Hi all,

This is my first new thread at BikeForums and I really enjoy reading the discussions here. My question is hard to describe, and I'm not much of a writer. But I'll do my best and if it isn't clear, please let me know what is missing.

Here's the problem:

I recently purchased a '72 Paramount P-10 in excellent condition. Everything on it works perfect except, once in a while, when changing gears, the drive train doesn't "catch" and hold onto the desired gear. The pedals just spin around and around (just like pedaling backwards). Eventually, after moving the gear shifter up or down one or two cogs, the gear catches and I can continue on my way. This happens when shifting the front or rear derailleurs.

Like I said, the bike is in excellent condition, all the components are clean and have hardly any wear. Thus, I don't think the issue is caused by the chain skipping over worn cogs. And the derailleurs were dialed in by a skilled vintage bike mechanic when I purchased the bike a few weeks ago.

I suspect the problem is in the freewheel, but I'm not an expert and don't really know. I'm guessing that since the bike was not ridden much in the last 25 or 30 years, that the freewheel might be getting stuck. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!