I need some new bolts. I'd been using some overpriced, single-ring, aluminum bolts from Excel, just because I was ordering other stuff from them at the time and didn't know of any other options. A couple of them have started cracking and one even fell out on my last ride. Not very reassuring. (I have the opinion either they're just crap, or aluminum isn't suitable for the higher stress of fixie cranking [??]. I don't think I over- or under-torqued them.) I'm looking to go with basic steel ones, like the below from World Class.

Is there anything incompatible between official "track" bolts and my Dura Ace 9-sp road cranks with a single 39T road chainring? If it matters, I have the ring on the inside of the spider (the normal 39T ring location) for chainline purposes.

"Campagnolo Knurled track chainring bolt each with nut 6.00
Shimano Dura Ace steel knurled track chainring bolts set of 5 nuts & bolts 18.00
Sugino steel track chainring bolts set of 5 nuts & bolts 7.50
Sugino knurled steel track chainring bolts set of 5 nuts & bolts 8.50"

(Campy must think very highly of their track bolts, selling them individually like that for $6 each.)

The second question is what exactly is meant by "knurled" in this case? The nut is knurled and protrudes such that you grip it while tightening rather than using a chainring nut wrench on the inside? Both nut and screw are knurled? If the nut protrudes much, I think it might not clear the chainstay on my cross-check frame.

I had some aluminum ones strip, too. Maybe just too little thread area to hold up.

Harris Cyclery has some, too. I think these are steel, but I'd email Sheldon and ask.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/fixed.html#bolts

Single Stack Bolts $6.95 set of 5
It looks really goofy to ride a fixed gear with a useless extra chainwheel on your crank. These track-style stack bolts are the right length to hold a single chainwheel to your crank. They fit all modern cranks.

Aluminum has 1/3 the strength of steel, and it's softer as well. Using aluminum chainring bolts is foolish. They don't have enough strength. Get stainless bolts or good old plated bolts, but stick with steel. If you really need to save 2 or 3 grams on chainring bolts, buy titanium. It's as strong as steel but half the weight.

Knurling is that external cross-hatching on metal pieces that's done in order to give you some grip.

Weaker and softer though they be, I've had no problems with aluminum bolts on my road cranks. In the first place, I just got these for the fixie because that's all Excel offered and I was ordering from them anyway. But I'm definitely sticking to steel on the fixie, what with a frame and fork that probably weighs 7 pounds. A chainring coming off would be bad news, even more so with no freewheel.

I know what knurling is, but it just doesn't make a great deal of sense in this context. It doesn't seem like, even with the knurling, you could get sufficient finger grip on the nuts to tighten adequately. Quit snickering. And then there's the question of whether the knurled portion of the nuts would protrude inward toward the frame enough to create a problem.

Hell, it's not that big of a deal; I'll just order the sugino non-knurled ones and save a buck. I need to get another cog anyway. If they don't work no big loss. Just wondering if anyone knew what exactly these are like. And could confirm that the diameter, length, etc of the track bolts are compatible with said road cranks.

and are only about $5/set....any LBS should have them

Are you sure the knurling is meant for your fingers to grip, as opposed to allowing the bolt to grip the metal surface it is being tightened against?

and are only about $5/set....any LBS should have them

especially for small, inexpensive items. Spend a lot of time searcing the internet for lowest price, pay for shipping, wait impatiently for brown truck vs. go to LBS, buy parts, smell fresh tires & grease while talking to bikie people about bikes & complete your project the same day. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

especially for small, inexpensive items. Spend a lot of time searcing the internet for lowest price, pay for shipping, wait impatiently for brown truck vs. go to LBS, buy parts, smell fresh tires & grease while talking to bikie people about bikes & complete your project the same day. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Agreed. Small items like BMX chainring bolts are real cheap at an LBS. I buy steel BMX and double bolts for all my bikes. I hate aluminum bolts.........

Funny you should say that. I just walked out of my esteemed LBS an hour ago with no bolts. They were momentarily out as it happens.

As an aside, I need to give them a friendly tip to start stocking some fixed gear parts -- various cogs, hubs and built wheels. We don't have a track in the vicinity but they'd pick up worth while business from it I am certain, as it's getting more and more popular. I've noticed literally ten times as many fixies on campus this year compared with last. And I would have bought at least a couple cogs from them at this point if they kept stuff like that around.

(Campy must think very highly of their track bolts, selling them individually like that for $6 each.)


$12.95 apiece for AL Road chainring bolts:

http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=8&description=Chainring+Bolt+and+Nut%2Deach+Aluminum &vendorCode=CAMP&major=6&minor=8

$12.95 apiece for AL Road chainring bolts:

http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=8&description=Chainring+Bolt+and+Nut%2Deach+Aluminum &vendorCode=CAMP&major=6&minor=8

There really is a sucker born every minute.....