Should I worry about freewheel axle?

[Bice]

if you have a 7s altus rear hub and HB-CT91 (altus) front hub then it is probably FH-CT91 rear hub you have although it could be FH-CT90 I suppose.

It's an Altus freewheel, not a freehub, that I have at the moment.

[nsew]

The Sputnik’s are absolutely fine with a proven touring reputation. Weighing in at 620g, I’d say is about where you want to be with a 26” touring rim. The expedition Ryde Andra would be an example of overkill for a European journey. What will make the biggest difference on a ride to the South of Italy, which I presume is a one way ride, is a tyre like the Schwalbe Supreme (500g), good puncture protection, very low rolling resistance and grippy with a lifespan in the region of 5000 miles. I like the basic Marathon Greenguard as a 26” long duration touring tyre due to its, stability, near indestructibility, lifespan (10000 mile) and above average rolling resistance but it is a significantly heavier tyre (900g) due to the added protection. So for that ride I’d fit the Supreme’s and keep an eye out on the rough stuff.

Bit late, as I have ordered the Sputniks, but how do they ride?

I like the feel of the Marin as it is, with perky Continental slicks. It is a really comfortable, neat little bike.

Will the Sputniks deaden this? Hopefully not.

I know tourers love their Schwalbe Marathon Pluses, but I detested them on the 700c wheels of the Carlton. They killed the feel of the bike; were far too hard; and very slippery: I came off on some diesel and blame the Marathon Pluses.

They got better after a year or so of use, and I think would have been happier slightly less inflated. But I found them the nastiest tyres I have ever used. I now use some cheap, light Kendo tyres, that just feel so much better. I have had one puncture in two years, and I am more than happy to live with that.

Maybe the Marathon Pluses are better on 26 inch; maybe they are a huge advantage on heavily loaded bikes. But I like the Continentals for the riding I am doing at the moment.

I still have the Marathon Pluses, but they are unused in the cellar. I loved Schwalbe Marathon non-Pluses, which I thought were the perfect compromise for some puncture resistance.

[Bice]

The Sputnik’s are absolutely fine with a proven touring reputation. Weighing in at 620g, I’d say is about where you want to be with a 26” touring rim. The expedition Ryde Andra would be an example of overkill for a European journey. What will make the biggest difference on a ride to the South of Italy, which I presume is a one way ride, is a tyre like the Schwalbe Supreme (500g), good puncture protection, very low rolling resistance and grippy with a lifespan in the region of 5000 miles.

That's very reassuring, thanks. I will check out the Schwalbe Supremes. No regard for the existing Continental "comfort system" that are on the bike? Contis are highly prized in the road community and these were not cheap tyres. Nor are they much used. I use this bike far less than the Carlton.

Sorry, I did not understand this:

if you have a 7s altus rear hub and HB-CT91 (altus) front hub then it is probably FH-CT91 rear hub you have although it could be FH-CT90 I suppose.

The freewheel is indeed Altus FH-CT91. Using it as I do, I am not anxious about it breaking and I regreased it a year ago. Not sure I really noticed what the "sealed system" is that is printed on the hub. It seemed just like all the other freewheels I have disassembled.

I don't use this bike as much as the Carlton Courette, but always enjoy it when I do. It is so comfortable with the fat tyres, and my wife has given up on her lovely sprung Brooks saddle - too hard, she says, so I have bought her a ridiculous Selle Royale for 8 quid - so it is beginning to look quite nice.

I am only worried about broken freewheels on a long tour abroad.

[Brucey]

The freewheel is indeed Altus FH-CT91. Using it as I do, I am not anxious about it breaking and I regreased it a year ago. Not sure I really noticed what the "sealed system" is that is printed on the hub. It seemed just like all the other freewheels I have disassembled.....

I am only worried about broken freewheels on a long tour abroad.

If you have FH-CT91 it is (in the usual parlance) a 'freehub' or 'cassette hub' not a 'freewheel' -although it does of course contain a freewheel mechanism, inside what is often called the 'freehub body'. eg

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/shimano-freehub-bodies/

When you say 'freewheel' without other information most folk will assume you mean a traditional screw-on freewheel not a cassette hub, especially if it is an older machine with 7s or fewer speeds, and you are concerned with axle breakage. So much of this thread has been at crossed purposes....?

If you are concerned about this part breaking, best carry a spare freehub body, if you are not using a type which is commonly available where you are travelling.

BTW in the link above there is only one 7s freehub body listed I think and it is not suitable for your hub.

cheers

[Bice]

The freewheel is indeed Altus FH-CT91. Using it as I do, I am not anxious about it breaking and I regreased it a year ago. Not sure I really noticed what the "sealed system" is that is printed on the hub. It seemed just like all the other freewheels I have disassembled.....

I am only worried about broken freewheels on a long tour abroad.

If you have FH-CT91 it is (in the usual parlance) a 'freehub' or 'cassette hub' not a 'freewheel' -although it does of course contain a freewheel mechanism, inside what is often called the 'freehub body'. eg

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/shimano-freehub-bodies/

When you say 'freewheel' without other information most folk will assume you mean a traditional screw-on freewheel not a cassette hub, especially if it is an older machine with 7s or fewer speeds, and you are concerned with axle breakage. So much of this thread has been at crossed purposes....?

