What's so bad about freewheels?

B

Bigsherm

1 mW
Joined
May 9, 2008
Messages
11
Guys,

I've read some guys saying how bad a freewheel is, comapred to modern cassettes. I've only ever used a cassette, what's so bad about freewheels?

Are the freewheels on the BionX site good quality? Where can I find the BEST quality freewheel?

Thanks!
Sherm
 
Can't say as there is anything bad about them. Just different era's. cassettes are splined onto a separate freewheel that is part of the hub. Freewheels are threaded direct onto the hub and have the freewheel integrated into them.

From memory there is quite a bit of info on Sheldon Brown's. http://sheldonbrown.com/freewheels.html

Generally the smallest gear you can get on a freewheel is around a 13. And usually they are a 6 or 7 speed.

Shimano used to make a really useful freewheel, a 34-11 7 speed. Usually called a Mega-Range. This is no longer available and is not expected to be manufactured again.

Greenspeed have a 34-11 8 speed freewheel made by DNP and I know Justin at ebikes is trying to get stock on his side of the pond.

Can't find any reference to freewheels on the bionix sites, do you have a link ? Freewheel development pretty much stopped when cassettes became mainstream and freewheels were relegated to bottom end componentry.
 
So they work ok?

I understand what they are, and their differences in construction than a freehub. From some remarks on this forum, I expected them to feel crappy or be unreliable in some way?

I see a sun race 9-speed freewheel on the Bionx site. Anyone found another brand with closer ratios?

Thanks,
Sherm
 
Nearly all hub motors use a freewheel as they are a screw-on cluster, I don't think any hub motors are built to accept cassettes at this stage as the ratchet mechanism is designed into the hub I could be wrong tho there may be one or two out there.
 
Bigsherm said:
So they work ok?

I understand what they are, and their differences in construction than a freehub. From some remarks on this forum, I expected them to feel crappy or be unreliable in some way?
Click to expand...
1) Axle strength: the freehub (cassette) design lets the bearings be further outboard. I've broken and bent axles on freewheel hubs in the past, but haven't had any problem with freehubs.

2) Choice of gear spread: there are literally dozens of cassette choices, from 11-21 10-speed setups to old 7-speed clunkers.

3) Ramped and shaped teeth on modern cassettes really do help with smooth, clean shifting. If you've only experienced shifting on a Walmart bike with straight-cut 7-speed teeth on a freewheel then you might be happy with a freewheel, but if you've experienced the smooth shifting of a road bike with proper parts (such as the Ultegra on my road bike -- cassette, in case that wasn't clear) then there'd be little to console you.

That said, you may find yourself not shifting that often so it might not be a big deal. In my build I made an end run around the issue and used an internally geared rear hub. While it "forced" me to use a front wheel motor that hasn't been an issue so far, and indeed has made the bike better balanced as the controller and battery (in the pannier) are in the rear.

IMG_0020.jpg
 
Crystalyte made some freehub motors, but construction quality was low, price was high, and it required a fairly large clearance between the drops.

Not popular, and I haven't seen any for sale in the US.
 
I understand why freewheels allow the axle to bend more easily than a freehub, but with a hub motor's beefy axle, this wouldn't be a problem, right?

Thanks,
Sherm
 
Pete said:
Shimano used to make a really useful freewheel, a 34-11 7 speed. Usually called a Mega-Range. This is no longer available and is not expected to be manufactured again.
I have not heard a thing about shimano dropping their mega range 11-34.

Have you got any more detail on this?

thanks

d
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
From talking with Justin @ ebikes.ca , Shimano is no longer supplying the megarange. At least in the volumes that your LBS can afford to purchase.

I bought an Avanti about 6 months ago and it does have a megarange so maybe if you were to buy say, 10,000 you might be able to get them ? But my understanding is the production line has been stopped.
 
Both Harris Cyclery and Gaerlan Cycles as well as Niagra Bikes (thru Amazon) carry the Megarange freewheels>
Doc
 
Cool. If anybody needs them, get em now before they run out of stock.

On second blush, do you have a link to either of these ? I can see 13 and 14 - 34's. But I can't find a link to the 11-34 freewheels.
 
It looks like the smallest cog U can get for freewheel is 12T, and that is a Phil Wood, meaning expensive!
Doc
 
docnjoj said:
It looks like the smallest cog U can get for freewheel is 12T, and that is a Phil Wood
Click to expand...

I think thats a fixed wheel track cog.

Smallest single speed freewheel that I have found is a 16t.
They use to make a 15t single but it was withdrawn from sale due to problems.

Back in the old days when I went from a 5-speed to a 6-speed I started bending my axles.
Had to get a stronger quick release axle.

I was searching for a narrow freewheel that would fit in a 135mm dropout, 407 hub and disk.
I got a Shimano MF-HG50 7-speed 11-28t freewheel. The first three cogs are 11-13-15t. I disassembled the freewheel and then attacked the body with a anglegrinder to remove the part of the body that holds the 11 and 13 cogs.
I used a silver solder/blazing technique to put it back together. Welding would have warped the cogs. Time will tell if it holds together. I try to limit the torque that I put on it.

End result is a 5 speed freewheel (15-28t) that is less than 25mm stack height. The wheel (hub, disk, freewheel) drops straight into 135mm.
Img_0166.jpg
Img_0187.jpg
Img_0326.jpg
Funny thing is, I only ride around in one gear (44-15t). I am going to try a 48t up front to see if it better matches the top speed of the hub motor.

I want to try this again but leave the 13t on. I havent been able to find another MF-HG50 to work on.

Greg
 
I have a regular 5 speed freewheel that is less than 25.4 mm. Got it from Harris. I think that solarbbq has 3 speed ones.
David
 
Ramped and shaped teeth on modern cassettes really do help with smooth, clean shifting.
Click to expand...

You'll find that your average Shimano 7-speed freewheel these days doesn't have straight teeth. I don't know how long it's been so, but they have ramped teeth.
 
Thanks Doc.

Plan A was to use a narrow cluster and a friction shifter.

I originally had a look at the 3 and 5 speed freewheels.
I emailed a vendor who said that the stack height for his 3 speed was 28mm.
The IRD 5 speed is 29.2mm.
So 5 speed 25.4 mm sounds great. Which make of freewheel do you have? Shimano, IRD or Suntour.

Plan B is what I have now. I wanted a cluster that would fit in the space that I had available and still be able to use the index shifting. But it turns out I only use one gear anyway.

I dont think this setup is going to last the distance. I would have been happier if I could have welded it on. As it is I think it will fail and I will do myself an injury.

Greg
 
I just remeasured my 5 speed with my calipitter and it says 26.2, so I was off by a little. There is a slight depression behind the biggest cog where it would meet the hub, so it probably is slightly less when it was on the bike! Dont forget U can cut down the threads on the hub motor,so it could be 5-6mm and still work!
other Doc
 
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