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Splined Freewheels


Luke Rainbird

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I discussed this with Deng around 2-3 years ago, his reply was that it's a good idea but changing an industry standard is tough work.

This being the same Deng that introduced a completely different spline just for his own products a few years back? :P

Mark; I definitely agree that there are more major things to be looked at, but this should have been made the standard years ago. At least we've got another company looking at improving products as well as just making them lighter and more expensive :P

Have you/Adam got any idea what these are going to be like on the inside at all, or is it likely that they'll be pretty much the same as the current Atomz offerings?

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As with most companies, communication with Atomz is relatively poor - we generally have no idea what's going on until its on their blog/FaceBook/Tribalzine. It looks like standard Atomz FW to me.

As Mark said, it will be expensive separately - most manufacturers don't understand or cater for the UK market where we prefer to buy bits rather than a complete bike each 'season', they use the pimp bits to make the complete bikes look like good value.

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As with most companies, communication with Atomz is relatively poor - we generally have no idea what's going on until its on their blog/FaceBook/Tribalzine. It looks like standard Atomz FW to me.

As Mark said, it will be expensive separately - most manufacturers don't understand or cater for the UK market where we prefer to buy bits rather than a complete bike each 'season', they use the pimp bits to make the complete bikes look like good value.

Stoopid foreigners.............. ;)

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Why is it on a keyboard? Struggling to spot the reference/relevance :giggle:

I remember wanting them to do this a long time ago - but when I asked people why they don't already, they said it would just be ridiculously expensive. I understand why - and that's all fair enough.

For what is likely going to cost a lot more, I think I'll stick with threaded ones. As Mark said - it's not THAT bad a job if you have a decent vice.

Would very much like to see them become the standard, without a price-jump though. (A little more is Ok - competition will bring it back down eventually ;))

Edited by aener
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Mark is spot on with everything. In all reality, how many times do you take off a FW to warrant it NEEDING to be taken off easier? It's not really that hard to remove. You take a bolt and a washer, bolt the tool to the FW, put it in a vice, take a long pole slid over a wrench and turn. It takes nearly no effort when done properly. I have more issues with putting on a tough tire than I do removing a FW. Cassettes are a different story because people like to mess about with gear ratios so ease of removal is pinnacle. A FW, there really is no point cause you take it off what, once a year?

The reason this wasn't done earlier is the tooling required to do a base that large was pricey, and IIRC Shimano had rights to those toolings to do the threads on the inside for the lockring as well. Have any of you also looked at durability? With a screw on base, you can have a thicker base between the BB and the threads. With an interface like that, the thickness between the interface and the isis interface is probably like half. How well will that interface handle bashing loads or body weight on it? I don't think it will be such a great idea. Although the concept is there, the demand for it, meh. Like I said, how often is a FW removed to warrant such an industry change just for ease of removal, which isn't even remotely difficult if done properly in the first place? Whilst I think things like these snowball into other improvements, this particular one is useless.

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Mark is spot on with everything. In all reality, how many times do you take off a FW to warrant it NEEDING to be taken off easier? It's not really that hard to remove. You take a bolt and a washer, bolt the tool to the FW, put it in a vice, take a long pole slid over a wrench and turn. It takes nearly no effort when done properly. I have more issues with putting on a tough tire than I do removing a FW. Cassettes are a different story because people like to mess about with gear ratios so ease of removal is pinnacle. A FW, there really is no point cause you take it off what, once a year?

The reason this wasn't done earlier is the tooling required to do a base that large was pricey, and IIRC Shimano had rights to those toolings to do the threads on the inside for the lockring as well. Have any of you also looked at durability? With a screw on base, you can have a thicker base between the BB and the threads. With an interface like that, the thickness between the interface and the isis interface is probably like half. How well will that interface handle bashing loads or body weight on it? I don't think it will be such a great idea. Although the concept is there, the demand for it, meh. Like I said, how often is a FW removed to warrant such an industry change just for ease of removal, which isn't even remotely difficult if done properly in the first place? Whilst I think things like these snowball into other improvements, this particular one is useless.

How do you ever expect trials to move forwards when you shoot down ideas like that. had it never crossed your mind that atomz have allready thought of that? it is a good idea i agree, but needs to be more refined for british bashers as i could see the splined area cracking quite easily

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The only time I can think you'd need to remove your freewheel is when you replace the cranks, due to thread stripping on the pedals or something. Even then, the crank arm is useless and you can just cut it apart to get the freewheel!

It's a good idea, but it's not really needed.

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Personally i'd like to simply see a 22t bashring for screw on cranks so i can run an affordable freewheel on my fixed hub and get the performance of a king etc without the massive outlay that comes with freehubs. I know all the arguments for a ffw about balance of the bike etc but frankly it all seems a little much. Who can honestly say it makes such a massive difference to their riding? Maybe i'm just not good enough that it does make a difference to me but it seems its all lead by what the pro's do and not what's actually cost effective and practical. I've had to run ffw as i haven't got the money for new burns. I'd much rather the chain stayed still,who wants to risk a broken ankle from an errant hem line as they ride to their spot,its an all time set up but does seem flawed that you have to freeze in shorts in winter or dress like a gaylord roadie to ride safe.

The splines are a good idea though. I'm fairly new back into trials after a 7 year leave and when i first tried getting my acs off thought it would be so much easier if it was splined?

Edited by murph82
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How do you ever expect trials to move forwards when you shoot down ideas like that. had it never crossed your mind that atomz have allready thought of that? it is a good idea i agree, but needs to be more refined for british bashers as i could see the splined area cracking quite easily

Probably not. Like most things in the trials market, nothing is ever thought of first. Like others have posted, it's not really a needed modification. And as mark stated, people are always bitching about prices, this is one thing that will skyrocket pricing as the time on the CNC machine will increase significantly as will tooling requirements. But even as you have realized, cracking is probably likely. If it's cracking on Kings, it's going to crack on half arsed trials products, especially if it's seeing abuse.

But I could be completely off base about the cracking, who knows, we'll have to see. but I think the energy could have been better spent on improving a freewheel, or perhaps something that's always nice to have options in, tires and rims.

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