Single speed freewheels

[David Damerell]

I've been gradually accreting parts for a fixed gear and making
obvious-in-retrospect discoveries like that appropriate tension for a 36
spoke 700C wheel's tight side may be a wee bit high for a symmetrical 36
spoke 650B wheel, but... the hub's threaded on both sides, and it seems to
me like it would make sense to make the other side as big a freewheel as
can be - it's got long horizontal dropouts.

But. As far as I can make out, the only company making singlespeed
freewheels bigger than 18t is White Industries, with a lovely $90 price
tag. Now, yes, White Industries are very competent and I'm sure it is a
veritable prince amongst freewheels, but perhaps I should decide on the
bike's final gearing before popping that much.

SJSC claim to have a 20t freewheel except when you ring them up they don't
actually have any and they aren't made. Other than that Google's a dead
loss.

Anyone from this parish know of a source of 19 or 20 tooth freewheels?
--
David Damerell > Distortion Field!
Today is First Potmos, October.

[M-gineering]

David Damerell wrote:
> I've been gradually accreting parts for a fixed gear and making
> obvious-in-retrospect discoveries like that appropriate tension for a 36
> spoke 700C wheel's tight side may be a wee bit high for a symmetrical 36
> spoke 650B wheel, but... the hub's threaded on both sides, and it seems to
> me like it would make sense to make the other side as big a freewheel as
> can be - it's got long horizontal dropouts.
>
> But. As far as I can make out, the only company making singlespeed
> freewheels bigger than 18t is White Industries, with a lovely $90 price
> tag. Now, yes, White Industries are very competent and I'm sure it is a
> veritable prince amongst freewheels, but perhaps I should decide on the
> bike's final gearing before popping that much.
>
> SJSC claim to have a 20t freewheel except when you ring them up they don't
> actually have any and they aren't made. Other than that Google's a dead
> loss.
>
> Anyone from this parish know of a source of 19 or 20 tooth freewheels?

I've got 19&20T freewheels by Esjot. Not much wrong with them for E7.50,
unless you plan on removing them, as the slots in the body are very shallow
--
/Marten

info(apestaartje)m-gineering(punt)nl

[Alan Braggins]

In article >, David Damerell wrote:
>
>But. As far as I can make out, the only company making singlespeed
>freewheels bigger than 18t is White Industries, with a lovely $90 price
>tag.

http://www.webcyclery.com/product.php?productid=16135&cat=0&page=
claims ACS Claws come in 19, 20, or 22t, for $21, and that
"The ACS Claws Freewheels are the choice of single speeders on a budget."

The 20t and 22t are available on Amazon.com through different suppliers:
http://www.amazon.com/ACS-Claws-Single-Freewheel-Chrome/dp/B000AXWROY
http://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Single-ACS-Chrome-Plated/dp/B000AO9WEG/

But I can't help with a UK supplier.

[David Damerell]

Quoting M-gineering >:
>David Damerell wrote:
>>SJSC claim to have a 20t freewheel except when you ring them up they don't
>>actually have any and they aren't made. Other than that Google's a dead
>>loss.
>I've got 19&20T freewheels by Esjot. Not much wrong with them for E7.50,
>unless you plan on removing them, as the slots in the body are very shallow

I have maligned SJS, it turns out. I wrote to them to ask why they didn't
take them off the Website if they don't have any, and they wrote back to
say they'd put them back up because they'd found some and offered to send
me one post-free.

I shall bear you in mind if I wear one out. Thanks.
--
David Damerell > Distortion Field!
Today is First Potmos, October.

[Rob Morley]

In article >, David Damerell
says...
> I've been gradually accreting parts for a fixed gear and making
> obvious-in-retrospect discoveries like that appropriate tension for a 36
> spoke 700C wheel's tight side may be a wee bit high for a symmetrical 36
> spoke 650B wheel, but... the hub's threaded on both sides, and it seems to
> me like it would make sense to make the other side as big a freewheel as
> can be - it's got long horizontal dropouts.
>
> But. As far as I can make out, the only company making singlespeed
> freewheels bigger than 18t is White Industries, with a lovely $90 price
> tag. Now, yes, White Industries are very competent and I'm sure it is a
> veritable prince amongst freewheels, but perhaps I should decide on the
> bike's final gearing before popping that much.
>
If you were feeling creative you could probably graft a spare cassette
sprocket onto a smaller freewheel, but it would take quite a lot of
filing/grinding - depends how much you value your time and how much you
enjoy a challenge, I suppose. :-)

[David Damerell]

Quoting David Damerell >:
>I've been gradually accreting parts for a fixed gear and making
>obvious-in-retrospect discoveries like

.... check the bottom bracket height of the donor frame. Curses. But while
it's low, the cranks are 165mm and the Q-factor is very narrow, so I have
no idea what's reasonable. So here's the question - if you've got a fixed,
please, how far can you lean it (just sitting in the garage) before pedal
strike?

I'm also considering what to do if it's no good. Put on a fork for 700C
and do something weird to the geometry? Otherwise I've got a bunch of
parts in search of a frame, having started with a frame in search of a
bunch of parts. I suppose I could give up the idea of making this bike
fixed and put in a hub gear instead.
--
David Damerell > flcl?
Today is First Teleute, October.

[Rob Morley]

In article >, David Damerell
says...
> I've been gradually accreting parts for a fixed gear and making
> obvious-in-retrospect discoveries like that appropriate tension for a 36
> spoke 700C wheel's tight side may be a wee bit high for a symmetrical 36
> spoke 650B wheel,

What uses 650B wheels?

