Originally Posted by LarDasse74

I am heavier than the OP and, based on my experience road racing at 200 lbs, I would not trust a freewheel hub for serious riding - or any riding where I had to get myself home. Shimano's freehub design is one of the great improvements in bicycle component design from the last 50 years.

The problems with simply replacing axle after axle as needed are that (1) much more time in the shop, (2) might not be good quality axles available the next time the axle bends and has to be replaced with another 3 mile cheapo, and (3) bending the axle might also bend the frame, and that's bad.

Edit: One question for GeoffM - do you find you get a lot of pressure on your hands or wrists while riding?