Originally Posted by
Salamandrine
Apparently not all of you were around when teaching people how to shift a 10 speed was a common task in a bike shop.
It was a different time. Back then, most (American) cyclists were accustomed to coaster brakes and 3 speed hubs. The idea that you had to be pedaling to change gears was a little odd to many people. The Shimano FF catered to that market. It made those newfangled 10 speed things a little more comprehensible. Yeah, they were noisy.
Agreed, in the early 1970s, few cyclists knew how to shift properly, even those that had bought a 10 speed. Consumers were often too self-conscious to inquire and sales personnel often couldn't be bothered. Consequently, many boom era bicycles were never shifted out of the gear that they were in when they left the LBS. If they were shifted, it was often only to find a comfortable gear, in which it stayed thereafter. This is why so many boom era, entry level bicycles have shifting problems when they're resold. Many were rarely, if ever, shifted and the worn chain often meshes properly with only one gear.
My experience is that the front freewheel itself is not any noisier than a standard freewheel. However, the increased amount of surrounding reflecting surfaces and slightly closer proximity to the rider makes it sound louder.