I really dislike the look, and the installation and removal hassles of a cotter pin being used on the rear axle nut. Plus, I often seem to catch either a wash cloth or my hand on a cotter pin when cleaning the bike.
A Lynch Pin is a neat solution - maybe:
Couple of issues:
1. It seems impossible to get a "standard" lynch pin which SIMULTANEOUSLY has (a) a large enough ring to go around the axle nut, and (b) a pin small enough in diameter to fit through the axle hole and nut slots without requiring impossibly exact alignment of the axle hole and nut slots!
2. Once you get a pin diameter small enough to work, only the offset ring design works to prevent rattling of the lynch pin, and the pressure applied by that offset design might not be sufficient to keep the lynch pin from rattling.
I have a friend who owns a motorcycle restoration business, and he had one of his guys turn down the slightly too large pin diameter on a stainless steel lynch pin that already had a suitable size of ring. THis is what you see in the photo.
I'm going to try it out to see how well it works (i.e. does it not rattle too much). If it works, the advantages are:
- Easy on and easy off
- Fast on and fast off
- Good security for it staying on, as the ring is offset mounted and exerts some spring pressure against the axle nut
- Completely reusable "forever"
- Looks a LOT better than a cotter pin
- Won't stab you or a wash cloth :)
- Ever tried to remove a bent up cotter pin with the toolkit pliers while on the road and needing a chain adjustment?
Jim G