What freewheel
 

Hi There,

I have just purchased my first single speed bike, A specialized Langster. I'm really enjoying the bike but would like to put a lower geared freewheel on it, currently its running a 16 and I'm looking to get a 14.

could anyone give me some advise on sizing etc? I've been looking at ACS claw freewheels, are they a standard size? not finding much help on the web...


Any help would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

You can't get a standard threaded freewheel under 16 teeth. ACS makes 14t and 15t freewheels, but they have a smaller diameter and won't fit on a standard hub. However, you said you want a "lower geared freewheel". A lower gear would actually require a freewheel with more teeth than you have now, not less.
Just about any freewheel with 16 or more teeth will fit on your hub.

Thanks for the quick reply, sorry should have said Higher geared, I.E i want it to be harder to pedal.

Thanks

If you want to go higher geared and you already have the smallest freewheel available for your hub (16t), the solution would be to get a larger chainring. Whats your current gear ratio?

The chainring is a 42 Synigo Messenger

ACS used to make a 15t freewheel for standard threads but no more, I think.

Given your present setup, adding six teeth to your chainring will be equivalent to loosing two teeth from your freewheel. With a 48/16 ratio, you should be able to pedal comfortably at 25mph and maybe even a little higher than that.

It wasn't ACS....it was AC Racing. And yes, they no more.
http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/singlespeed.html
Scroll down a bit and you'll see it.

That great thanks, looks like the chainring is the way to go then, any recomendations? currentlly the only details i can see on teh chainring point to it havifn a PCD130mm

cheers

get a 48T chainring. The gear ratio will be similar to a 42:14

PCD is what you'll need to know cuz there are different ones....just get one with the same PCD 130

If you don't want to spend a lot of money, get a Rocket Ring...cheap and works fine.
There are more expensive options.

It's BCD.

yeah, go rocket if you're on a budget. other rings are mostly nicer looking, once you get further up in price they'll be lighter, all that sort of racing type stuff, but for riding around town, a rocket ring oughta do you.

oh, i'd also suggest getting new chainring bolts and hunting around for some suntour bmx bolts. you don't have to use the stupid spanner on back for these, you can use a 13mm box wrench or a 6mm hex on back, and a 5mm hex in front. i love it.

it should be noted that a bigger chainring will require a new chain (longer).

Dear god, thank you. When I saw that repeated, all I could think was "So this is how morons get started on the wrong track... 'no dude, it's PCD, I saw in repeated on an internet forum like 1000 times...'"

Bolt Circle Diameter

Thanks for all the replies, New chaniring and chain ordered.

Cheers

Thanks for the correction.

Hope i ordered the right thing the Chanring Deffinatly says PCD so wonder if its refering to somethign else?

Save the excess chain after you shorten it to the desired length. You never know when you'll
need it.

I saw it described as Pitch Circle Diameter about 5 years before I first saw it described as Bolt Circle Diameter.