Freehub To Freewheel Convertor

[murph82]

I've been thinking today, when I first got into trials, about ten years ago so its a bit different as bikes/parts weren't so available = costly , one of the first and most expensive upgrades I wanted to make to my bike was the rear wheel as the freehub was a cheap shimano one and learning some of the techniques seemed hard as the lack of engagement, 12 points if i remember rightly, meant any fine movements were more difficult. I have a friend learning now with a cheap hub on a saracen and even kick hops were awkward in comparison to my bike which at the time only had an acs claw on it, 36 points.

So i was wondering if anyone is aware of a product that can screw on to a hub in replacement a shimano freehub mechanism as, correct me if i'm wrong, the whole unit unscrews with a 10mm allen key with the axle running through? In turn you would then screw your freewheel or sprocket on to the attachment???

The benefits of this being that I should think for £50 or less you could dramatically improve the performance of the rear wheel, to buy a single speed hub, say a dmr revolver is £30 or so, £35+ for a decent trials freewheel and the cost of the wheel build (£35 for a decent build inc spokes) so what i'm suggesting is half price at the most, keeps the wheelset the same so the appearance of the bike is not effected and the performance is much improved?

So good idea or bad idea? Please fill in the poll as if there is enough interest I'm going to get a prototype made!

Thanks

Edited November 16, 2010 by murph82

[Revolver]

It doesn't make sense.

Which way round are you wanting to convert it? Do you want a 9speed body on a screw on hub, or to take the freehub body out of a freehub and have an adaptor for a screw thread in there?

I can sort of see how you could make the first one, but not the second one.

[PeanuckleJive]

I'd vote, but there aren't N/A options for questions 3/4, which I would really like to select

To me, it just sounds like one more thing to go wrong.

I don't know the innards of a freehub except for profile hubs, but unless you made something very precise to fit into the ratchet ring, it's gonna have some play in it, which would feel pretty horrible.

Solution:

Buy a decent freehub or buy a decent fixed hub with a freewheel.

[Alex Dark]

buy it

Ok this is what you would use on a shimano hub to give it a standard freewheel threading.

but why? shimano hubs are trash anyway, once you put a decent freewheel, say a tensile 60 click ( £35 ish ) thats getting up to £95.

Or buy a because screw on hub and use a tensile freewheel ( either by welding the lockring / supergluing it shut or buying a RFW version ) which would work out approximately the same price, ( in reality £10 cheaper ) leaving you to spend £5 extra on the new spokes necessary.

because hub

You would then have a very strong wide flange wheel build, sealed cartridge bearings and a far more specific wheel instead of a heavy kludged solution. This would also be massively lighter too, and transfer the weight to the front of the bike if you used a front freewheel.

[murph82]

It doesn't make sense.

Which way round are you wanting to convert it? Do you want a 9speed body on a screw on hub, or to take the freehub body out of a freehub and have an adaptor for a screw thread in there?

I can sort of see how you could make the first one, but not the second one.

Remove the freehub mechanism and screw the adaptor on in its place,so for instance turn a 9 speed hub into single speed with a freewheel. Sorry for any confusion

I'd vote, but there aren't N/A options for questions 3/4, which I would really like to select

To me, it just sounds like one more thing to go wrong.

I don't know the innards of a freehub except for profile hubs, but unless you made something very precise to fit into the ratchet ring, it's gonna have some play in it, which would feel pretty horrible.

Solution:

Buy a decent freehub or buy a decent fixed hub with a freewheel.

But the idea is to avoid the cost implication.as i remember shimano freehubs simply screwed into the hubshell,all mechanical aspects were contained within the freehub mechanism so what i'm suggesting would merely screw into the hub just like a freehub unit and then you would screw on your freewheel to the converter,all tension would tighthen everything so wouldn't come loose and the parts are still being used in the way they were designed for

[Alex Dark]

Look at my post, explains exactly what is needed and the implications of doing so

[Matt Vandart]

Dude I am really confused as to what you are wanting to achieve????

In my opinion the best minimum number of engagements (at the cranks) is 72. Also my opinion this is the optimum.

Why not just buy a second hand hope xc hub or better yet a hope trials hub you can pich them up for about £50.

[murph82]

Look at my post, explains exactly what is needed and the implications of doing so

Yes I know hat your saying but the idea of this is for riders with entry level bikes. The principal is, ideally the part would cost about £15, you then add your freewheel. When you have to replace the wheel you would then upgrade to a proper freewheel specific hub, and transfer your components to the new set up.

