Double the life of your freewheel cogs
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Double the life of your freewheel cogs
I ride an old road bike with a 6 spd, straight block (13-18) freewheel. Several years back I bought a few since they were getting rare. I was down to my last one and when I put a new chain on, it started skipping on the 18 (the gear I ride the most).
I couldn't find a replacement straight block anywhere, so I took the freewheel apart and turned the splined cogs over and reassembled. No more skipping! Now I have to change the chain more often to make sure it doesn't happen again.
I couldn't find a replacement straight block anywhere, so I took the freewheel apart and turned the splined cogs over and reassembled. No more skipping! Now I have to change the chain more often to make sure it doesn't happen again.
#2
totally louche
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: A land that time forgot
Posts: 18,023
Bikes: the ever shifting stable loaded with comfortable road bikes and city and winter bikes
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times
in
9 Posts
Good work!
Too,You double the life of your chain by flipping it over when it is stretched halfway (as per the shimano engineers who discovered this by accident!)
Too,You double the life of your chain by flipping it over when it is stretched halfway (as per the shimano engineers who discovered this by accident!)
#4
Electrical Hazard
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Manhattan / Vancouver
Posts: 974
Bikes: a bunch.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Don't forget to swap your left and right grips too!
=D
edit: Sorry for getting off topic.
The tip about the freewheel is definately a good one=]
=D
edit: Sorry for getting off topic.
The tip about the freewheel is definately a good one=]
#6
Banned.
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana
Posts: 4,761
Bikes: 84 Trek 660 Suntour Superbe; 87 Giant Rincon Shimano XT; 07 Mercian Vincitore Campy Veloce
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
My hands now last twice as long because I swapped my right with left. Actually the chain swapping is a myth, nor do chains "stretch". If you know how a chain wears then you can see how flipping it over would be useless: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/chains.html (Read the whole page, there's a bit about using wax on chains as well as other tid bits).
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Between the mountains and the lake.
Posts: 16,681
Bikes: 8 bikes - one for each day of the week!
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
Originally Posted by jur
How about swapping front and rear tubes?
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 33,656
Bikes: '96 Litespeed Catalyst, '05 Litespeed Firenze, '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '20 Surly Midnight Special, All are 3x10. It is hilly around here!
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2026 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,095 Times
in
741 Posts
Flipping cogs used to work with old-style freewheels but won't with current cassettes due to the shaped and ramped teeth. They go together only one way to shift properly. Also, most newer cassettes, particularly 9 and 10-speed, have the cogs mounted in groups on a spider and you can't even use them as individual cogs.
Nice suggestion but obsolete.
Also, flipping the chain is a myth. Chain wear is permanant elongation and reversing it doesn't make it shorter.
Nice suggestion but obsolete.
Also, flipping the chain is a myth. Chain wear is permanant elongation and reversing it doesn't make it shorter.
#9
Senior Member
Originally Posted by Expatriate
Just change the air. Swapping tubes causes flats.
#11
totally louche
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: A land that time forgot
Posts: 18,023
Bikes: the ever shifting stable loaded with comfortable road bikes and city and winter bikes
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times
in
9 Posts
the chain flipping to extend its life is a myth? better tell the guys at shimano. I just read that somewhere, too. I think it might have been in Berto's The Dancing Chain
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Albany, WA
Posts: 7,393
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 321 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times
in
6 Posts
Originally Posted by HillRider
Flipping cogs used to work with old-style freewheels but won't with current cassettes due to the shaped and ramped teeth. They go together only one way to shift properly. Also, most newer cassettes, particularly 9 and 10-speed, have the cogs mounted in groups on a spider and you can't even use them as individual cogs.
#13
hello
Originally Posted by jur
Just flip the entire cassette.
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Laramie Wyoming
Posts: 2,970
Bikes: Merlin Extralight Topolino Wheels Campy Record
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Easiest way to extend the life of the entire drive train is to keep it very clean. And its pretty cheap to do. (Hope that is not an OCP answer )
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 33,656
Bikes: '96 Litespeed Catalyst, '05 Litespeed Firenze, '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '20 Surly Midnight Special, All are 3x10. It is hilly around here!
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2026 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,095 Times
in
741 Posts
Originally Posted by Bekologist
the chain flipping to extend its life is a myth? better tell the guys at shimano. I just read that somewhere, too. I think it might have been in Berto's The Dancing Chain
#16
Senior Curmudgeon
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Directly above the center of the earth
Posts: 3,856
Bikes: Varies by day
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
1 Post
Extend the life of your saddle by mounting the bike backwards half the time and riding with a mirror!
#17
hello
OK...let's then talk doubling, tripling the life of every component on the bike. Do not ride the same bike more than twice in one week. Alternate usage among your fleet of bikes.
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Between the mountains and the lake.
Posts: 16,681
Bikes: 8 bikes - one for each day of the week!
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
Originally Posted by The Fixer
OK...let's then talk doubling, tripling the life of every component on the bike. Do not ride the same bike more than twice in one week. Alternate usage among your fleet of bikes.
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 6,956
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times
in
5 Posts
I rotated my brain's hemispheres today
network administration, the art form within the sullen science of the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, as never seen save by the imagination
my bicycle! wherefore art thou Romeo... ahhh, dang, that reflective tape is making me... well, I must not post that here
down the highway, draw me my steed, reeling me ever further along the ribbon of HID light
*staggers away*
network administration, the art form within the sullen science of the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, as never seen save by the imagination
my bicycle! wherefore art thou Romeo... ahhh, dang, that reflective tape is making me... well, I must not post that here
down the highway, draw me my steed, reeling me ever further along the ribbon of HID light
*staggers away*
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 33,656
Bikes: '96 Litespeed Catalyst, '05 Litespeed Firenze, '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '20 Surly Midnight Special, All are 3x10. It is hilly around here!
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2026 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,095 Times
in
741 Posts
Originally Posted by Expatriate
Do you have any idea how hard it is to wear stuff out on 5 or 6 bikes?
#21
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Between the mountains and the lake.
Posts: 16,681
Bikes: 8 bikes - one for each day of the week!
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
Originally Posted by HillRider
And when it comes time to sell one of your bikes you can truthfully claim; "it was owned by a little old man who only rode it on Sunday."
#22
totally louche
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: A land that time forgot
Posts: 18,023
Bikes: the ever shifting stable loaded with comfortable road bikes and city and winter bikes
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times
in
9 Posts
I knew this old Finn who had the original battery in his 57 DeSoto. We went out to the garage where he kept the Desoto; it was like a mechanics shrine in Lourdes.
#23
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Between the mountains and the lake.
Posts: 16,681
Bikes: 8 bikes - one for each day of the week!
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
Originally Posted by Bekologist
I knew this old Finn who had the original battery in his 57 DeSoto. We went out to the garage where he kept the Desoto; it was like a mechanics shrine in Lourdes.
#24
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 9,428
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Originally Posted by Expatriate
I had a friend who was like that with his Ferrari. He owned a restaurant, so Monday was his only day off. The temperature and humidity had to be just right for him to take it out. It sat in his garage most of the year. He had it on raised stands to avoid sag in the suspension, it was covered, and the battery was on some fancy charger. The leather interior smelled like nothing I can describe here, but it was a wonder to behold.
#25
totally louche
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: A land that time forgot
Posts: 18,023
Bikes: the ever shifting stable loaded with comfortable road bikes and city and winter bikes
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times
in
9 Posts
cepting i think this fella had a half million miles on the desoto, it was the only car he'd ever owned.