Okay, so check it out, I really want some Phil Wood hubs bad. I've got an old bike I'd like to get them for, and I'd like to get the freewheel compatible hub, because it is substantially cheaper, and because the bike came with a six-speed freewheel anyway. Now I've got two questions:

1.Does anyone think there's a chance that freewheels will become extinct? I mean, Nashbar sells them, Rivendell sells them, etc. They are not as common as cassettes, but they're easy to find, and bloody cheap.

2. Are six and seven speed freewheels interchangeable? The Phil freewheel hub says "7 speed," but I can screw on a 6 speed freewheel without problems, right. I ask this because I've got a nice set of NOS six-speed downtube shifters I'd like to put them with.

Thanks in advance for your help, volcano gods of bicycle mechanics.

1. Freewheels will be available forever.
2. 5-6-7-8-9 speed freewheels all fit hubs designed for freewheels - the considerations are rear drop-out spacing (120/126/130), axle length & locknut spacing corresponding to the dropout spacing, wheel dish, and rear derailleur set screws adjustment.

You'll be fine!

Someone makes 8 and 9-speed freewheels? I always assumed that since newer, they'd all be cassettes.

I don't think 9 speed freewheels were ever made.

Hyperbole, then?

Freewheels are still being installed on new cheap bikes. Go look around at Wally World and you'll see a lot of them. It doesn't appear that they will disappear anytime soon.

However, a freewheel usually lasts a along time and chances are if you ever need a new one, you will probably want a new hub as well.

Don't sweat it. Get what you want and enjoy it.

Freewheels ain't going nowhere. And 6 and 7-speed freewheels are pretty much completely interchangeable. It is generally unnecessary to change wheel dish or dropout spacing. I was able to switch the 6-speed on my 80's touring bike out for a 7 - all I had to do was remove the little tab in the dropout that sets the distance back. They're nice to have, but unnecessary. I've had zero complaints since then - Hyperglide freewheels are wonderful things!

9-speed freewheels don't exist, and 8-speeds aren't a very good idea - lots of bent axles with 8-speeds, or so I hear. I've never even seen an 8-speed, but that may be for a very good reason.

I am running eight speed Sachs freewheels on a Campy record hub and Mavic hubs. I have not had any bent or broken axles so far. The Sachs eight speed indexes with Campy ergo eight. With a Rohloff chain it works excellent.

Thanks, everybody. I'm kind of thinking I wouldn't need to worry about bent axles and such on the Phil Wood touring hubs, anyway. Thanks for the help, I'm generally pretty good with bike mech stuff, but have never messed with freewheel stuff much. Thanks again.

You mean provided one changes and maintains their chain, right? Seems drastic to change a hub every time you're swapping out a worn freewheel.

Freewheels are definately a consumable. You can't really replace the cogs on freewheels anymore, its cheaper and easier to slap on a new unit every few years.
If you can get hold of the Sachs freewheel they are superior to the low-end Shimano ones, but even the Shimano ones are trouble-free.

MichaelW is correct in that, while the ratcheting body is pretty trouble free, the cogs will wear out just like any cassette and you can't buy replacements. The days of the Sun Tour "cog boards" that allowed single cog replacement and mix-and-match freewheel cog choices are long gone.

If you find a source for good quality freewheels, better buy a few. Yes, freewheels are still made but the quality can be poor (Wal-Mart bikes) or spotty (Sun Race).

I fthe only reason for getting a freewheel compatible Phil Wood hub is cost, you might want to reconsider and spring for the cassette model. It will give you a lot more choices in the future since who knows what bike this hub will eventually be used on.

Harris Cyclery carries a wide variety of high-quality Shimano freewheels. I would expect that any LBS with a QBP catalog would be able to get ahold of one as well. Finding a quality freewheel isn't hard at all.

Krispistoferson,

Make the upgrade to a cassette freehub. The Phil seems hideously priced at $360. Any reason you wouldn't consider other high-end cassette hubs?

Whatever works for you but like HillRider says, you could end up using this hub down the road (no pun intended) on other bikes - why not invest in something that gives you a bunch of other options? An 8-speed cassette is durable and you can get cassettes with 11-34T (if you want that kind of range) or customize your own cassettes right down to a corncob.

A Deore XT rear cassette freehub runs about $70. An Ultegra (130mm spacing if 135mm is a problem) runs about $100 and, to my mind, would be a long term investment. Is the Phil worth it to you? That might be a question for a different thread.

You're tellin' me. Sheesh.
Well, a few reasons.
1.I'm a big fan of spending extra on stuff that is of a level of quality that you can pass it on to children/grandchildren. To my mind, Phil is the one name that comes to mind as far as hubs and BBs go. Deore and such is pretty good, but I've worn out plenty of Deore in my time, and want something better.

2. This is a bike from the eighties, and I'd like to have it look correct for the period, rather than STI it out like one of these Nascar-bikes that are so popular now.

3. I like to work on my own stuff. It seems like older cycling hubs were fairly easy to repack, but most manufacturers have preferred to move away from this trait. The "Field Servicable" hubs are appealing to me for this very reason.

4.Just kinda have my heart set on Phils for hubs and BB.

5. Seriously, no matter how many speeds I have on my bikes, I find I use about 5 really useful gears, and ignore all the rest, so the modern trend of triples up front and 10-speed cassettes really don't interest me anymore. I've always found old "ten-speeds" really good this way, if the gear range is right.

Anyway, really not trying to be contrarian to anyone, just trying to talk myself into saving a ton of money! I was thinking of ordering the Phil freewheel hub with synergy rim from Rivendell. It's about $40 above what I could order the parts for, and I know the LBS would charge me more than that to build it up. The Nashbar freewheels are $20 a piece, and I've had nothing but good things to say about their Nashbar-branded cassettes I've ordered from them. So I could order the built-up wheel, freewheel, tire, tube, rimtape and everything for less than just the dang cassette hub!

Not taken as contrarian at all!

I too like the idea of things built to last. I get jeered for having electric fans from 1918 and 1940 around my house - but they'll still work perfectly in 2018 and 2040 so I'm happy.

Do Phil Wood hubs really last forever? Sounds like a great investment if they do. I don't know what's involved in servicing one - sealed or loose-bearing? (I'm a novice when it comes to hubs and headsets)

Know what you mean about gears - unless I get a sponsor (ha!) I'll likely never have anything more than 8 cogs and less is fine too.

My Phil hubs have outlasted the MA-40 rims they were built on. After 10 years one of the rims busted so I had the sealed bearings replaced and had the hubs built on a set of Torelli Master rims a year ago. They are still rolling smoothly.
The Nashbar freewheels seem to be working fine, but I miss the selection of Sachs freewheels that were available a few years back.

Am I the only one who has aesthetic issues with a Nashbar freewheel on a Phil hub? Seems like making a platinum ring and putting a cubic zirconia on it.

I hear you on the aesthetic issue, but they work fine and my old standby Sachs is no longer in production. I'm not paying collector's prices when there is a cheap, functional option.

That's not unique, or even unusual. I have a set of Dura Ace hubs that outlasted a pair of Mavic CXP-33 rims, have been relaced to Sun Mistral rims and are still going strong at 35,000 miles. They still have the original cones and races so there has been on maintainance cost of any kind except grease once a year.