So my rear wheel on my mtb is about toast, and I’m trying to figure out what to do for a new singlespeed wheel.
It seems to me like most companies are making freehubs these days, is there any specific performance advantages to a freehub?
I was going to get a surly disc hub and a decent 20t freewheel, and I certianly don’t have the money for a Chris King hub, so is there any reason for me to spend the extra money and get a freehub? If it helps, I’m 240lbs and ride hard, so that may be why the stock one is on it’s last legs, since it was a cheap pivit freehub that came with the bike.
Freehub wheels accept a cassette. They have a lot of advantages, but I haven’t seen any that are made specifically for single speed. You can put a single cog on them and use spacers if you want.
A freehub is much stronger than a freewheel. Freehubs were actually conceived for mountain bikes, since riders were trashing their freewheels axles, as the bearings were in the center of the hub, which left an inch or two of axle unsupported by anything. The freehub solves this by distributing the weight over either end of the axle.
I have a free hub single speed. It only accepts one cog. Freewheels suck when you’re trying to get them off. Well the shitty ones at least.
My hub just says planet X on it, dono how much it costs, it came with the bike. The hub is wider than multi speed cassette hubs, so the wheel might turn out stronger.
Not sure how it broke, I crashed and broke a spoke and it won’t go fully true anymore, but ever since then it’ll freewheel both ways unless I smack it pretty good. Then it makes loud popping noises when I stop pedaling to let it coast. It’s a shite wheel anyway, and I’ve heard of a couple similar failures on these hubs. They’re pivit hubs, haro’s house brand I suppose.
Not planning on going to gears in the conceivable future, but if I go freehub it’ll be a SS hub anyway for less dish. I may just save this wheel and get a bolt on fixed cog, but not for my primary setup.
SS freehub is stronger for the reasons mentioned, plus you can change gearing more easily.
Speaking of which, I have a SS freehub that takes a lockring that goes on the outside of the cassette. Anyone want to guess what kind of lockring this might be?
Also, to the OP, don’t buy the surly hubs. I have a set of the “new” singlespeed disc hubs on my monocog, and the stupid adjustable cartridge bearings come loose repeatedly. I don’t understand why they tried to make cartridge bearings adjustable. It is a frustrating, useless feature.
I’ve never heard anything but good things about the White Industries freewheel. If you’re serious about singlespeed, and you want a thread-on freewheel hub, get that.
For what it’s worth I have been running a Surly ss/ss hub with a White Industries ENO freewheel for years with zero problems. All the moving parts are easily replaced.
If you find yourself changing gearing a lot a ss freehub setup might be better.
Well it sounds to me like the freehub is going to be the way to go… can anyone recommend me a decent SS (key word) freehub in the sub-$200 range?
also thanks for the help guys!
get a freehub body, for 8/9 speed, and get a spacer kit for single speed. you could even do double double or something. you will have the ability to create a perfect chainline, and either A: one day go geared, or B: appeal to both geared and SS ppl when you sell it.
The one I picked up off of ebay that is SS specific is a “cannondale fire” for around twenty bucks. I think it’s made by formula or something. It normally comes with a lockring, but this one didn’t. I imagine a BMX freehub lockring will work. Perhaps even a track lockring will work. I haven’t measured the threads or anything useful like that.
Right, that’s what I’ve got, or some variation on that. I need the lockring that goes with that.
Sol, I believe you’re thinking of “freecoaster” which is a bmx thing and totally different. A SS freehub looks just like a regular cassette hub with a shorter body.