[David Damerell]

Quoting Rob Morley >:
says...
>>I've been gradually accreting parts for a fixed gear and making
>>obvious-in-retrospect discoveries like that appropriate tension for a 36
>>spoke 700C wheel's tight side may be a wee bit high for a symmetrical 36
>>spoke 650B wheel,
>What uses 650B wheels?

Old French bikes. Rivendell are leading something of a 650B revival. And,
in this case, a 1970s? 3-speed that started as ISO 590mm (26 x 1 3/8) in
which size it is practically impossible to get decent quality smooth tyres
and was being fettled by someone curious about the 650B revival. This
reduces the bead seat radius by a princely 3mm, so at least I have not
exacerbated the potential problem here.
--
David Damerell > Kill the tomato!
Today is First Oneiros, October.

[Rob Morley]

In article >, David Damerell
says...
> Quoting Rob Morley >:
> >What uses 650B wheels?
>
> Old French bikes.

That I know, I was really meaning "what are you playing with that has
650B wheels?"

> Rivendell are leading something of a 650B revival.

Interesting, but is it worth the hassle compared to using 559s, which
are only an inch smaller and widely available for ATBs?

> And,
> in this case, a 1970s? 3-speed that started as ISO 590mm (26 x 1 3/8) in
> which size it is practically impossible to get decent quality smooth tyres
> and was being fettled by someone curious about the 650B revival. This
> reduces the bead seat radius by a princely 3mm, so at least I have not
> exacerbated the potential problem here.
>
Maybe if you start a 26 x 1 1/4 revival ... :-)

[M-gineering]

Rob Morley wrote:
> In article >, David Damerell
> says...
>> I've been gradually accreting parts for a fixed gear and making
>> obvious-in-retrospect discoveries like that appropriate tension for a 36
>> spoke 700C wheel's tight side may be a wee bit high for a symmetrical 36
>> spoke 650B wheel,
>
> What uses 650B wheels?

part of the 650B revival is the trick of them enabling to put a wider
tyre in a left over 700c racing frame for winterriding or touring.
Geometry will stay nearly the same, but you'll need longer calipers.
Check the tyre clearance in the frame before spending money

--
/Marten

info(apestaartje)m-gineering(punt)nl

[David Damerell]

Quoting Rob Morley >:
says...
>>Rivendell are leading something of a 650B revival.
>Interesting, but is it worth the hassle compared to using 559s, which
>are only an inch smaller and widely available for ATBs?

That would take me out of the possible brake block mounting positions and
further exacerbate the low-BB problem. I could maybe circumvent the latter
with gigantic tyres, but then I couldn't fit _any_ caliper brake.
--
David Damerell > Distortion Field!
Today is First Epithumia, October - a weekend.

[Rob Morley]

In article >, David Damerell
says...
> Quoting Rob Morley >:
> says...
> >>Rivendell are leading something of a 650B revival.
> >Interesting, but is it worth the hassle compared to using 559s, which
> >are only an inch smaller and widely available for ATBs?
>
> That would take me out of the possible brake block mounting positions and
> further exacerbate the low-BB problem. I could maybe circumvent the latter
> with gigantic tyres, but then I couldn't fit _any_ caliper brake.
>
I was referring to the "650B revival" rather than your specific problem
- obviously what you need is some 26 x 1 1/4" wheels and tyres :-)

[[email protected]]

On 10 Oct, 14:08, David Damerell >
wrote:
> ... the hub's threaded on both sides, and it seems to
> me like it would make sense to make the other side as big a freewheel as
> can be - it's got long horizontal dropouts.

Lots of people seem to fit freewheels and never actually use them-
might be worth procrastinating for a while. Just think of the weight
you'll save!
The theory is that you have a get-you-home option, if you get really
knackered- but would you use it? I think it was more necessary in the
days before mobile phones and affordable trains, taxis and
lifts... :-)

Cheers,
W.

[David Damerell]

Quoting David Damerell >:
>I'm also considering what to do if it's no good. Put on a fork for 700C
>and do something weird to the geometry? Otherwise I've got a bunch of
>parts in search of a frame, having started with a frame in search of a
>bunch of parts. I suppose I could give up the idea of making this bike
>fixed and put in a hub gear instead.

So I talked to Hubjub at length (who were very helpful) and did some trig,
and it's never going to be a sensible fixed gear. I decided to fit a hub
gear - since it started life as a Sturmey Archer and they do a 5-speed in
36 hole 115mm OLN, that. To my delight the rear wheel spokes will be the
right length. The miscellanous leftover fixed parts can wait for me to
scrounge up another frame.

This whole operation has generated some leftover parts which I guess might
be of some interest to URCers who restore old bikes. There's a
Sturmey-Archer three speed hub (1987?); condition unknown, except with the
shifter cable disconnected I could ride the bike in top gear; two 165mm
cottered cranks (fitted 44t chainring); and a 26TPI (Raleigh) bottom
bracket (cups and spindle - the spindle looks a bit pitted). Basically
this stuff is free to anyone who'll pay P&P or collect from somewhere
between Hampton and Cambridge. I don't hold out much hope, but I reckon
it's worth asking.
--
David Damerell > Distortion Field!
Today is Second Potmos, October.

[David Damerell]

Quoting >:
[Fixed/free flipflops]
> The theory is that you have a get-you-home option, if you get really
>knackered- but would you use it?

That's not my theory, to be honest. My theory is that I might take this
bike into very hilly country.
--
David Damerell > Distortion Field!
Today is Second Potmos, October.

[Alan Braggins]

In article >, David Damerell wrote:
> two 165mm
>cottered cranks (fitted 44t chainring) ... Basically
>this stuff is free to anyone who'll pay P&P or collect from somewhere
>between Hampton and Cambridge.

Yes please. I can collect in Cambridge.