Modern freehub/cassette systems are indeed superior to traditional freewheels,7- as my two hard lessons of the past couple of weeks have indicated:
1) mountain bike -- SunTour 7-speed freewheel body showed first hints of wanting to seize instead of coasting. When I pulled the freewheel to replace it, I noticed that one of the four prongs had broken off and another was cracking, so this freewheel body is getting tossed. The good news is that I am delighted with the 7-speed Regina (!) with which I replaced it. (I also have a Shimano waiting in the wings, if the Regina gives me any grief, such as chain skating or clunky shifting.)
2) Capo #1 -- broken axle, my first 126mm and my first Italian casualty.
I am a skinny mesomorph 150-pounder with slow-twitch musculature, admittedly with a fascination for hills, but definitely neither a masher nor a sprinter. What do the Clysdales do to avoid breaking parts? I have broken three cranks, three rear axles, two frames, a platform pedal, and a front hub flange.
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069