Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Use a freewheel on a Brevet Bike?
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northbend
01-11-09, 05:50 PM
Anyone use older bikes with 5 or 6sp freewheels for Brevet riding? With IRD now making new 5 and 6sp freewheels it would seem to me to be a great enabler to use for my old bike that I love so much for it's simplicity. I am new to Randonee and would appreciate any opinions on this subject. The old Regina just gave up the ghost and the new IRD is going on this week.
I have done brevets on a 6-speed freewheel bike. I see no problem with doing so. In fact, I just did a New Year's day 200K brevet on that bike. Riders used freewheels for many years. So long as you can get the range of gears you need, it should be just fine.
bobbycorno
01-13-09, 10:16 AM
I have done brevets on a 6-speed freewheel bike. I see no problem with doing so. In fact, I just did a New Year's day 200K brevet on that bike. Riders used freewheels for many years. So long as you can get the range of gears you need, it should be just fine.
Me too, but mine was 7 speed. Nice thing about freewheel rear wheels is they tend to have less dish and more spokes than more modern stuff. I broke a spoke in my rear (freewheel) wheel a bit over halfway thru a 200k, and rode it all the way in like that, no problems. Wouldn't have even considered doing that on my Campy 10-speed setup. YMMV, of course.
SP
Bend, OR
northbend
01-13-09, 06:14 PM
Thanks for the confirmation.
I have ridden this bike since 1981 - the rear wheel has seen 3 rims, 3 rear axles and maybe 4 5sp Freewheels in it's lifetime. With the new IRD freewheels I'll keep one going for a long time to come...
My main bike is a Frezoni, originally built around 32/40 hole Campag hubs (breaking an axle every 2-3 years) it is now shod with Mavic 501 hubs. I use the Sunrace 13-28 7sp freewheel, being cheap.