Better to buy a gradual 34t freewheel than the dramatic jump ones?

[biker38109]

Gradual:

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Tranzmission-7 ... 219580.htm

Dramatic:

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/freewheels/ ... eel-1334t/

If doing 3x7 the gradual approach would make more sense yes?

[rjb]

Ask the retailer what the sprocket teeth count is. That trendz pic looks like a generic freewheel, with the largest sprocket having 28 teeth not the 34 tooth one you are seeking.

[gregoryoftours]

They are likely pretty much the same, as above the picture for the first item is not of a 34t. Get the 13t version if you want a slightly higher top gear. I've never seen a modern 7sp freewheel with a 34t sprocket that doesn't have a big jump to the bottom gear. Personally I'd get a Shimano mega range freewheel as likely to be slightly better quality.

[rjb]

Caveat Emptor

[SprokenBroke]

As rjb has said the largest sprocket has 28 teeth on the picture. You can get a Shimano megarange freewheel for about £15 off ebay. Better than the Sunrace.

[pavo]

There is Sunrace MFM300 7DV which is less "dramatic" than Megarange. Cogs are 14-16-18-21-24-28-34.
https://www.tradeinn.com/bikeinn/en/sun ... dor_search
https://www.bike-discount.de/en/sunrace ... ette-14-34

[SprokenBroke]

There is Sunrace MFM300 7DV which is less "dramatic" than Megarange. Cogs are 14-16-18-21-24-28-34.
https://www.tradeinn.com/bikeinn/en/sun ... dor_search
https://www.bike-discount.de/en/sunrace ... ette-14-34

I spent about £130 with Tradeinn a few months ago and received nothing. No refund yet either.

[Brucey]

IME Sun Race freewheels are OK.

The cheapest shimano freewheels use a design which uses riveting to hold the larger sprockets together, and about three or four of them overhang the LH freewheel bearing. This design is considerably lighter than the conventional one, but unfortunately this also has the effect of reversing the usual precession effects on the LH threaded lockring in the lower gears, which means it sometimes comes undone.

[jimlews]

IME Sun Race freewheels are OK.

The cheapest shimano freewheels use a design which uses riveting to hold the larger sprockets together, and about three or four of them overhang the LH freewheel bearing. This design is considerably lighter than the conventional one, but unfortunately this also has the effect of reversing the usual precession effects on the LH threaded lockring in the lower gears, which means it sometimes comes undone.

Yes indeed !
It's happened to me. Mine was a freehub. The whole freehub body moved to the right increasing the effective over locknut dimension. Locked everything solid and chewed up the rear fork ends of a rather nice machine.
I'll avoid rivetted freewheels and cassette clusters in future.
Lesson learned !

[Brucey]

eh?

In the freehub design, only one or two sprockets can ever overhang the LH freewheel bearing and only by a small amount, so regardless of the construction method of the cassette, freehubs are almost immune from similar issues. I don't know what happened to you, but it probably wasn't caused in that way.

[jimlews]

If you say that it can't happen with a cassette hub, I defer to your superior mechanical sagacity, Brucey.
Nevertheless, it did happen.
It was the large bolt that holds the freehub body to the hub shell that came undone.
The result as described.

[Brucey]

If you say that it can't happen with a cassette hub, I defer to your superior mechanical sagacity, Brucey.

that is not what I'm saying, I'm saying it is unlikely to have happened for those reasons.

[biker38109]

Ask the retailer what the sprocket teeth count is. That trendz pic looks like a generic freewheel, with the largest sprocket having 28 teeth not the 34 tooth one you are seeking.

Ah thanks. I didn't catch that.

Probably as freewheels are not popular items in their stock they did not think it important to have an accurate picture!

[biker38109]

They are likely pretty much the same, as above the picture for the first item is not of a 34t. Get the 13t version if you want a slightly higher top gear. I've never seen a modern 7sp freewheel with a 34t sprocket that doesn't have a big jump to the bottom gear. Personally I'd get a Shimano mega range freewheel as likely to be slightly better quality.

I noticed the 34t ones listed (probably with accurate pictures!) look identical:

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/freewheels-7-speed/

Why the jump? Other larger speeds don't have this jump. Maybe just a case of one company did it and the rest copied and were not bothered about any other designs for the dying/dead freewheel type.

[biker38109]

IME Sun Race freewheels are OK.

The cheapest shimano freewheels use a design which uses riveting to hold the larger sprockets together, and about three or four of them overhang the LH freewheel bearing. This design is considerably lighter than the conventional one, but unfortunately this also has the effect of reversing the usual precession effects on the LH threaded lockring in the lower gears, which means it sometimes comes undone.

So you recommend I buy any apart from Shimano to avoid this issue?

Here they seem to have accurate pictures, given the large jumps: https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/freewheels-7-speed/

So the monsoon or sunrace would be favored over shimano? Do the former two not use that same faulty technique?

Contrary to your comment the Shimano 34t is the most expensive of the lot. Or perhaps you meant cheapest in relation to other Shimano products?

As to the OP question I have seen there are even 10 and 11/12 speed freewheels! https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/freewheels/

The 11 is expensive for no benefit but the 10 speed is about the same price as the Shimano 34t but would allow smoother gearchanges and goes up to 36t: https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/freewheels/ ... eel-1136t/

It comes in at 40mm and they warn in the description that it may require cold setting and redishing. What is the standard space for 7 speeds?

If it required that then no point but if it could fit that would be a fine addition!

The back shifter is none indexed and according to the venerable sheldon all speeds are compatible with none-indexed shifters.

I just checked the spacing and there is about 40mm and a couple left over on the current freewheel side from biggest cog to dropout. Does that mean the 10 speeder could work?