Cyclone freewheel issues

[RayB]

Guys,

Just curious for other cyclone users out there. Have you had any problems with their freewheels? The first one that came with the kit seized on me after about 100km of usage. I just received the replacement via warranty, and the bearings are so loose that my crank set wiggles left to right as I cycle.

thanks,

[cerewa]

if the chainring wiggles it could be because of the freewheel being loose (or the connections between freewheel, cranks, and chainring).

If the cranks wiggle, it's because of bottom bracket bearings or (less likely) the connections between bottom bracket and cranks or bottom bracket and bike.

I never had trouble with the chainring-freewheel because I used standard cranks without a freewheel instead. :)

[RayB]

Thanks cerewa,

I know what you mean. I am considering that as well. It is not the BB that was the first thing I verified. It is the chainring that wiggles but I have tightened that right up so I do not see it being a loose connection. I made a little video and sent it to the guy in Taiwan to see if he sends me yet another part.

Going without the freewheel just mean it turns into a fixie right... always have to turn the cranks.. not sure if I will like that as my knees are not used to it :)

[MilesH]

It's because they use a cheap, low quality, freewheel. Just replace with something better...

[cerewa]

Going without the freewheel just mean it turns into a fixie right... always have to turn the cranks.. not sure if I will like that as my knees are not used to it

I don't think "fixie" is an appropriate term for a bike set up like mine, because...... you can stop pedaling while the bike rolls, but only when the motor is not turning. It takes some getting used to, but it does not cause any unnecessary strain/pain to your knees. You will feel it when the motor is pushing your feet to move, but you'll quickly learn how not to push against the motor. A setup like mine will not work for people who want to be able to motor around sometimes without pedaling.

If you like to travel by motor-only sometimes, it sounds like you'll have to replace your chainring-freewheel or deal with the wobbles from your current one.

[dumbass]

The problem with the freewheels is the side plate comes loose. I will not waste your time telling you the problems I had with Cyclone USA about this but the bottom line is the side plate comes loose and has to be tightened. The quick (temporary too) is to tighten it with a screw drive and a hammer. The plate that is loose is located on the crank side. Look for a small dimples just outside the rim of the crank arm. There are 2 of them 180 degrees apart. They are standard right hand thread. Use the small screw driver and hammer to turn the plate tight again. Don't worry about damaging the plate or dimples because they are hardethen your screw drive. At worse you will need to remove the freewheel to do a better job tightening the plate. Jim Olsen (owner of Cyclone USA) now has a perminant fix for the problem. He can send you a shim to install between the crank and the freewheel. This will permenantly correct the problem. If you need more info. send my an IM.

[dumbass]

RayB...Don't ride without the freewheel. I did it one time for 30 minutes and trust me it's not a good idea. Nor is it a safe idea.