Bicycle Mechanics - Freewheel issues

Ok, so this might be my OCD acting up, and not a real problem, but here goes:

I've noticed that if I'm coasting (or really soft-pedaling) and then start pedaling again the crank rotates forward a little bit before my cassette/freewheel engages -- maybe 1/16th of a crank rotation, but probably less. The rotational distance the crank takes to engage the back wheel seems to be taking longer than I remember, which is why I noticed it. I'm assuming that there's something weird going on with the freewheel/hub assembly, but I don't know if I'm imagining things.

Any thoughts?

Remember that the crank angle needed to engage the freewheel pawls depends on the gear. (The angle at the wheel is constant and depends on the make of freewheel.) In a high gear, engagement will happen with very little crank motion, and in a low gear, more crank motion is required.

Maybe your riding style has changed toward spinning faster cadences in lower gears...?

I know mine has.

You could remove the freewheel and apply some light lube (Triflow) to the back of the freewheel. If needed, whack the freewheel with a small hammer to free the pawls.
That did the trick on a bike I worked on yesterday. :thumb:

Yeah, I'm going to pull everything apart tonight. It's a Ksyrium ES wheelset, and word on the street is that they need a bit more lube than normal. Hopefully I won't need a hammer.

FLYcrash (http://www.bikeforums.net/member.php?u=116593), thanks also for the comment. I don't think my mechanics have changed, but I'm going to look at everything.