I snapped my DICTA freewheel... what are my options for a good replacement ?
 

I want to make a quick survey of the best buy in single speed, bmx style freewheels.

I was pedaling thru a snow storm yesterday going uphill when I heard something like a chain skip (a very rare thing for me, unless the chain is really worn)...
a couple of meters later i find myself pedaling and not advancing. Something was broken in the freewheel i've had for only 6 months...

It's kind of a bad feeling. I could have crashed hard due to the surprise it caused. I was alerted by the weird noise (and see my chain was still on) so I swerved on to a less busy street.

I'm looking for a quality replacement. Any ideas ?

if quality of a new freewheel is your main consideration, the only choice is...

white industries

Shimano is the best among the reasonably priced ones, but the tooth counts are limited. Otherwise try ACS.

If you want to waste your money buy a white industries freewheel but realize that you could buy 6-10 other freewheels or one White Industries freewheel.

I'd second ACS well. Lots of tooth option and cheap.

White Industries is the top of the heap and about $80, Origin8 made a nice freewheel in the $40-$50 range thats still available, ACS has a new entry in the $20-$30 range, then there is the regular ACS and Shimano freewheels in the $15-$20 range....

for the record most people who own an White freewheel don't buy another......ever.......I have destroyed 5-6 18T ACS freewheels on my cruiser over the last decade

Except, the White will outlast those 6-10 other freewheels, and if it does start to develop problems, it's rebuildable. They're also the most concentric running freewheels, I've ever seen. If you want to waste your money, keep buying cheap disposable freewheels.

Avoid ACS, like the plague. Mine started skipping with less than 30 miles on it. I'm not even hard on my drive train.

Shimano makes a good freewheel although my favourite was always the old Suntour freewheels which were as well made as their freewheels.

It doesn't matter how rebuildable it is. Eventually the teeth will sharkfin. Cheap freewheels are fairly reliable. I have several dicta, ACS, and Shimano freewheels. None of them have ever failed....ever, and I've been using them all for several years. The ACS freewheels are rebuildable, btw.

+1 have this on my bad weather 29er and haven't cleaned it in 2-3 seasons have had 0 issues ever

i have 2 dictas and they always clanky no matter what. Gonna get a White Industries thsi time.

I've noticed my dictas being a bit clanky as well, though its never been a problem.

Among the freewheels I have experience with, I would rank them according to quality like this..

Dicta (lowest)
ACS
Shimano
White Industries (highest)

The Shimano freewheels are really the sweet spot in my opinion. All of them are reliable in my experience. I have three or four dictas and they are all clanky, although they have functioned flawlessly. My three ACSs are not very concentric, though very durable (and rebuildable). Shimano freewheels are the sweet spot IMO..I have used a few. They are concentric, smooth, and quiet. The only drawback to the Shimanos that I am aware of is the more limited number of tooth options. The WI freewheel is obviously better, but not five times better, and therefore not worth the extreme cost (IMO).

Of course, if you are really dedicated to singlespeeding, you are better off skipping out on all this freewheel business and going with a SS-specific freehub..then you can buy good shimano BMX cogs for like $5-$6.

please explain how to rebuild ACS freewheels...

thanx

trying to get your pedals set in the starting gate sucks with an ACS or for that matter a Shimano freewheel, which is one of the big reasons White Industries started making freewheels. Of course there are plenty of good SS cassette hubs but they have more drag than most freewheel hubs (which in todays manuel/pump tracks is noticeable). I have three freewheels for the upcoming BMX season (1 Shimano and 2 ACS) but if I can afford a White I will buy it. For the record I have never seen (or heard of) a White Industries blow up on a start....the number of Dicta, ACS and Shimano freewheels I have seen or experienced blowing out on a start is without number