When did freewheels become "standard"

Quoted message said:

I saw a recent movie set in the 1920's, and I noticed that
the postman rode a single speed with a freewheel. Were
freewheels used in the 1920's?

I'll assume you mean "freewheel" as opposed to "fixed gear"- meaning
that the rider could coast without pedaling. I don't have an exact
date, but the lever-drive high-wheel bikes of the early 1880's could
certainly freewheel.

The "conventional" format (chain drive with ratchet at the rear wheel)
probably came along with the rise of the safety in the 1890's- I found
a reference [1] to an "automatic coaster" introduced in 1896 by the
Eclipse Bicycle Co., ancestor of today's Bendix.

Jeff

[1] American Bicyclist & Motorcyclist 100th Anniversary edition, p.
160, published 1979.

Quoted message said:

I saw a recent movie set in the 1920's, and I noticed that
the postman rode a single speed with a freewheel. Were
freewheels used in the 1920's?

If you mean a feature allowing the rider to coast without pedalling,
yes, though I can't say if it's the same as the modern screw-on
freewheel.

Freewheeling rear hubs with coaster brakes are in the 1908 Sears
catalog, and the text makes explicit reference to their having no
ratchets, cams or pawls to delay engagement when changing from one
mode of operation to the other. Most freewheels rely on a ratchet, so
there's a strong inference that ratchets as freewheels were in use in
Sears' competitors hubs...and Sears was disparaging them.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
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Quoted message said:

I saw a recent movie set in the 1920's, and I noticed that
the postman rode a single speed with a freewheel. Were
freewheels used in the 1920's?

Shimano was making them in the twenties.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Werehatrack said:

...
If you mean a feature allowing the rider to coast without pedalling,
yes, though I can't say if it's the same as the modern screw-on
freewheel....

I would hardly call freewheels modern - it has been years since high end
bikes went to cassettes/freehubs.

--
Tom Sherman - Near Rock Island

Quoted message said:

Werehatrack said:

If you mean a feature allowing the rider to coast without pedalling,
yes, though I can't say if it's the same as the modern screw-on
freewheel....

Tom Sherman said:

I would hardly call freewheels modern - it has been years since high end
bikes went to cassettes/freehubs.

OK.
But the bulk of new bikes ( Fury and their ilk) aren't
cassette because freewheels are still cheaper.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Tue, 04 Jan 2005 01:51:56 -0600, A Muzi <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Werehatrack said:

If you mean a feature allowing the rider to coast without pedalling,
yes, though I can't say if it's the same as the modern screw-on
freewheel....

Tom Sherman said:

I would hardly call freewheels modern - it has been years since high end
bikes went to cassettes/freehubs.

OK.
But the bulk of new bikes ( Fury and their ilk) aren't
cassette because freewheels are still cheaper.

And the "modern" appellation was used in this context because there
clearly were predecessors that would not have been compatible with the
more modern standard threaded hub.

--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

quote='Tom Sherman'Werehatrack said:

...
If you mean a feature allowing the rider to coast without pedalling,
yes, though I can't say if it's the same as the modern screw-on
freewheel....

I would hardly call freewheels modern - it has been years since high end
bikes went to cassettes/freehubs.

--
Tom Sherman - Near Rock Island[/QUOTE]

So there are no high end bmx bikes?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Werehatrack said:

If you mean a feature allowing the rider to coast without pedalling,
yes, though I can't say if it's the same as the modern screw-on
freewheel....

Quoted message said:

Tom Sherman said:

I would hardly call freewheels modern - it has been years since high
end
bikes went to cassettes/freehubs.

meb said:

So there are no high end bmx bikes?

As road bikes, many premium 20-inch use Profile (9t!!)
cassettes now.

You make a good point but it isn't categorical.
In fact, all kinds of cycles use both systems.

I think WTrack may have meant "I'm not sure if they have
always been this thread format" when he qualified with
'modern' and Tom went on from there.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

meb said:

Tom Sherman said:

Werehatrack said:

...
If you mean a feature allowing the rider to coast without pedalling,
yes, though I can't say if it's the same as the modern screw-on
freewheel....

I would hardly call freewheels modern - it has been years since high
end
bikes went to cassettes/freehubs.

--
Tom Sherman - Near Rock Island

So there are no high end bmx bikes?

No, by definition. 🙂

Mark Janeba

On Wed, 05 Jan 2005 03:46:50 -0600, A Muzi <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I think WTrack may have meant "I'm not sure if they have
always been this thread format" when he qualified with
'modern' and Tom went on from there.

Yup.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

Mark Janeba said:

meb said:

So there are no high end bmx bikes?

No, by definition. 🙂

I mean, really, when was the last time you saw a BMX that qualified as
"tall"?
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
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Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

Werehatrack said:

Mark Janeba said:

meb said:

So there are no high end bmx bikes?

No, by definition. 🙂

I mean, really, when was the last time you saw a BMX that qualified as
"tall"?

If you can not touch the ground with one hand while seated on the bike,
it is tall. 😉

--
Tom Sherman - Near Rock Island

Tom Sherman said:

Werehatrack said:

Mark Janeba said:

meb wrote:

> So there are no high end bmx bikes?

No, by definition. 🙂

I mean, really, when was the last time you saw a BMX that qualified as
"tall"?

If you can not touch the ground with one hand while seated on the bike,
it is tall. 😉

Remember Dave Stoler's trick with the dropped notebook? I've tried that
once or twice, but I've never pulled it off.