Loose Chain

I keep looking ot buy another freewheel or cog. I want an 18T for 3/32 chain. My Pista came with a 16T Shimano freewheel.

I am new to this type of freewheel and trying to understand them every time I fire up Google I wind up with BMX freewheels.

What Shimano freehub/freewheel do I need for a single speed bicycle and what Park tool number for the install/remove tool?

I would appreciate some guidance to get me going up this learning curve.

What tool(s) are needed to just break the freewheel down and install a new cog with more teeth.

I just cannot pull a 48X16, getting to old. I am a spinner, not a masher.

Thanks in advance!

rustystrings61 

You keep getting BMX freewheels because for years BMX was the main field that used single speed units. I think you want a Park FR-6 - and I think that will fit a lot of different freewheels. Your Pista probably came fitted with a fixed/free flip flop hub, and a standard threaded freewheel will fit on both sides just fine. You can fit just about anybody's standard freewheel on there, from cheapie ACS to slightly nicer Shimano to slightly nicer than that Sturmey-Archer to the expensive but supremely nice, durable and generally exquisite White Industries freewheels.

48x18 = 70-ish gear inches; you could also swap out your front chainring for a 42 and run 42x16 which would yield the same gear.

Loose Chain

Thanks, but are BMX freewheels the same as or compatible with our single-speed bicycles? Are they the same part numbers?

What the advantage of going to a 42 on the chainwheel vs 18 on the freewheel cog? I have a FSA Tempo crank set which does not seem to yield much for parts or places to order a smaller 42 chainwheel?

Just as a side note, I spin around 100 RPM and ride a lot in my 53/25 on my geared bikes which is 56GI and 16.5MPH. I need to get down a long ways .

TimothyH

A Shimano freewheel will be nice for that Bianchi and will last many seasons. The Park Tool FR-6 or similar is required for service.

https://www.jensonusa.com/Park-Tool-FR-6

https://www.jensonusa.com/Shimano-DX...peed-Freewheel

40 bucks and done. Probably less if you shop around.


-Tim-

rustystrings61 

With a Bianchi Pista, you can assume standard ISO 1.370 x 24 tpi threading for a freewheel, and any freewheel from 13T that you would buy will come that way. As far as going with a smaller chainring, that would simply let you get by with using a chain tool and a 5 mm allen key to switch the ring out, rather than remove and replace the freewheel. There are arguments that larger diameter chainrings and freewheels are more efficient, though, so yeah, go to an 18T, or even larger if you wish.

Apparently the FSA Tempo Track crankset has no published specs - but in all likelihood it's either a 130 mm bcd (bolt circle diameter) crank or a 110 mm bcd crank. If you consult the late Sheldon Brown, he provided us with a great cheat sheet to measure and find out. At some point you may wish to have a variety of rings and rear freewheels to experiment with.

Just as a fun historical note, in his 1936 Every Cyclist's Handbook British author F.J. Camm recommended 60-65 gear inches for single-geared road work.

JohnDThompson 

Some are, some aren't. BMX freewheels with a tooth count less than 15 use a metric thread to mount on the hub that isn't compatible with track or "flip-flop" SS/FG hubs.

Any chainring/freewheel combination that gives the same gear inches will feel the same on the road. Larger tooth counts will wear longer, since the wear is spread over a larger number of teeth. Smaller tooth counts weigh less. You have to decide which is more important to you.

From what I can tell, the "Tempo" crank has a 110mm bolt circle diameter. Any 110mm BCD ring will mount on the arm; doesn't have to be FSA. 110mm rings are widely available in many tooth counts.

veganbikes

White Industries makes the best freewheel on the market. It will last a long time and run smoothly and can be serviced if need be.

Loose Chain

Thanks guys. I will look into the White Industries next time. I ordered a Shimano 18T freewheel and a new chain identical to the one on the bike in case there was not enough length and a 44T chainwheel. I tried to purchase local but wound up on Amazon.

So I will have 48/18 installed as soon as it arrives. That may still be a bit high, not sure. But then I can drop to a 44/18 if need be.