If you are concerned about this part breaking, best carry a spare freehub body, if you are not using a type which is commonly available where you are travelling.

BTW in the link above there is only one 7s freehub body listed I think and it is not suitable for your hub.

cheers

It is a screw-on 7-speed freewheel, and people have responded incredibly helpfully with that understanding.

[Brucey]

The freewheel is indeed Altus FH-CT91.

If you have FH-CT91 it is (in the usual parlance) a 'freehub' or 'cassette hub' not a 'freewheel' …..

It is a screw-on 7-speed freewheel, and people have responded incredibly helpfully with that understanding.

in which case it surely won't say FH-CT91 on the hub...?.

cheers

[nsew]

Well the new wheels will be a significant improvement over whatever’s on the bike. Especially so if the OP persists with taking everything bar the kitchen sink.

[Bice]

Well the new wheels will be a significant improvement over whatever’s on the bike. Especially so if the OP persists with taking everything bar the kitchen sink.

Well, that's a relief to know, as I am feeling a complete fool.

I owe an apology to all, especially Brucey, who rightly suspected the part to be an Altus freehub from the start.

Somehow or other - perhaps early onset going gaga - I have confused my Marin MTB with my daughter's Trek hybrid. I was absolutely sure that the Marin had a freewheel and the much newer Trek had a freehub, as I had checked them over and re-greased both only a few months ago and I have bought a Sram 12-32T seven-speed cassette and a new seven-speed freewheel to fit at some point.

In fact, I have confused the two bikes.

On road bikes, you can tell a freehub and a freewheel at a glance, but these MTB / hybrid frames obscure the gears. When I eased the Marin wheel out to address Brucey's query above, I was appalled to see at once that it was a freehub after all and that this entire thread was based on error.

But the advice given above has not been wasted, because console yourselves ...

It looks like I am going to be £150 out of pocket, as I am waiting delivery of the SLX hubs off eBay and rims off Spa and have yet to order the spokes.

All in all, though, perhaps this is not really such a bad thing. The existing wheels are 25 years old minimum, the rims are not double wall and I have no idea what use they have had. If I was pottering from home, I would leave them as they are until they broke. But for a significant tour, it makes sense to upgrade even if the reasons are different.

On reflection, I am not sure Roger Musson would be too pleased to see that I had described myself above as one of his students ...

[hamster]

I think the result of this advernture is that you will have peace of mind about your wheels, which is a good thing before a loaded tour.

[Brucey]

I owe an apology to all,...

no apology necessary, I'm just glad the mystery is solved.

BTW if you are building up sputniks, I find it of advantage to 'tweak' the eyelets so that there is less of a kink in the spoke near the nipple.

cheers

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
This is what I found too!

My gripe that its a touring rim and the eyelets are not orientated left and right laterally at all.....a smidgen if that

Come back mavic

[Bice]

I owe an apology to all,...

no apology necessary, I'm just glad the mystery is solved.

BTW if you are building up sputniks, I find it of advantage to 'tweak' the eyelets so that there is less of a kink in the spoke near the nipple.

cheers

Thanks. How do you "tweak" them? You bend them to left / right a bit with a hole punch or something?

[Brucey]

Thanks. How do you "tweak" them? You bend them to left / right a bit with a hole punch or something?

basically, yes. Best to get a screwdriver (or similar) where the shank is parallel-side and a close fit in the eyelets, then tweak away. It is easy to get confused about the required direction, so I find it is best to mark every spoke drilling first (by comparison with a similarly built wheel) so I won't go wrong. The direction is usually about 45 degrees to the plane of the rim. The required tweak is slightly different if you are building a wheel with a hub with a large flange (Alfine IGH for example)

A particular feature of sputniks is that

a) the spoke drillings are only very slightly staggered (but it is there) and
b) the stagger can be either left or right handed.

so some care is needed to make the best of these rims.

cheers

[Bice]

Thanks. How do you "tweak" them? You bend them to left / right a bit with a hole punch or something?

basically, yes. Best to get a screwdriver (or similar) where the shank is parallel-side and a close fit in the eyelets, then tweak away. It is easy to get confused about the required direction, so I find it is best to mark every spoke drilling first (by comparison with a similarly built wheel) so I won't go wrong. The direction is usually about 45 degrees to the plane of the rim. The required tweak is slightly different if you are building a wheel with a hub with a large flange (Alfine IGH for example)

A particular feature of sputniks is that

a) the spoke drillings are only very slightly staggered (but it is there) and
b) the stagger can be either left or right handed.

so some care is needed to make the best of these rims.

cheers

The rims have arrived, but holding them up to the light looking from the outside and from the inside, I cannot see an inclination to either left or right. (They are very solid.)

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Yeah that's what I found it's so vague that if you didn't know, you'd say there was no orientation on any of the rivets.
Hence the tweaking.