Do these things actually work?
 

Has anyone here ever used one of these tools? They look pretty fragile for what they're expected to do. I guess they're extinct for a reason.

They can work, but work better with splined removers than with pronged removers. I wasn't too impressed when they came out. They seemed to be aimed at long-distance tourers who might need to remove their freewheel on the road to replace a broken spoke. Anybody else could likely wait until they got home or to a bike shop and use a proper vise or wrench.

Anybody have better photos of that tool?

Someone posted this a while ago.
https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-m...-cassette.html

Apparently designed to pop off the lock ring from helicomatic cassettes, and probably also uniglide cassettes.

Oh, thanks for the explanation. I suppose one could convert any freehub tool using a welder to add the "horns", although not quite as compact.

One could also do it to a cassette tool, but one would still need the chain whip. But, perhaps one could make a flat cassette tool to squeeze in between the dropouts and grab the chainstays like the Pamir tool above. Then just pedal forward while fixing the lockring to remove the cassette. Locking the cassette could be done by spinning the wheel backward.

Ask and ye shall receive.

I'll obviously cop to having gotten one of these about 35 years ago, just in case it was needed on a tour. Never, ever used it. It was specifically targeted to the Suntour freewheel tools, but it also fit some of the smaller Bicycle Research freewheel tools as well.

https://i.imgur.com/YhPOedMm.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/m7fKjkcm.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/c4YHn3jm.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/YwL7dWEl.jpg

This is from the back of the package (courtesy of google search)

https://i.imgur.com/GsF3Ehbl.jpg

Ahh, thanks.

So, it has to fit the skewer and freewheel remover tool. It does, however, look like a nice design.

I still think one could modify any freewheel tool to work like that. Threading it would be a nice touch (also make sure the skewer isn't sticking out and damaged in the extraction process)

Actually, with a splined remover, one could just use pressure against the guardrail to hold it in place. so it would simply need the "horns" added, or even cut out, without using the skewer.

Chain whip provisions would still be needed for a cassette.

Thanks for the images. I hadn't realized that the skewer threaded into the body of the tool--it would obviously have been very shaky otherwise, especially with non-splined freewheel removers.

You'd obviously want to check to make sure that the threading on your skewer matched the threading on the tool before expecting it to work on a tour.

For all the confident directions on the package, I'm a little skeptical about easily threading off a freewheel using a screwdriver as a lever. I've often struggled with stubborn freewheels when using a 12-inch adjustable wrench extended with a four-foot piece of 1 1 1/2"steel pipe (back before I had a bench vise).

Those were designed and made by R&E Cycles in Seattle. I bought one back in the early 80s and still have it in my shop tool bag.

In hindsight, it seems to be the type of product Ron Popeil would have hawked, if he sold to the cycling market.

Very creative concept, if it works.

Way back then if you toured with a freewheel and did not carry a bench vise and a 16" Crescent wrench with a cheater pipe, this seemed like a very good idea.

I wonder how that thing will do when going against a usually very hard to remove Regina FW. I don't know if a bar across those two horns will stay on, considering the tremendous amount if lever force I had to apply when removing a few of my Regina FWs. It felt like I was going to break a few ribs doing so, and the wheel spokes were making worrying noises before the FWs broke free......

Did not those guys market a brake called the Power Brake?
Was always wary of mail order back then...-1972

I recall using one of these tools by pressing the wheel, set up with freewheel tool and secured with the skewer, with the horns facing down on the stem or a set of steel handlebars- like you were holding down a car's steering wheel and using the leverage of the rim and spokes to turn the freewheel and tool against the bars. It worked quite well! Unfortunately, it could mark up the alloy of the stem or bars if not padded with a rag or something. Clearly, this wouldn't be ideal with today's Carbon bars or stems, but for a tourer on an alloy fitted bike, a re-engineered version might not be a bad idea.......

I'm surprised the horns are tapered, not straight. If the horns were square, or even C-shaped, then they would hold a large screwdriver in place.

As it is, the guardrail sounds like a viable option. Just press hard against the back of a guardrail, and twist the wheel. The added pressure might even help with those pesky freewheel remover prongs.

That, I do not know. I don’t remember any such thing, though.

Hopefully, before setting out on a long tour with a freewheel equipped bike, the owner would remove the freewheel and grease the hub/inner body mounting threads. Doing so on a yearly/regular basis makes all the difference to when it comes time for removal. Just sayin' :innocent:

True words from one who has no doubt removed more than his share of stubborn freewheels.

Still have one in my toolbox. Used it a couple of times before I had a bench vise. Now I don't so maybe, just maybe...