I've heard that as my bike (Mongoose Maurice 2012) came fitted with an 18t freewheel (large diameter thread) the smallest it can take is either 15t or 16t. I had intended to fit a 13t freewheel; but I've heard that a 13t freewheel has a smaller diameter thread designed especially for a BMX cassette and so a 13t will not fit on the cassette of the Mongoose Maurice 2012. Is this correct?



THANKS

The hub has a standard threading right?

You can get them down to 12t.

I think so

for real?

https://www.danscomp.com/461085.php

No. You can get single, fixed cogs down to 12T, but not single freewheels.

Single freewheels for standard (i.e. non-metric, BMX thread) hubs bottom out at 15T because the ratchet mechanism needs to occupy some space..

You can bump up the gearing via a bigger chainring, too.

The chainring is 44t so with its 18t freewheel the gearing is far too low

If you are keeping the chainring at 44t and want a 13t cog/freewheel that is going to make for a very unfriendly ratio for road use. Going to a 16t or 15t count would be more realistic.

Just how high are you trying to gear this thing?

Do you really want your gearing to change by that much?

My bad, misread.

Lots of misinformation here.

First of all...thread-on freewheels are not cassettes. Cassettes are a whole different animal...they work with a "freehub" and use splines rather than threads.

Standard thread-on freewheels (the kind that work on track and ss hubs) go down to 16t.

There is/was a unique 15t freewheel made by AC that fits on standard threads. I don't know it its available anymore, but check shedonbrown.com.

Metric threaded 15t, 14t, and 13t freewheels are available, but you need a BMX english/metric flip flop hub, which you very likely do not have.

BMX bikes have small wheels and thus need very small cogs and large chainrings to achieve high gearing. There is no need for a tiny 13t freewheel on a much larger wheeled 700c bike. A 44/13 combo on 700c wheels would be unbearably high for street use.

Larger chainrings and cogs are more efficient and wear more slowly, so its best to incorporate as many teeth as possible into your drive train.

Get a larger chainring...this will give you an efficient, long lasting drive train that will allow you to adjust your gear ratio up and down to achieve the desired gear ratio with your present hub.

Prob bc of the thread title:

"Minimum Cog Size"

On a previous bike I was riding 14t/48

And this was on 700c wheels? Do you live in a completely flat area? Also - was this fixed or freewheel? As mentioned above, freewheels for the most part only go down to 16t. Also mentioned above- if you really want a gear ratio that high and have a 44T up front, you will need to get a bigger chainring.

Yes 700c wheels. I don't live in a completely flat area. It was freewheel 14t because it was the smallest cog on a 6 speed cassette: I took the derailler off and shortened the chain to fit 14t to 48, and so the bike became single speed.

My current bike at 18t/44 has my legs going round like a spin dryer on the flat, okay for going uphill. I end up walking down some hills. Ridiculously low gearing

Move this thread to the track forum.

...Excuse me?

I was thinking the same thing - especially since he said his bike is freewheel.

OP - feel free to get a new chainring and freewheel to match the 14t/48t setup you had before. If you got a 54t chainring and a 16t freewheel, it would be almost exactly the same gear inches.

I personally think you're either crazy, confused or trolling.

Can we set up a poll?

Walking down hill if riding fixed gear (also 18t)

64" is low, but not ridiculous. Someone needs to learn how to spin.

Qft

I put a cheap 14t Fixed cog on it today: an improvement; but still too low for me. Looks like it will be the chainring next once the chain is worn out. I might try a cheap 13t in the mean time, though 12t would be nice if I could find one.

This dude is so effin' l33t it hurts