Classic & Vintage - Has anyone tried one fo these IRD Defiant freewheels?

http://store.interlocracing.com/fr76and5sp.html

http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/ird_2178_170757

Thoughts?

Product Description

Quality freewheels are hard to find, because basically the big makers only make freewheels for department store bikes. But what if you have a vintage Hetchins that needs a new freewheel and you don't want to put on a freewheel meant for a $75 bike. IRD is here to give you options.

Our new index freewheels feature--

• Shifting waves and special teeth profiles
• Heat treated steel for durability (HRA 70-75)
• Nickel plated
• Double pawl mechanism
• 20 interface ratchets
• Double row precision bearings
• Polycarbonate glass fiber spacers


Gearing:
23700 5sp 13-15-17-20-24
23704 5sp 13-16-20-24-28
23708 5sp 14-16-20-24-28
23715 6sp 13-15-17-19-21-24
23716 6sp 14-17-20-24-28-32
23719 6sp 13-15-18-21-24-28
23725 6sp 14-16-19-24-28-34
23730 7sp 13-14-15-17-19-21-24
23735 7sp 13-15-17-19-21-24-28
23738 7sp 13-15-18-21-24-28-32

The early ones had many reports of failures. I'm using a recent one (called "redesigned" at Harris Cyclery) and it seems to work fine. It takes the Shimano-style Park FR-1 tool.

The early ones had many reports of failures.

When I looked into these 18mos or so ago that's all I kept seeing and it was enough to get me to buy a good ol' SunRace. Yeah its not a high-end name but Its got hyperglide style cogs with ramps and twisty teeth and all that Jazz....for my dollar its worked flawlessly and shifts better than the old straight toothy bastard that was on there. Its on my Team Miyata and sees some pretty hard mashing and pounding from this caveman

I have a $5 Sunrace freewheel on my JRJ and it shifts beautifully and is fairly quiet, too.

Had an early one. Didn't fail, but the chrome plating on the cogs peeled within a week. Not impressed with the overall package.

-Kurt

The Mark 3 ones are fine. Make sure you get one of those (although I'd be surprised to see any new ones out there that aren't M3 at this point).

They will be stamped 'M3' on back of the largest cog.

The IRD freewheels are copies of the old Shimano 600 freewheel.

When I looked into these 18mos or so ago that's all I kept seeing and it was enough to get me to buy a good ol' SunRace. Yeah its not a high-end name but Its got hyperglide style cogs with ramps and twisty teeth and all that Jazz....for my dollar its worked flawlessly and shifts better than the old straight toothy bastard that was on there. Its on my Team Miyata and sees some pretty hard mashing and pounding from this caveman

I have been very pleased with the Sunrace FW's. They are cheap and a marked improvement (on whatever was on there). I have had two new noisy ones (chain "pops" off one of the teeth) that I scrapped, but I have purchased a LOT of them and most of them work flawlessly.

Not a freewheel, but I've got a nice IRD 10 speed cassette on my Pogliaghi. Works great, and I've used it pretty hard.

I have a $5 Sunrace freewheel on my JRJ and it shifts beautifully and is fairly quiet, too.


...for my dollar its worked flawlessly and shifts better than the old straight toothy bastard that was on there.


I have been very pleased with the Sunrace FW's. They are cheap and a marked improvement (on whatever was on there). I have had two new noisy ones (chain "pops" off one of the teeth) that I scrapped, but I have purchased a LOT of them and most of them work flawlessly.

+4. I bought a new 14-28 SunRace for $14 shipped to use "temporarily" on my trek 560 to do some local hill training in preparation for D2R2 this past summer, replacing the original twist-tooth Shimano 13-22. It index shifts more quietly and assuredly, and the chain spins more quietly. I can't speak to the longevity of them, but so far, what's not to like about them? All I can say is that the original Shimano twist-tooth is probably never going to find its way back onto the bike.

The Mark 3 ones are fine. Make sure you get one of those (although I'd be surprised to see any new ones out there that aren't M3 at this point).

They will be stamped 'M3' on back of the largest cog.

The IRD freewheels are copies of the old Shimano 600 freewheel.

Interesting...just curious how you know that?

Interesting...just curious how you know that?

It's stated on their website. Common knowledge, I thought....

It's stated on their website. Common knowledge, I thought....

Oh wow, I missed it, sorry. Thanks!

Have a 7s one on my dad's Fuji - it works meh-like. Even the worst 8s cassette I've friction shifted with a crappy chain is better.

Ditto Falcon. I had a freewheel off a parts bike I used recently, and it's really slick shifting. Twist tooth and ramped sides on the cogs. It went with their Tourney knock-off derailleur, and it shifted easier than my genuine Shimano Tourney.

I had one fail right out of the box, sent it back, got a another. I haven't had a bit of trouble. Beware that the IRD freewheels sit further in on the hub. Check Derailleur to spoke clearance, you may have to use a spacer.