Shimano hubs aren't great but cheap hubs are on cheap bikes. The principal is to help someone who is probably a new rider buying this sort of bike the chance to upgrade immediately for half the price of what your suggesting,all it would need is the freewheel, as you suggest £35, or even an acs claw which you can get on ebay for £15 which I think has 36 EPs like the hope hubs of old that even pro's used to ride, so the figure of £95 you mentioned isn't valid. Dirt jumpers also use singlespeed so it could appeal to them also. A £15 part i think is disposable and if your learning the chances of trashing a wheel quickly are less likely as unless your nuts your not gonna go leaping off huge drops that will collapse the wheel and seriously buckling a wheel is pretty hard at slow speed unless you try rolling 180's and totally mess it up. the idea is its a quick cheap upgrade to make it easier for beginners.

Hope the concept makes sense, may have already been done though looking at your picture???

[PeanuckleJive]

may have already been done though looking at your picture???

[murph82]

Dude I am really confused as to what you are wanting to achieve????

In my opinion the best minimum number of engagements (at the cranks) is 72. Also my opinion this is the optimum.

Why not just buy a second hand hope xc hub or better yet a hope trials hub you can pich them up for about £50.

becuase then you have to rebuild the wheel and your looking at another £80 total from what your suggesting and that much money you would have just spent on the bike in the first place.

Imagine a freehub that doesn't rotate screwing into the hub as per. now visualise a lip with a thread in front to accept a screw on sprocket or freewheel. Your basically taking the moving parts out of the block, apart from a bearing maybe, and putting them on the outside in the freewheel?

make sense?

[Matt Burrows]

The only people this would be relevant for are beginners who have bought cheap full builds to get them started. I can't think of any off the shelf trials bikes that come with a rear Shimano hub though. Not many bikes under the £500 mark come with Shimano hubs anymore because there are cheaper alternatives. Those alternatives can vary a lot in freehub design and so a Shimano adaptor wouldn't work on them. Also if you have more than £500 to spend on a first bike then chances are you can buy something that already comes with a decent freewheel.

Its a nice idea that may have been useful to guys riding years ago. I remember being on a Shimano hub for some time and most of my friends using them at some point. But these days I think it's rare that anyone would use one as they really aren't that common on entry level bikes.

[murph82]

The only people this would be relevant for are beginners who have bought cheap full builds to get them started. I can't think of any off the shelf trials bikes that come with a rear Shimano hub though. Not many bikes under the £500 mark come with Shimano hubs anymore because there are cheaper alternatives. Those alternatives can vary a lot in freehub design and so a Shimano adaptor wouldn't work on them. Also if you have more than £500 to spend on a first bike then chances are you can buy something that already comes with a decent freewheel.

Its a nice idea that may have been useful to guys riding years ago. I remember being on a Shimano hub for some time and most of my friends using them at some point. But these days I think it's rare that anyone would use one as they really aren't that common on entry level bikes.

I understand,but this is aiming at cheap bikes,i'm talking a few hundred,your cheap saracens etc but also from a money making point of view dirt jump bikes also at this price.i haven't researched it but there must be untold hubs which accept a shimano freehub unit for ease of replacement as they are so available?your right,it may be a bit late and perhaps its a solution that was valid years ago but use of freewheels then was exclusively for megamo's and monty's,if only i'd had the forward thinking.

[Matt Burrows]

I understand,but this is aiming at cheap bikes,i'm talking a few hundred,your cheap saracens etc

Yes, but none of these come with Shimano hubs.

i haven't researched it but there must be untold hubs which accept a shimano freehub unit for ease of replacement as they are so available?

No not really. A lot of hubs use similar designs, but they are different enough for the freehubs to not be interchangeable. Even on Shimano hubs alone there are literally dozens of different freehubs available...

[murph82]

Yes, but none of these come with Shimano hubs.

No not really. A lot of hubs use similar designs, but they are different enough for the freehubs to not be interchangeable. Even on Shimano hubs alone there are literally dozens of different freehubs available...

Arse...... .think i'll look into it much further before getting someone to make a prototype!

[Matt Burrows]

Well if its already on the market as well, you might be better putting efforts into a different idea?

[murph82]

Well if its already on the market as well, you might be better putting efforts into a different idea?

Possibly,but then did that stop echo making their hydraulic brakes? I think a different design and some relevant branding might help to.i think i'll research the hubs a bit,i'm off work sick for a couple of weeks so lots of time to kill! I'll see what i can find out!

Well if its already on the market as well, you might be better putting efforts into a different idea?

Possibly,but then did that stop echo making their hydraulic brakes? I think a different design and some relevant branding might help to.i think i'll research the hubs a bit,i'm off work sick for a couple of weeks so lots of time to kill! I'll see what i can find out!

[Matt Vandart]

Dude, what I am saying is that you can buy a second hand WHEEL with a hope hub for about £50 on Flea bay.

[Mark W]

If you need to convert a crappy freehub to a fixed hub, it's as simple as locking the pawls out, realistically... You'd still need to get a freewheel to use on the front, but something like the Try-All Expert cranks are about £45-ish, and a TR freewheel's £39 - cheaper than a wheel...