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Potential Bike Crippler

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Old 10-30-08, 08:09 PM
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Potential Bike Crippler

While working on my BB and cranks, I noticed the chain oscillating a teensy bit and followed it down to the freewheel. I watched it cheerfully bounce along ever so slightly and I thought "this could be bad , or this could be good (new parts!), at a bad time ($$$), or I could just make a note of it and continue with my daily routine."

I've searched around and read a bit of Zinn, but no word on this sympton.

Any info/comment/suggestions?

If I do need to replace the wheel(set), I guess i'll just go all out and invest in a much nicer set. Again, any suggestions?

Last edited by i_b_pip; 10-30-08 at 08:12 PM.
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Old 10-30-08, 08:19 PM
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You need a new crossover pulley
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Old 10-31-08, 01:26 PM
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I'm not sure what a cheerfully ever so slightly bouncing freewheel even means. Probably replace the whole bike just to be sure. You could luck out and the problem is just a missing LBD.
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Old 10-31-08, 05:29 PM
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I think the problem might just be a bent skewer. I'm not really prepared to take the freewheel off, so I'll probaby just replace the skewer and and see if that fixes it.
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Old 11-01-08, 12:04 AM
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I was being tongue in cheek above, but I still can't quite tell from your description what the problem exactly is. Is the freewheel wobbling as though it's on crooked? Can you make the freewheel wobble on the wheel by hand? It will probably have some play, like 1mm side to side. 5mm would be a problem.

In any case, skewers don't turn when the wheel turns, so even if it was bent it wouldn't make a wobble on the stand.
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Old 11-01-08, 05:14 AM
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So how does it ride?

Freewheels typically have a tiny bit of wobble relative to the rest of the hub. It the bike rides fine I wouldn't worry about it. This might even be a good place to add "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
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Old 11-01-08, 06:14 AM
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I picked up a thrift store bike where the wobble in the freewheel was so bad it made the pedals twitch. I discarded that wheel -- it was a steel rim anyway -- but since then I have always looked closely for this and found it in a lot of wheels. There's always a tiny bit but it seems that the less expensive the hub, the more pronounced the wobble. I even swapped freewheels between a couple of hubs and the wobble followed the hub, not the freewheel.
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Old 11-01-08, 07:35 AM
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Originally Posted by i_b_pip
I think the problem might just be a bent skewer. I'm not really prepared to take the freewheel off, so I'll probaby just replace the skewer and and see if that fixes it.
A bent skewer isn't going to affect the rotation of the wheel, it passes through the axle.

Most freewheels (or is this a cassette) have a bit of wobble to them. Just ride.
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Old 11-02-08, 09:46 AM
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Maybe it's due to the Halloween season, but now other problems seem to be creeping up and scaring the hell out of my pocketbook!
For a quick description of the problem: basically the freewheel will move veeery slightly, like maybe 1mm, in circular motion when coasting.
I haven't had time to look at it any closer or take it apart, but I may just buy a new wheel(set) anyway, the braking surface on this one ain't lookin' too good.

I'm not too worried about it, but I've had a freewheel fail on me before, and it wasn't pretty
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Old 11-02-08, 10:22 AM
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Originally Posted by i_b_pip
For a quick description of the problem: basically the freewheel will move veeery slightly, like maybe 1mm, in circular motion when coasting. (
They all do that. It ain't broke - so don't fix it.
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Old 11-02-08, 12:02 PM
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Originally Posted by i_b_pip
Maybe it's due to the Halloween season, but now other problems seem to be creeping up and scaring the hell out of my pocketbook!
For a quick description of the problem: basically the freewheel will move veeery slightly, like maybe 1mm, in circular motion when coasting.
I haven't had time to look at it any closer or take it apart, but I may just buy a new wheel(set) anyway, the braking surface on this one ain't lookin' too good.

I'm not too worried about it, but I've had a freewheel fail on me before, and it wasn't pretty
Don't worry - that's normal!
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Old 11-03-08, 10:40 AM
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Your problem may be a bent axle. Freewheels are very hard on axles because of the placement of the driveside bearings.
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Old 11-06-08, 06:04 PM
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Thanks for all the input, I'll keep my eye on it just because, but for now I need to turn my attention to the bottom bracket, and some new tires. (among many other things)
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