Freewheel. How Do I Make The New One Easier To Get Off?

[raleighnut]

Copaslip

 

[Lovacott]

This is one of the reasons that freehubs were invented...

My understanding is that a freehub places the right hand bearing closer to the right hand drop out and therefore reduces the stress at the centre of the rear spindle?

The upshot being that more cogs can be fitted to a cassette than a freewheel and the need for multiple rings on the front is reduced?

 

[guitarpete247]

I don't have a work bench at this house but have metal vice bolted to a cheap workmate clone. Always used this method for freewheels and other tight components. The tension on parts is steady and consistent.

 

[Gunk]

I broke my chainwhip when trying to loosen a stupidly tight lockring on my singlespeed bike. This was my improvised solution, which soon sorted the problem out...

View attachment 562988

It was such a stable setup that all I had to do was stand on the 12 inch spanner!

A really clever solution but I always think that an adjustable spanner is a compromise. A socket with a breaker bar would have been far easier.

 

[TheDoctor]

My understanding is that a freehub places the right hand bearing closer to the right hand drop out and therefore reduces the stress at the centre of the rear spindle?

The upshot being that more cogs can be fitted to a cassette than a freewheel and the need for multiple rings on the front is reduced?

That's another reason. Although the first cassettes were 7 speed iirc and 7 speed freewheels were (and are) a thing. But yes, getting the bearings out by the dropouts is A Good Thing.

 

[ColinJ]

A really clever solution but I always think that an adjustable spanner is a compromise. A socket with a breaker bar would have been far easier.

It's a bit late for that now... I also mangled the lockring tool so a socket would no longer fit over it!

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

My understanding is that a freehub places the right hand bearing closer to the right hand drop out and therefore reduces the stress at the centre of the rear spindle?

The upshot being that more cogs can be fitted to a cassette than a freewheel and the need for multiple rings on the front is reduced?

Stronger axles with a freehub, but then they went and spoiled it by adding too many sprockets and building weaker rear wheels with less dish. Net result no better overall with modern 10/11 speed stuff. If you stick to the early incarnations of freehubs with 6-speed cassettes and the same dishing as a freewheel wheel, then it is overall a better piece of engineering.

 

[raleighnut]

Stronger axles with a freehub, but then they went and spoiled it by adding too many sprockets and building weaker rear wheels with less dish. Net result no better overall with modern 10/11 speed stuff. If you stick to the early incarnations of freehubs with 6-speed cassettes and the same dishing as a freewheel wheel, then it is overall a better piece of engineering.

I never realised you had any 10/11 speed bikes, I am truly shocked,

BTW my 'posh' bike with 10 speed Campagnolo gears on Roval wheels is still lovely.

And yes that is a 10 speed semi 'corncob' cassette, 12-24

 

[raleighnut]

I never realised you had any 10/11 speed bikes, I am truly shocked,

BTW my 'posh' bike with 10 speed Campagnolo gears on Roval wheels is still lovely.

View attachment 563085

And yes that is a 10 speed semi 'corncob' cassette, 12-24

Apologies for posting a bit of 'Bike Porn'

 

[raleighnut]

Apologies for posting a bit of 'Bike Porn'

Cogs are 12-13-14-15-16-17-18-20-22-24,

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I never realised you had any 10/11 speed bikes, I am truly shocked

I don't have 10/11 speed stuff, I don't like either the compromised engineering of them or the outrageous cost of consumable transmission items. The most cogs I have on any of my back wheels is 7 and I intend to keep it that way.
Your frame is certainly very nice, but cant say I'm too enthused about the wheels. Seem a bit lacking in the spoke count department.

 

[raleighnut]

I don't have 10/11 speed stuff, I don't like either the compromised engineering of them or the outrageous cost of consumable transmission items. The most cogs I have on any of my back wheels is 7 and I intend to keep it that way.
Your frame is certainly very nice, but cant say I'm too enthused about the wheels. Seem a bit lacking in the spoke count department.

The wheels are fantastic, Roval Classique Pave, incredibly strong CX wheels that are 15+ years old now and have thousands of miles on them, the font is a 20 spoke 'Radial' and the rear a 24 spoke Radial/2Cross. They were designed to cope with the 'Paris-Roubaix' and cyclocross riding. They certainly cope with my 16 stone bulk on a 653 time trial frame.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Net result no better overall with modern 10/11 speed stuff. If you stick to the early incarnations of freehubs with 6-speed cassettes and the same dishing as a freewheel wheel

Have you got a bike with one of these Uniglide 'early incarnations'?

I never realised you had any 10/11 speed bikes, I am truly shocked,

Cast a fly on rippled waters, and . . .

I don't have 10/11 speed stuff,

A bite! Good catch @raleighnut

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Have you got a bike with one of these Uniglide 'early incarnations'?

I believe that's what it is. Six speed Raleigh from around 1988, would have been quite expensive new. Hardly any mileage on it so have had no reason to pull it apart. I understand from @GuyBoden that they are quite rare now and getting bits for them might be interesting, but that I should be able to simply reverse the sprockets when they get a bit worn so I can put the driving loading on the unworn side of the teeth. I've also got another complete spare wheelset of the same design. At the annual mileage per bike I do it should last a good few years.