Building a quality 11t freewheel

[auraslip]

itselectric actually isn't a dnp rep, but a store and online business. They have some videos on youtube about how they grease the dnp freewheel before shipping with freewheel grease injector. I'm glad they're taking the first step by contacting DNP. It might be easier just to have an 11 tooth cog made that threads on to a standard shimano freewheel. Those are $10 bucks, plus the price of the custom cog (can't be much if you get 1000 made right?).


I for one am currently watching a 12 tooth NOS sachs freewheel on ebay

[Kingfish]

I went through this study several times and finally resolved to move forward with a freehub; the cheaper Asian freewheels are what they are and the best that one could do is to stock up and prepare for more frequent R&R...

Or change the system over to FWD and go with a freehub (which is what I did with the P1 ebike).

Formerly in the same boat, KF

[auraslip]

A free hub that screws on too a hub motor would be perfect.

OR EVEN BETTER////why not just an adapter that screws on to the threads meant for a freewheel? Should be easy for a machine shop to make,

[Kingfish]

Not made on this planet

~KF

[psycholist]

itselectric;
I think your initial efforts should be focused on just providing a quality 6speed 11t freewheel (11 to 30t). 7 to 9 speed freewheels are not required on e-bikes and 6speed should resolve the majority of spacing issues. As for quality, just find an old Suntour,Shimano,Regina etc.,Present it to DNP and say “build this”.

[Mark_A_W]

I disagree entirely about using 6 speed freewheels (or 3).

I've never seen a 6 speed shifter - what are you going to use it with?
The freewheel needs to match commonly available shifters. So that's 7, 8 and 9.


I personally like a 7 speed 11-34 Shimano, coupled with a twist shifter fitted to the LH handlebar.

An acceptable compromise, to fit into the tight space available with most motors, would be a 5-7 speed freewheel, BUT using 9 speed spacing - this could then be used with the most common shifters = 9 speeds (you lock out the derailleur from the other missing gears with the adjusters).

[Alan B]

At one point I was told that a 6 gear freewheel will work with a 7 speed shifter, just limit it to 6 speeds. Have not verified that myself.

For the record, 6 speeds is sufficient, 11-28 is probably enough range, and compatible with available shifters of some standard type, with the limiter screw preventing overshifting/dumping the chain.

I have a 6 speed 14-34 megarange and the derailleur doesn't like the 34t megarange gear. So 28 is likely to be more compatible.

Thanks for asking!!!!!

[adrian_sm]

The derailer seem to be fairly forgiving. I use a 8speed DNP freewheel with 9 speed shifters no problem. Even though there is technically a 0.5mm difference in cog spacing vs shifter spacing. But I don't typically use the biggest 1 or 2 cogs on the freehweel, so I have no idea if it will play nice with them.

Looks like a similar difference in spacing between 6 freewheel & 7 or 8 speed shifters, so you should be okay.


Here is a link to the common freewheel cog spacings. Scroll down a bit to find them.

[Alan B]

My derailleur problem is a 9 speed derailleur doesn't expect a 34 tooth gear in position #4, so it doesn't clear the gear, but runs into the side of that gear. It would handle a 34t gear is position #1 just fine, it is designed for that. But the 6 gear freewheel is skipping the first three gear positions, effectively.

So that is one danger of making a 6 or 7 gear freewheel. The derailleur may not be opened up enough to clear the largest gear if it is made too large.

At least that has been my experience with mine.

[auraslip]

Not made on this planet

How much would it cost to have one made to you think?

[Mark_A_W]

My derailleur problem is a 9 speed derailleur doesn't expect a 34 tooth gear in position #4, so it doesn't clear the gear, but runs into the side of that gear. It would handle a 34t gear is position #1 just fine, it is designed for that. But the 6 gear freewheel is skipping the first three gear positions, effectively.

So that is one danger of making a 6 or 7 gear freewheel. The derailleur may not be opened up enough to clear the largest gear if it is made too large.

At least that has been my experience with mine.

