IRD v Sunrace 7spd freewheels

[markyp]

Hi,

Anyone with any experience of these two freewheels?
I'm building a roadbike (753 Peugeot with spidel groupset) and am looking for a 'quality' silver freewheel (non-indexed).
The IRD is almost 3x the price of the Sunrace......worth it?

Mark

[Brucey]

sun race freewheel is OK for a cheap freewheel, but I have found it necessary to re-shim these freewheels from new. Shift well, not sealed, seem to last OK if you use a decent chain. Worth about £10 I reckon; costs about £12 at some retailers (eg SJS).

Not used IRD much but they are far better quality for sure.

cheers

[tatanab]

Bought an IRD 6 speed from St John St. It would not screw on more than a thread or so. They exchanged it for another which went on all the way but was very tight. Perhaps these were a batch at one end of the tolerance. I've only used it for about 200 miles but it seems ok.

[AndyK]

What Brucey said. The Sunrace stuff works fine (we fit a lot at our workshop) but it's definitely aimed at the budget end of the market, so don't expect too much in terms of longevity. £12 is a good price for one. In that price bracket, though, I'd spend another quid or so and buy Shimano - but of course they may not be silver enough for you, or have the right sprocket sizes.

Your 753 frame probably deserves better.

[markyp]

I wanted something nice for the bike....hence the IRD freewheel (couldn't find a new European 7spd 11-28 freewheel to go with the groupset)
I've got Shimano on all my other bikes and so wanted something different.

[cycle tramp]

I've got a 5 speed IRD freewheel, used it for about 350 miles, no issue so far. I went for the IRD freewheel as I believed that the seals were better, and that they used a more resilient metal to make the cogs. Ask me again, after 10,000 miles

[JohnW]

Hi,

Anyone with any experience of these two freewheels?................The IRD is almost 3x the price of the Sunrace......worth it?

Mark

Yes.

[MarcusT]

Have never tried the IRD, but have had a Sunrace for about 5,000 km with no issues. I keep expecting it to fail, but it keeps going

[MikeDee]

I don't think IRD makes anything; they subcontract it out. For all I know, their freewheels could be made by Sunrace. Do they look similar?

[cycle tramp]

The only way to really answer this question is to carry out a rather rough test. If you buy the 7 speed sunrace free wheel. I'll continue to use my 5 speed IRD freewheel, and we'll continue to use this post to update the forum

[PH]

I don't think IRD makes anything; they subcontract it out. For all I know, their freewheels could be made by Sunrace. Do they look similar?

That's true of very much manufacturing, doesn't really matter who it's made by, just that it's made to the design and specification the brand has determined. It would be a mistake to assume that products from the same source are necessarily of the same quality.
I don't know anything about freewheels, but I have had several IRD products, brakes, forks and thumbies, I've been happy with them all.

[PT1029]

Mark,
what ratio freewheel are you after? I might have an unused good Maillard 7 speed freewheel. If interested, let me know the ratio and I'll have a rummage.

Cheers.

[markyp]

Hi,

I'm after 12-28....it's for a French & Italian trip this year.....

Mark,
what ratio freewheel are you after? I might have an unused good Maillard 7 speed freewheel. If interested, let me know the ratio and I'll have a rummage.

Cheers.

[Brucey]

I'm after 12-28....

in which case it makes the choice between IRD and Sun Race freewheels simple...

The answer is..... drum roll.....

-neither. I don't think 12-28 exists in either type.

IIRC 12-28 in 7s freewheels is the province of just a few vintage types for which new sprockets are no longer available.

cheers

[PT1029]

Mark,
I have had a rummage which has revealed a shock - Brucey has made an error! I was tending to agree with him about only finding 13t top sprockets, but found some 12t sprockets. The 13t and 12t sprockets fit by screwing onto the inside to sprocket 6, comparing them, the 12t and 13t sprockets are the same fitment.
I have a 13 - 28 silver Maillard 7 speed (fits a modern Shimano freewheel remover), and a 13 - 28t Regina Extra 7 speed, fits a splined Regina remover.
All freewheels in the photo are NOS, sorry its up side down.

The freewheel removers are not for sale, but there for you to compare.
Bottom right is the Regina 7s freewheel (plus black plastic cover for RHS).
Bottom left is the Maillard 7s freewheel.
Top left is 4 X 12t sprockets.
Top right (in case interested) is 13 - 24 8 speed (but 24t sprocket missing), with laberinth seals in freewheel body).

I also have a random mix of approx 90 Maillard sprockets (LBS residual stock from ages ago), but probably not enough to make a full freewheel unless you have some others. I have never tried to make a full freewheel, so might be wrong.
Also got a NOS Maillard 700 Course freewheel body - uses 2 prong remover (not in photo), which I think does 7 speed - not used one for 30 years, so can't remember!
Also got a NOS grey 13 - 21 7s Maillard freewheel (not in photo)

Let me know if anything is of interest to you. Bits are in Oxford if that is relevant/helpful.

Cheers.