Differences in single speed freewheel threads?

Hmmm. I was concerned about that (or at least I became concerned about
it after reading some of the postings in the group here.
Couldn't I swap in a shorter BB?

This guy seems to have his Centurion work using a 53X18:
http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2004/g/piggott.htm

tekrider said:

After saying I was gonna do it for almost two years, I finally just
replaced the way-too-long-for-me 175 cranks on my singlespeed commuter
road bike with some 170s I got on eBay. The cranks are lovely, and I'd
intended to remove the stock rings and replace them with the 46 I've
been using. But the one thing I didn't know when I purchased them is
that they're designed such that the 52T chainring is fused to the crank
arm.

That doesn't sound too "lovely" to me, that type of construction is
generally associated with low-end cranks.

Quoted message said:

I've been told that for some types of freewheels (ACS), the smaller
gears (those with 16 or more teeth) thread only on Standard English hub
threads, while the bigger ones (those with 15T or less) only thread
onto smaller, metric "BMX Flip-Flop" threads. Is this true of all SS
freewheels or is it particular to ACS or BMX FWs in general?

That used to be true, but a couple of years ago, AC Racing figured out
how to make a 15 tooth that would fit a standard 1.37" thread.

All other 15s, and all 14s reqire the oddball smaller thread, due to
clearance issues.

Quoted message said:

All of this leaves me confused as to what to look for when buying a
replacement freewheel. Most of the singlespeed freewheel descriptions
I've seen online don't even mention thread type.

That's 'cause it's only an issue on the 14 and 15 tooth sizes.

Quoted message said:

Is my Suzue flipflop considered a "BMX Flip-Flop?"

Probably not. More likely, one side will have a stepped thread to allow
a track lockring to be used on that side. If that's the type you have,
the main thread is the same on both sides. You could actually mount two
different freewheels on it if you wanted different gear options, but my
advice is to install a fixed sprocket and lockring. Once you get used
to it, you'll say bye bye to the freewheel, 'cause fixed is a lot more fun.

Quoted message said:

The 17t I now have
on the Suzue is from Shimano. Will all Shimano SS FWs have the same
threading?

Yes.

Can this hub accept an ACS 18 or 20,

Yes, it can accept anybody's freewheel in sizes larger than 15 teeth,
with the very rare exception of the antique French size.

See: http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/singlespeed.html#freewheels

If you win the lottery, you can buy one of the wonderful White
Industries units...

Sheldon "Tick Tick Tick..." Brown
+--------------------------------------------------------+
| The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic |
| is no more to the point than the fact than |
| a drunken man is happier than a sober one. |
| --George Bernard Shaw |
+--------------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

On 24 Feb 2005 11:39:17 -0800, "tekrider" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

After saying I was gonna do it for almost two years, I finally just
replaced the way-too-long-for-me 175 cranks on my singlespeed commuter
road bike with some 170s I got on eBay. The cranks are lovely, and I'd
intended to remove the stock rings and replace them with the 46

I'll give you a very favorable price on a new Sugino AT x 110 bolt
pattern single ring crankarm with a 46t chainring. You'll need a left
170 crankarm. The downside, the ring is annodized blue. It needs a
home.