remove your bottom bracket, although if you search this forum you'll see various tales of woe and misery with BB removal when they get jammed.

What kind of bike do you have, and how old is it? Most bikes have a sealed cartridge square tapered bottom bracket. When you take this out, you can measure the 'axle' or spindle on the bracket, and then get a new one with the required smaller width. For example you might be currently using something like this which has a spindle of 119mm. You could replace it with this where the spindle is 3.5mm shorter, hence bringing in your chainring closer to the frame.

Bear in mind as well that there are different types of bottom bracket... Post photos up here and people will be glad to help you out with identifying it and giving advice on how to get it out.
Getting a straight chainline I've found when making bikes isnt an exact science, you have to mess around a bit with different solutions (e.g. as steinone suggests, putting yr chainring on the other side of the crank spider).

Mr. Grieves

Thanks for that info flickerx, I didn't know that. The bike is an early 80's Peugeot. The chainring is part of the crank so it can't be moved. It was originally the outer ring and the inner ring was bolted onto it, so I think for this reason clearence wouldn't be a problem if I do get a narrower BB. I'll investigate further

steinone

Ah I get ya, Miscussie miscssie:P
I thought he wanted it further out...well the chainring is just the opposite(thats if you can move it which you cant).
Ok well by chance I also have a Pug from the 80's, as far as I remember I got a geared bb axel which brings the chainring out(like you) so I just swapped the axle around to have the(shorter) side of the exel on the drive side.
I hope I got it right this time....

Mr. Grieves

Oh, so the axle (spindle?) isn't symmetrical? Interesting...

steinone

On the old ones as far as I know, no... it has extra room on the inside for the largest chainring and the smaller and perhaps smaller again. Since there isnt any of that on the non drive side there is no need.

flickerx

Its probable that you have one of the older 'cup and cone' style bottom brackets then, but essentially its still the same process. The spindle on these brackets spins around on ball bearings which are held in a crown inside the cup. You can measure the length of the spindle and then replace it with a shorter one, without having to replace the cups.

If you do have one of these types of bracket, and you're taking it apart to put a shorter spindle in, it would be a good time to replace the bearings if there's wear on them (likely) and/or rust on the crowns that hold the bearings (also likely).