Why Free Hub?

[novetan]

Who coined the word "free hub". Why manufacturer often label Shimano free hub or Campy free hub when the hub is supposed to turn freely anyway. Isn't it superfluous word. Is there any used when it get stuck? Am I missing something on the meaning?

Perhaps I have innocently paid them on my latest acquisition where actually I shud hv got it free fr them.

 

[midlife]

Started about 1978 with the Shimano jobby. It was called a freehub to distinguish it from the freewheel. The problem was that as more sprockets appeared on freewheels the distance between the bearings was starting to be an issue and the freehub sorted that.

Sadly I am old enough to member the first ones. ......

Shaun

 

[PMarkey]

They didn't always turn freely, before cassette hubs you screwed what is called the block to the hub and the freewheel was in the block (think single speed with multiple gears) so free hub differentiates between basically a cassette hub and the old fixed screw on hub plus theirs also Fixed gear

Paul

 

[Smokin Joe]

The term "Free" refers to the ability to freewheel. And as the mechanism allowing you to do this is these days in the hub rather than in the sprocket carrier it is called a freehub.

 

[MichaelW2]

Freehubs first appeared on the market in 1938, but the term is more recent.