Well, I think you underestimate the difference between your skill level and the average cyclist. OK, you aren't building a wheel, but you are certainly re-tensioning it; and to get it tight, round and true - even with a jig or dishing tool - takes most of us a fair bit of practice.
And what's a 'track sprocket of the correct width' when it's at home?
Leaving aside the track sprockets which slot onto cassette splines and need a conversion kit, some of those for a screw-on freehub are just a flat pressing to be used with a separate sprocket carrier, some are threaded with a sleeve and at least in my LBS when I went for one the sleeves came in two different depths.
As for the unscrewing sprocket, that's an 'If' I'm absolutely not worried about. I've been riding that bike hard for nine months now. It would take dynamite to shift that sprocket.
Fair enough. OTOH I've had a sprocket unscrew on my first attempt at converting an old frame into a fixie and it nearly dumped me on my face inthe middle of the A65, not an experience I would want to repeat. Given that a lockring gives you significant extra protection, I went home and put one on.The best of course is a proper reverse-thread hub, which is what I use now.
Anyway, Mr Vandal, we may have different ideas about how to go about it but all agree that riding fixed is a huge amount of fun. Go for it!
