Touring - phil wood freewheel rear hub

hi there.

i am typically a fixed/ss riding type. i did my last tour fixed, but with my tax returns this year i'm thinking of building myself a geared rear wheel to do a 1x7 setup for touring in the mountains.

i'm familiar with the typical concerns about freewheel hubs (axle breakage and threading freewheel scarcity) but the phil cassette hub is MUCH more expensive, and i also tend to trust older technology.

i have seen phil freewheel hubs that are older than me, and still working fine. is axle breakage really much of a concern with phils? has anyone had bad experiences with them? i've only heard good.

while we're at it, what are some good, durable freewheel brands? suntour seems like a good option, with lots of ebay availability.

if anyone thinks of any other concerns that might be valid to one who hasn't ridden geared since childhood, toss 'em in.

thanks

I'm using Phil hubs with 40 double-butted Wheelsmith spokes in a 4-cross pattern in the rear and 36 3-cross front on Mavic T217CD rims on a vintage lugged-steel tourer. (The Mavic 519 I believe is a newer and beefier rendition.) The rear is 7-speed freewheel type. These wheels are bomb-proof for single loaded touring use. Believe me, the Phil freewheel axles are NOT going to break! :D The vintage Suntour Winner and New Winner freewheels are excellent, and the Comp and Pro Comp being lower shelf units. I'm told that the newer Shimano "Mega" range freewheels are fine too.

Hope this helps a little,

Ted Phelps
Central Valley, California

When I gave my 20-year-old Trek 720 an upgrade a couple of years ago, i went with a Phil freewheel configuration, the wheel builder said, "You can will these hubs to your grandchildren." No problems so far.

cool. i'll post pictures if i follow through on this idea. thanks for the feedback.

Check Harris Cyclery website. Shimano has a new designed freewheel. I just put new 48 spoke freewheel Phil Wood hubs on our touring bikes.