Front Freewheel

[A10 Pilot]

OK, this might be a really goofy question, but I have been trying to visualize the front freewheel setup on a stock bike. If you have a stock bike, and you have it set up in that manner, when you coast, does the chain always move? If you are running a fixed rear hub, I don't see how it wouldn't always cause the chain to rotate. Can somebody explain this?

[ianrox]

i'm pretty sure the chain would always be moving. the crank just has threads for a regular freewheel (or so is my understanding), so if you stopped pedaling, the chain would ratchet around the front freewheel, but the rear hub would always be in motion. this would mean that you could shift while coasting (but not stopped or going backwards!).

[A10 Pilot]

OK, cool! Thanks for the fast reply. I thought that is how it would work, but it seemed like there was an unnecessary amount of "moving parts"....I guess it would be more beneficial while riding natural, and not urban. (I'm trying to set up a bike that would rock on urban, but also if I wanted to go natty)....I dig the 72 points of engagement of a freewheel, and the reduced cost (as opposed to a King)

[hophopsnap]

I had a freewheel in the front and the back and my chain didnt move when I coasted.

[lowside]

If you had it front AND back, then no it wouldnt.

However, there's no point to running it in the front if you have a rear, the only reason to run a front freewheel is if your rear hub is fixed completely = instant engagement.

[hophopsnap]

Yeah I was in the middle of buying a hub so I had to use someone elses rear wheel when I had my ACS on there, and I didnt have a cog so I just had to run that for 5 days or something..

[Papa Smurf]

the only reason to run a front freewheel is if your rear hub is fixed completely = instant engagement.
No, that is not true. It takes a 72 engagement point freewheel just as long to engage if you run it up front as it does if you run it on back. Otherwise, by your logic, theoretically you could put a front freewheel with 1 engagement point and because the hub is fixed it would engage instantly.

[wannabetrials]

how do you tighten the ff? cuz mines loose

[polka-dot-mod]

how do you tighten the ff? cuz mines loose
Hey, i just learned this yesterday. if you dont want to take the freewheel off the bike to tighten it then all you do is take a small punch(even an allen key or pen will do tho) and from the non drveside of the bike, you put it in one of the two holes in the backside of the freewheel, and lightly tap it counter-clockwise with a hammer. then do the same in the other hole. hope that helps,

Steve

[polka-dot-mod]

No, that is not true. It takes a 72 engagement point freewheel just as long to engage if you run it up front as it does if you run it on back. Otherwise, by your logic, theoretically you could put a front freewheel with 1 engagement point and because the hub is fixed it would engage instantly.
first, he meant that by fixed you had instant engagement, and no it would not take just as long to engage whether it was front or rear mounted. 72 engagment points will engage faster on the rear than the front beacause of the gear ratio.

Steve

[TooSicKs]

Engagement, remember that your gearing affects how many "virtual" engagement points you have with a rear freewheel. With a front freewheel, you have exactly what the freewheel has.

An example, ACS has 36. Put it on the rear with 22/18 gearing and you get about 40 clicks at the cranks. The real number is like 39.6 if you do the math, but you get the point, right? With the freewheel up front, you eliminate the effect of the gearing and get 36, no more no less, regardless of what gear you run. I guess that'd be an advantage on a geared trials bike, the fact that you get the same enagaement feel regardless of gear.

[UNitrials]

What advantage do you get out of a front freewheel? This is probably a dumb question....

[lowside]

Ehh, it's cheaper to get a 72 point ffw then a king hub.

[heggler9]

yeah the chain always moves. do you really fly an A10? cause that would be cool

[hello?]

would you be able to buy a fixed singlespeed rear hub then put a freewheel on it and have it work withought having to buy ffw cranks? could you still run a regualar gear on the front and have the freewheel on the rear with a fixed hub?

[RomanR]

Yes you would. I know a few people that run a setup like that; Surly rear hub, W.I eno trials freewheel, 22t front ring. You could also run 20t front ring if you have 5 bolt cranks.