• Double pawl mechanism
• 20 interface ratchets
• Double row precision bearings

Hmmmmmm?

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p71/pastorbobnlnh/Parts/Free%20Wheels/Regina%20Corsa/ReginaCorsa2.jpg

I'd hope those features would be included in a freewheel.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p71/pastorbobnlnh/Parts/Free%20Wheels/Feb18GreasedandReady2.jpg

• Double pawl mechanism
• 20 interface ratchets
• Double row precision bearings


I'd hope those features would be included in a freewheel.




It's also Gluten Free.

I've been very happy with the SunRace freewheels, but I couldn't find a 6sp 14-32 model so I recently sprung for an IRD to use on my World Voyageur. It looks really nice and I was very pleased to find that it is nearly silent. I really like that.

Why not get the real McCoy, a Shimano freewheel? They're inexpensive, and I don't think there's a better-made one in current production?

Nothing wrong with that as long as you like one of the few cog sets they offer. SunRace offers more combos.

Why not get the real McCoy, a Shimano freewheel?

That ridiculous looking black, "MEGA RANGE" cog is reason enough. Yes, I need a big cog because I'm a weakling. Do I also need to raise a flag and advertise it to the world?

I have 3 IRD freewheels. No issues, shift nice.

Not a freewheel, but I've got a nice IRD 10 speed cassette on my Pogliaghi. Works great, and I've used it pretty hard.

Hey BBM, what cog sizes would that be? Are you using that because of the limitations of the wide range 10 speed Campy (13-29) not going lower than 13 teeth? Are you using this with Campy ergos and if so how is the shifting quality (noise, preciseness of shifts, wear, etc.). I'm looking at these hard due to more flexibility in the tooth configurations (12-28), but haven't made a move yet.

Why not get the real McCoy, a Shimano freewheel? They're inexpensive, and I don't think there's a better-made one in current production?

If you mean the current (small) crop of very-cheap Malaysian-made Shimano freewheels, no comparison.....

That ridiculous looking black, "MEGA RANGE" cog is reason enough. Yes, I need a big cog because I'm a weakling. Do I also need to raise a flag and advertise it to the world?

+1 Yep. That turned me off, too. Also, I couldn't get the cog sequence that I wanted from Shimano. So, I went for an IRD 7-speed. Looks nice, shifts well, runs quietly and smoothly.

Well, I learned a thing or two here, so I'm glad I found this thread. Justin, haven't you ever heard of black tape?

Hey BBM, what cog sizes would that be? Are you using that because of the limitations of the wide range 10 speed Campy (13-29) not going lower than 13 teeth? Are you using this with Campy ergos and if so how is the shifting quality (noise, preciseness of shifts, wear, etc.). I'm looking at these hard due to more flexibility in the tooth configurations (12-28), but haven't made a move yet.

On the Ciocc I sold last year, I had a Campagnolo compact 50/34 up front and an IRD 11/34 in back. Yes - a 10 speed 11/34 cassette. It worked well and shifted just fine with Campagnolo ergo Veloce 10 speed shifters and a long cage RD. Maybe the slightest "clatter" in the 30/34 combo, but if I was there I was going pretty slow anyway so it wasn't a bother. :)

On the Pogliaghi, I have a Campagnolo 52/42/30 triple up front, a 12/32 IRD 10 speed cassette in back, and Campagnolo Centaur 10 speed ergo's to shift it all. No issues at all.

In case you couldn't tell, I was after some big climbing gears. :D In the case of the Ciocc it worked ok and the 50/11 combo was real nice, but I just didn't care for a compact double.

In the case of the Pogliaghi it works fine, but the caveat is that the rear jumps from 28t to the 32t with no intermediary gear, so I lose the 29t cog I'm so familiar with on the Campagnolo 13/29.

Justin, haven't you ever heard of black tape?

What should I do with the black tape?

If you mean the current (small) crop of very-cheap Malaysian-made Shimano freewheels, no comparison.....

This. Broken and bent teeth out of the box aren't uncommon on the new Shimano freewheels, but it's not something I've heard of on any of the other brands.

I have a 7 speed IRD. No problems with the function or quality.

It's also Gluten Free.

And very low-calorie! Vegan too! Kosher for passover (it's pareve*...)!

Loaded with iron!

* pareve/parve = neither meat nor dairy.

I have a 7 speed IRD. No problems with the function or quality.


Good to know. After reading this thread I want to spring for an IRD 7-speed FW to replace the shimano FW on my Centurian. The shimano FW is good, but its also ugly. I want something shiny chrome or nickel to pretty things up.

So how does the appearance stack up?

That ridiculous looking black, "MEGA RANGE" cog is reason enough. Yes, I need a big cog because I'm a weakling. Do I also need to raise a flag and advertise it to the world?

