fixed gear bike problem

Question
I ride a fixed gear bike.  Before each ride I usually make sure the chain is taught and the back wheel centered.  After doing this today I noticed that the back wheel is not spinning as smoothly.  Its almost like the back wheel gained weight.Its the Specialized Langster London without back brake

Answer
Mike,

Hmmm, no back brake, so that can't be the problem.  How tight do you make the back wheel?

There are three possibilities for drag in the back:
1. The tire is rubbing on the chainstays (the lower tubes that go back from the bottom bracket to meet the seatstays at the back).  Check to make sure that the tire is not rubbing either side of the chainstays.

2.  The chain tension is so tight that the chain is pulling too hard on the rear wheel bearings.  One way to check is to hold the rim with your fingertips.  When you rotate the tire back and forth, do you feel a rough, clicking sensation transmitted through the spokes from the bearings to the rims?  The solution is to loosen the chain tension.

3.  The most likely possibility is that the bearings are being compressed too tightly on the sides, either by their adjustment (if the bearing cups are old-school open bearings) or by a very tight quick release (or the axle nuts, if not a quick release) if they are sealed bearings.  Try loosening the QR or axle nuts (without leaving them loose enough for the wheel to come off). If you are comfortable with working on a bike, you can try loosening the bearing nuts.  However, they can be tricky to adjust, so you might want to let the local bike shop try them.

If these efforts don't work, then it's time to check with the local bike mechanic, because you may need to have the bearings cleaned, re-packed and the cups adjusted.  Depending on how much you have ridden since they were last serviced, it is possible they are no longer well-lubed.

Good luck, let me know what happens.

Graeme