On 130mm 8 sp freewheels that was a real problem. On 126mm it wasn't nearly as common. It did happen but not often.
Both rear axles I have broken -- one solid, one hollow/QR -- were 120mm with 5-speed freewheels.
Personally, I can't think of any reason to go from 5 to 7 sp. Unless you wanted an indexed shifter. You really don't gain anything.
Huh? In the bad old days when I had only 10 (actually, often 8 or 9 because of crosschain issues) ratios to juggle, I had to accept either too narrow an overall range of gears or excessively large ratiometric gaps in the progression. I finally compromised on commuting with 52-42/16-18-21-24-26, which came up short at the top end. For recreational cycling, I used 50-42/14-16-18-20-23, which made the steeper climbs a struggle, particularly towards the end of a long ride. Having at least 6 cogs in back makes a
huge difference by giving me just barely enough ammunition to obtain a low/mid 40s to mid 90s range with 6 or 7% steps through the middle. I have augmented my old 50-42/14-23 10-speed standby with a most welcome 26 tooth cog.
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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