Enjoy your time as a non-weakling! It's a temporary condition.

In the case of the Ciocc it worked ok and the 50/11 combo was real nice, but I just didn't care for a compact double.

I've been debating compact double vs. triple set up on a new bike build. Could you comment more on what you didn't care for about the compact double? (Gear range, shift pattern, shift performance, appearance, etc).

I've been debating compact double vs. triple set up on a new bike build. Could you comment more on what you didn't care for about the compact double? (Gear range, shift pattern, shift performance, appearance, etc).

I didn't care for all the double shifting that was necessary, while gaining no advantage over a triple. A standard triple has a 52/42/30 up front, so it really works like a standard double only with some bail-out gears just in case.

Also, with Campagnolo you get a low of 34/29 on the compact and 30/29 on the triple. I'm a poor climber, so the compact doesn't have the same low gears that the triple does and that I need. The only way to get the compact to do what I wanted was to buy the IRD cassette in either 11/32 or 11/34.

The compact works well enough, but in hill country with rollers there was a lot of double shifting front/rear to find the right spot.

YMMV, but I didn't care for it. I'd rather run on the 42 ring and just shift up and down the rear cog, occasionally going to the big ring on descents and the small ring for hard climbs. Just made for an easier day.

YMMV, but I didn't care for it. I'd rather run on the 42 ring and just shift up and down the rear cog, occasionally going to the big ring on descents and the small ring for hard climbs. Just made for an easier day.

I think we would ride well together. This pretty much describes how I ride around here in the NH mountains (which in CA would be called hills). Interestingly, I've set my vintage Campagnolo NR/Record triples (paired to 6 speed freewheels) up with 50 tooth big chainrings, and I'd say it is my preferred ring when on a flat stretch.

I didn't care for all the double shifting that was necessary, while gaining no advantage over a triple. A standard triple has a 52/42/30 up front, so it really works like a standard double only with some bail-out gears just in case.

Also, with Campagnolo you get a low of 34/29 on the compact and 30/29 on the triple. I'm a poor climber, so the compact doesn't have the same low gears that the triple does and that I need. The only way to get the compact to do what I wanted was to buy the IRD cassette in either 11/32 or 11/34.

The compact works well enough, but in hill country with rollers there was a lot of double shifting front/rear to find the right spot.


YMMV, but I didn't care for it. I'd rather run on the 42 ring and just shift up and down the rear cog, occasionally going to the big ring on descents and the small ring for hard climbs. Just made for an easier day.

Funny that riding style is exacty how I use my compact double.

I run 46/30 w/10 speed rear. Rarely out of the 46, using the 30 for tired climbs. The difference is, probably, that I am in SE PA so the hills are short & steep by comparison......

Funny that riding style is exacty how I use my compact double.


+1

Funny that riding style is exacty how I use my compact double.

I run 46/30 w/10 speed rear. Rarely out of the 46, using the 30 for tired climbs. The difference is, probably, that I am in SE PA so the hills are short & steep by comparison......

I would assume so, although I've never been to your neck of the woods. A top end of 46/13 would be too low a gear for me, which is what I would have with your compact and my 13/29 cassette.

Justin, haven't you ever heard of black tape?

At least two of us are wondering what you meant by that.

The difference is, probably, that I am in SE PA so the hills are short & steep by comparison......
One of New England's native crops, the short steep hill.

Why not get the real McCoy, a Shimano freewheel? They're inexpensive, and I don't think there's a better-made one in current production?
The new 6-speed Shimano I put on my Gran Sport last year makes a ticking noise once every revolution. Sometimes if I let it freewheel a bit then start pedaling it will be quiet, but not usually. This tells me something is causing an offset or imbalance between the inner and outer casings, but I can sometimes catch it in a place where it is happy. I'm thinking a new freewheel might be in order before something breaks and it decides to freewheel bi-directionally. And if it includes a non-black big cog, so much the better.

This thread has been informative.

At least two of us are wondering what you meant by that.

I think he just meant you could cover up the logo with tape (which, in reality, wouldn't work worth a darn).

Now a Sharpie, that's a whole 'nother thing!

Back to report on the 14-32t 6sp IRD freewheel I installed a couple weeks ago. The finish is great and shifting is as good as any other HG freewheel I've used. The cogs look to be of better quality than the SunRace or current production Shimanos I've used. Again, though, the reason I spent the extra dough on the IRD is because it was the only 14-32t 6sp HG freewheel I could find. I doubt makes any functional difference but it's worth noting that this particular freewheel has a crazy amount of "wobble". I mean, a LOT of wobble.

I'll add that this freewheel is ninja quiet. All I can hear when coasting is the sound of the tires on the pavement.

http://gallery.me.com/justinhughes/100363/IMG_4267/web.jpg?ver=13205114010001

just go for NOS Regina on the net.......