From: JONQC@CUNYVM.BITNET
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles
Subject: Re: Freewheel road hubs
Date: 24 Jul 92 05:53:03 GMT
 <92204.235809JONQC@CUNYVM.BITNET><1992Jul23.232130.20107@colorado.edu>
Organization: City University of New York/ University Computer Center


>>> From: bwildasi@whale.cs.indiana.edu (Ben Wildasin)
>>> I would like to solicit the net's opinion on the various brands of
>>> freewheel-style road hubs (Phil Wood, Bullseye, Mavic, American Classic,
>>> Suntour Superbe Pro).  The most important criterion is durability: will the
>>> axles break?
>>
>> From: JONQC@CUNYVM (John Leong)
>> AMERICAN CLASSIC - The axle design of this hubset is very different from
>> that of Bullseye.  Although the center section of the axle is oversized
>> like Bullseye, the axle ends (the part that sticks out past the hub
>> flanges) step down to a smaller diameter and do not extend the full width
>> of the 126 or 130 mm spacing.  The spacing is achieved by axle end caps
>> that fit over the axle ends.
>
> From: wagner@bullwinkle.cs.Colorado.EDU (Dave Wagner)
> Phil hubs are (or used to be) the same way.  I once broke one of the
> end caps.  Solved that problem with a Phil tandem axle, which really is
> solid and uses allen bolts instead of a QR.

I'm curious, do the Phil end caps slip on or screw on?  The American
Classic caps slip on and that's part of the problem.

>> As mentioned by another respondent, I also like to shift the axle over in
>> order to minimize wheel dishing.  For a 126 mm axle, I'll push the axle
>> over towards the left and dish for an Ultra-6 (5 speed spacing) cluster.
>> This is something that you can do easily with Bullseye hubs and it makes
>> for a stronger wheel.
>
> I like to do this too, but I'm starting to see a problem:  where can
> you get an Ultra-6 freewheel anymore?  I haven't seen any in any
> of the catalogs.  With the advent of the new 8-speed clusters, I have a
> feeling that they will soon become nonexistent.  :-(
> Does anyone know where I can get some of these freewheels?

You're right, Ultra-6 freewheels are hard to come by nowadays.  None
of the mail order places carry them anymore.  You might still find some
old stock at your local bike shop.  I've been cruising all the bike shops
that I can reach shopping around for them.  Last year, I found 2 of them,
in my size, for only $25 a piece.  One of the shops, where they are very
accomodating with special orders, said that they have a place where they
could order them for me for $40 each.

Although I now have a small cache of Ultra-6 freewheels and lightweight
friction derailleurs, I have finally decided to bow to the times.  On the
latest bikes that I built up (one for me and one for my wife - I got a
deal on the frames that I couldn't pass up), I had the rear drop outs
coldset to 130 mm so that I could update to 7-speed SIS and still have a
shifted axle for a stronger wheel.  Of course, as soon as I did that,
Shimano came out with 8-speed Hyperglide, basically, making me obsolete
again.  However, I think my wheels are still okay because I think the
8-speed stuff is supposed to take up the same space as the 7-speed; they
just cram the cogs together and use a narrower chain.  Can anybody
confirm this?  Hyperglide (Ultra-Ultra-8) == Ultra-7?

John Leong
JON@QCVAXA.ACC.QC.EDU
JONQC@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU