Can I tell if it's a Freehub or Casette?

[Cheule]

Hi folks :-)

Some of you may have noticed my other thread about upgrading my low-end bike, and saw the Flickr pics of it. At the moment, I'm stuck and need a bit of assistance. Is there a way to tell which I've got (or what the bike can support) without removing it?

As of right now I dont have any removal tools except for a lockring remover, and the bike's in use as my commuter bike until next week when I'm on holiday and plan to strip it down.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

If you are talking about your bike with 24 gears, then it must be an 8 speed at the back. All 8 speeds are cassette on freehub.

 

[TheDoctor]

Is this the CBR Timberline?
I counted 8 sprockets at the back, which would make it a freehub and cassette, not a freewheel.
8 speed freewheel blocks were never very common, and I've never actually seen one.
Easiest way to tell is to have a look at the centre of the wheel, where the axle goes in through the middle of the cogs. If you see something with fairly shallow splines - 3 mm or so - that's the lockring for a cassette.
Deep splines - more like 15 mm - or anything with 2 or 4 deep slots in it, that's a freewheel block.
I'll bet you a bag of Hula-Hoops it's a cassette.

 

[mcshroom]

If you are talking about your bike with 24 gears, then it must be an 8 speed at the back. All 8 speeds are cassette on freehub.

Not quite true you can get 8sp freewheels

If your bike has 8sp at the back though then you can be 99%+ sure it's a cassette. I've never seen an 8sp freewheel in use.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Not quite true you can get 8sp freewheels

Interesting. But if you look at the photo of the product, the 8 speed freewheel has 7 cogs...

 

[mcshroom]

Interesting. But if you look at the photo of the product, the 8 speed freewheel has 7 cogs...

Teaches me to look at the pics

This one definitely has 8 cogs on it

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Actually as a matter of fact the late great Sheldon did talk about 8 speed freewheels and their inherent problems.

 

[gbb]

8 speed freewheel was fitted to my Raleigh Chimera roadbike (on a rigida wheelset).

The easiest way (in my knowledge, and it may already be covered in the links below) is a freewheel hub is parallel in profile ...and a freehub is 'thicker' at the freehub end of the hub (does that sound right )

 

[661-Pete]

But - there's a much easier way to tell, surely?

Take off the wheel and fit the extractor. Spin the freewheel.
If the extractor turns with the freewheel, it's a cassette/freehub. You need a chain whip.
If the extractor stays stationary - i.e. turns with the wheel, it's a screw-on block. Best of luck getting it off!

 

[Dan B]

But - there's a much easier way to tell, surely?

Take off the wheel and fit the extractor. Spin the freewheel.
If the extractor turns with the freewheel, it's a cassette/freehub. You need a chain whip.
If the extractor stays stationary - i.e. turns with the wheel, it's a screw-on block. Best of luck getting it off!

That's easier than looking at the axle and seeing if it has a lump in it at the side with the cogs?

 

[swee'pea99]

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/free-k7.html

See bottom pic & caption

 

[Cheule]

Aww cheers everyone for the comments and links! Brilliant

I'll bog off outside now and brave the weather with my torch and go find out for sure, armed with this new info

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

I have seen some cheaper hubs with the bulge that seems to be there purely for decorative purposes to make a screw on hub look like a freehub

 

[Cheule]

I have seen some cheaper hubs with the bulge that seems to be there purely for decorative purposes to make a screw on hub look like a freehub

Right, had a look last night, it's a Quando hub (which I've heard by all accounts are marginally better than using twigs). It has a small indented rise on both sides, equal. I am getting a ton of noise from it too, I think it's where several large bearings fell out last week. I ran out today and quickly took a couple of pictures before getting drenched again, sorry about the quality but I had to protect the camera