Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Taking off a freewheel

My bike has a flip-flop hub, it has a fixed gear on one side and a freewheel on the other. The thing is, I never use the freewheel, and what's more it moves when I ride and therefore makes noise. How can I get rid of it? And if I take it off, can I put one more fixed gear in place of it?

Here's the pic of my hub:
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l283/TadashiEX/madison_rear_hub.jpg

My bike has a flip-flop hub, it has a fixed gear on one side and a freewheel on the other. The thing is, I never use the freewheel, and what's more it moves when I ride and therefore makes noise. How can I get rid of it? And if I take it off, can I put one more fixed gear in place of it?

Here's the pic of my hub:
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l283/TadashiEX/madison_rear_hub.jpg


Get a four-prong BMX freewheel remover and remove the offending freewheel. Shimano, Park, etc. make them. You can put another fixed cog on in place of it, BUT . . . your hub may be fixed/free, in which case you won't be able to use a lockring with the fixed cog on the "free" side. If you have brakes, that may not be a problem. If you don't have brakes, I would not recommend riding a cog without a lockring on the street. Hope this helps.

Dr. Bill

Thanks for the fast reply!

How much is this remover? And how do I check if I can put a lockring on this side of hub or not?

The tool costs about $9 USD, or you can take it to a shop and they'll do it for pretty cheap. The lockring threads are smaller and reverse threaded. If you take it off and there are two sets of different threads on the hub, you can safely put another fixed cog on.

Thanks. I'll probably buy the tool then, I may need it in the future.

I looked it up at Yahoo Japan and I'm a bit confused. Can you tell me which one I need? They are quite different.
http://store.yahoo.co.jp/atomic-cycle/4-pa-fr-6c.html
http://store.yahoo.co.jp/atomic-cycle/4-pa-fr-8c.html
http://store.yahoo.co.jp/thepowerful/fr-3c.html

The tool costs about $9 USD, or you can take it to a shop and they'll do it for pretty cheap. The lockring threads are smaller and reverse threaded. If you take it off and there are two sets of different threads on the hub, you can safely put another fixed cog on.

Yeah. They'll probably charge you $9 USD to do it for you.


I looked it up at Yahoo Japan and I'm a bit confused. Can you tell me which one I need? They are quite different.
http://store.yahoo.co.jp/atomic-cycle/4-pa-fr-6c.html
http://store.yahoo.co.jp/atomic-cycle/4-pa-fr-8c.html
http://store.yahoo.co.jp/thepowerful/fr-3c.html

You can help us help you by telling us what is written on your freewheel. You most likely need the FR-8 which is the 4 prong the other poster described.

It says "main drive 1/2 x 1/8 (c5)".

Take your rear wheel out and get a face on photo of the freewheel.

just get some shop to take it off.

just get some shop to take it off.
You know Tokyo, what shop can offer such service? It's pretty ss/fg specific, I guess. A guy at my LBS shop (mostly a mamachari one) said that the only way to take it off is to destroy it. Fool.

What an idiot shop.
What area you live in?..i can probably suggest a shop to go to.

What an idiot shop.
What area you live in?..i can probably suggest a shop to go to.
I live in Nakano-ku, near Nogata station.

Either of the Y's shops in Shinjuku arent that far away and will be able to do it for you. You know those shops?
Shinjuku 3 chome

Either of the Y's shops in Shinjuku arent that far away and will be able to do it for you. You know those shops?
Shinjuku 3 chome
Joker and Maniac? Yeah, I know them. About how much will they charge me? I heard their service is expensive.

What an idiot shop.
What area you live in?..i can probably suggest a shop to go to.

It's not an idiot shop. There are some freewheels that do not accept ANY tool to take it off. I don't know why you would advocate bringing it to a shop when one picture of the freewheel would game over this thread.

It's not an idiot shop. There are some freewheels that do not accept ANY tool to take it off. I don't know why you would advocate bringing it to a shop when one picture of the freewheel would game over this thread.

Do you mean like the freewheel in the picture at the top
of the page? The one that appears to takes the 4-prong
BMX-style freewheel remover?

Joker and Maniac? Yeah, I know them. About how much will they charge me? I heard their service is expensive.

Yes, the same shop.
I highly doubt theyd charge you more than ¥1000 for this. Depending on if they have to take off your wheel.

It's not an idiot shop. There are some freewheels that do not accept ANY tool to take it off. I don't know why you would advocate bringing it to a shop when one picture of the freewheel would game over this thread.

Its very obvious what kind of freewheel it is. Look at the picture. That freewheel is easily removed with a standard 4 prong tool.

Yes, the same shop.
I highly doubt theyd charge you more than ¥1000 for this. Depending on if they have to take off your wheel.
I can take off my wheel myself, lol.

Well if it's that cheap, then I'll pay them a visit, I guess.

I can take off my wheel myself, lol.

Well if it's that cheap, then I'll pay them a visit, I guess.


And probably if you took just the wheel into Carnival (in shibuya) id say they would pull off the freehweel for free.
Theyve changed cogs for me for free before.

And probably if you took just the wheel into Carnival (in shibuya) id say they would pull off the freehweel for free.
Theyve changed cogs for me for free before.
Carnival? I don't know that shop.

Carnival? I don't know that shop.

its a fixed gear shop between harajuku station and shibuya station right off meiji dori. I can get you a map if you wanna go there instead.

They make cool YouTube videos. That's all I know about them.

its a fixed gear shop between harajuku station and shibuya station right off meiji dori. I can get you a map if you wanna go there instead.
OK, give me the location on google maps, I can read Japanese.

i found where its at on a google map but im not sure how to get that map marked and to you.
There's "Link to this page" on the right. Copy it.

Google is great.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=117625741238448638236.000001137f12fcf4ef621&z=19&om=1

Google is great.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=117625741238448638236.000001137f12fcf4ef621&z=19&om=1
Thanks a lot, I'll definitely visit that shop!

Thanks a lot, I'll definitely visit that shop!

No problem. But beware..the shop is filled with overly-priced, amazing, sexy parts, frames and bikes. :D

Its very obvious what kind of freewheel it is. Look at the picture. That freewheel is easily removed with a standard 4 prong tool.

Great diagnosis doctor. So why did you not recommend the FR-8 based on a slant angle, blurry picture?

Thanks for playing. Instead of asking for one picture that takes about 30 seconds to upload. You recommend wasting an hour taking it to a bikeshop and learning nothing in the process. Good for you. We gotta have awesome mechs like you on the board.

Great diagnosis doctor. So why did you not recommend the FR-8 based on a slant angle, blurry picture?

Thanks for playing. Instead of asking for one picture that takes about 30 seconds to upload. You recommend wasting an hour taking it to a bikeshop and learning nothing in the process. Good for you. We gotta have awesome mechs like you on the board.

You just cant stand being wrong can you?
It doesnt matter.
I know what ****ing freewheel comes on those Madisons. Its a typical ACS freewheel.
I almost bought one of these bikes for my wife. Being a longtime BMXer i specifically looked at the damn freewheel.
Go ride your bike or something.

Do what with his bike?