Sounds like you need to adjust the tension screw to pull the derailleur away from the sprockets.


There really isn't a "9 speed" derailleur - they are agnostic.


Oh, and yes, the spacing for 6 and 7 speeds is the same. 7 speeds fits in almost all motors, I can't see the reason for going lower.

But a 7 speed with 9 speed spacing would be very handy.

[Alan B]

Thanks for the derailleur adjustment tip, I'll check on it.

I see no reason for seven speeds. Six is plenty for an ebike with three front chainrings. Seven speeds won't fit on many motors without a spacer, exceeding the 135mm design width of the frame and bending alloy frames is not wise.

It would be excellent to have both 6 and 7 speed freewheels, but if only one can be made the 6 would be the most universal choice.

Thanks!

[Mark_A_W]

I have one front chainring = 56t.


I've never seen a bike with 6 speeds. All mountain bikes since forever have been 7 to 9 on the rear.

[Hyena]

All my bikes came with an 8 speed clusters and run fine with a 6 speed shimano 14-2x.
That said I ride it practically as a fixie and very rarely take it out of top gear so I don't know how smoothly it shifts through the gears...

[Mark_A_W]

Till it breaks...

I currently have 56t and 28t rear and it's almost unrideable when the electrics are broken...

[Jeremy Harris]

I've never seen a bike with 6 speeds. All mountain bikes since forever have been 7 to 9 on the rear.

There are literally millions of 6 speed freewheel equipped bikes around. I have two, both reasonably recent. The commonest freewheel used is the cheap Shimano MF-TZ30 - Google it, you'll get loads of hits.

The popularity of six speed comes from the budget bike market, all those tens of millions of cheap bikes sold in the Far East etc. Many just have 6 gears.

On an ebike I'd say that you don't need a lot of gears, or really any of the very low ratio gears, as you have the motor to help out. My electric folder stays in top gear most of the time and I don't think I've ever used the 28t gear.

Jeremy

[auraslip]

wow this is retarded http://cgi.ebay.com/NOS-Shimano-7-speed ... 256229e1bf

$110 with 3 days left for a freewheel that probably cost $20 ten years ago.

[neptronix]

Just shows how much of a demand there is for such an item..
23 bids... and with ~2 days left..

BTW guys, i am getting one of the 'beta test' 7 speed 11t-28t DNP freewheels and will give it 6 months of thrashing.
Fingers crossed that DNP has got the bugs worked out of this freewheel. If so, i will buy a baker's dozen and sell them as new old stock for a few hundred bucks too..

[auraslip]

Right... with prices this high, I'm surprised counterfeiters haven't gotten in on this action.

btw, does anyone here run 11t track freewheels?

[Ykick]

wow this is retarded http://cgi.ebay.com/NOS-Shimano-7-speed ... 256229e1bf

$110 with 3 days left for a freewheel that probably cost $20 ten years ago.

That's Nucking Futs!!!

[amberwolf]

Right... with prices this high, I'm surprised counterfeiters haven't gotten in on this action.

Maybe they have...and that's what you see on these auctions (artificially driven up by scam bidders, since you can't tell on ebay who's really bidding anymore).

[auraslip]

I doubt it amberwolf.... it's the only one I've ever seen for sale on ebay. their are plenty of the dnp 11t freewheels though.

[Mark_A_W]

It looks identical to my spare 11-34t shimano.

[Ykick]

Send that link to Shimano...

[motomech]

Just shows how much of a demand there is for such an item..
23 bids... and with ~2 days left..

BTW guys, i am getting one of the 'beta test' 7 speed 11t-28t DNP freewheels and will give it 6 months of thrashing.
Fingers crossed that DNP has got the bugs worked out of this freewheel. If so, i will buy a baker's dozen and sell them as new old stock for a few hundred bucks too..

Care to elaborate?

We were just talking about these things on your build thread, when I wondered out loud if there had been any recent develoments.
Let me guess, you took matters in hand, picked up thre phone and called them right then and there:)

At any rate, I, for one, eagerly await your report.