Single speed freewheels and chains

[Rouleur]

Is the Shimano one as good as they come? And what about Wippermann chains?

[neilski]

Are you asking if Shimano hubs are any good? Hmmm....

Don't know about Wipperman chains but I've always bought KMC if I can get them and never had any problems, plenty of life etc.

[Fastpedeller]

Is this for 3/32 or 1/8 inch chain?

[Watchman]

White Industries for freewheels.

[47p2]

I use a KMC 810 for 3/32" gear with a Shimano MX-30 freewheel. There are lots of poor reviews of the Shimano freewheel on the net but I did over 2000 winter miles last year on mine and it's still like new so I suspect the bad reviews are from owners who never service them and expect them to last forever.


If you're running 1/8" gear the KMC 710 chain would be a good bet



White Industries freewheels are nice bits of kit, but at almost £90 a pop they are expensive for running during the winter months

[BadgerBenji]

Shimano DX freewheeel nicre bit of kit, the White Industries is slightly better, spare parts available but is pricey.

Always run KMC chains, z610hx if 3/32, not snapped one yet (hope that hasn't cursed it)

[CVP]

Hal Clickster freewheel steers the middle ground between Shimano and White Industries. I've found it very good so far

link here

Second KMC single speed chains - I go through a couple a year and they have been good so far, no snapping and easy to clean and keep in decent condition until stretched too far.

[Watchman]

WI ENO for £60 with free shipping.

http://www.avt.bike/WebStore/merchant.mvc?Screen=C...

Very loud click from the ratchet pawls but quite a satisfying "engineering" noise IMO. Had one on the BMX I built 3 years ago.

For a shade more, they do a DOS, which is a double freewheel. I assume this is for manual changes from one ratio to another, rather than automatic? I struggle to understand who would use one and why.

[Rouleur]

Thanks for the replies, they're very useful

[Jimbo.]

Shimano freewheels are absolute toss: if you get more than a handful of wet rides out of one before it turns into a draggy, rough-sounding and even rougher sounding mess, you're doing well. I killed two last winter without even trying, with the last one lasting precisely one wet ride. There's nothing to service on them. Just ste sealing.

I'd seek out the fully serviceable White Industries freewheel from Charlie The Bike Monger.

[AyBee]

Go fixed - it's awesome KMC chains (ZX510 IIRC) at £5 a pop

[Fastpedeller]

If going 1/8 I favour Izumi - I'd only ever ride fixed with 1/8 (having bent a chainring with 3/32 when the chain flipped off!)