4 speed freewheel?
#1
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4 speed freewheel?
I’m ignorant of this kind of stuff but can I easily-ish build a 4 speed freewheel? My Legnano originally had a 4 speed freewheel and the 5 speed on it now doesn’t allow the chain to go to the smallest cog because of frame interference. I could “possibly” space the axle but I’m wondering if going to 1 less cog would be more elegant than having an unusable cog whirling away.
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four speed gear blocks were quite common from the 1930's through the 1950's
one thing you might wish to verify before making any further changes is whether or not you have a drive train for 1/8" dentition or one for 3/32"
appreciate this may sound a bit odd but Italy did do five speed 1/8" drive trains at least as late as the early 1970's. Regina produced gear blocks for them. unsure if Everest/CAIMI did as well...
four speed gear blocks are readily available online
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four speed gear blocks were quite common from the 1930's through the 1950's
one thing you might wish to verify before making any further changes is whether or not you have a drive train for 1/8" dentition or one for 3/32"
appreciate this may sound a bit odd but Italy did do five speed 1/8" drive trains at least as late as the early 1970's. Regina produced gear blocks for them. unsure if Everest/CAIMI did as well...
four speed gear blocks are readily available online
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four speed gear blocks were quite common from the 1930's through the 1950's
one thing you might wish to verify before making any further changes is whether or not you have a drive train for 1/8" dentition or one for 3/32"
appreciate this may sound a bit odd but Italy did do five speed 1/8" drive trains at least as late as the early 1970's. Regina produced gear blocks for them. unsure if Everest/CAIMI did as well...
four speed gear blocks are readily available online
-----
four speed gear blocks were quite common from the 1930's through the 1950's
one thing you might wish to verify before making any further changes is whether or not you have a drive train for 1/8" dentition or one for 3/32"
appreciate this may sound a bit odd but Italy did do five speed 1/8" drive trains at least as late as the early 1970's. Regina produced gear blocks for them. unsure if Everest/CAIMI did as well...
four speed gear blocks are readily available online
-----
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if you check the euro bays you should find a good selection
if you are open to purchasing from there you could also check the site subito.it
and no language barrier if you wish to communicate with Hilary Stone
https://www.hilarystone.com/
two other UK purveyors of vintage parts:
https://www.vintagevelo.co.uk/
https://www.isambards.co.uk/components/vintage
all best wishes with the Leggy
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Remove the smallest cog and Bob's yer uncle.
And in reality, that was Regina's mo back in the day.
And in reality, that was Regina's mo back in the day.
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Also, a 4 speed has a 114mm spacing. If your bike is 120, it should fit a 5.
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Those Regina G.S. Corse 5-speed freewheels were built on a 4-speed body, with the fifth sprocket piggy-backed onto the fourth sprocket rather than threaded onto the freewheel body itself. Remove the smallest sprocket, and you're left with a 4-speed block.
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Other options include using a 5 speed Atom and 5 speed Maillard freewheels which thread the smallest sprocket onto the second smallest which in turn threads to the body.
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SunTour Perfect 5-speed freewheels also thread the last two cogs and should still be available. I have several. Lose the smallest and ride.
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From left to right: Perfect/ProCompe 6 speed standard body, 6 speed Ultra Spaced body, 5 speed body. It can be seen that in the case of the 6 speed versions the added sprocket is a splined and not threaded version.
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That's what I tell my sons, because my brother's name is Robert.
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
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Y’all are a wealth of knowledge! My concern was width relative to frame spacing. I’ve been wrenching on several bikes lately and the Leggy isn’t in front of me but I think it is 115mm spacing. I’ll check the existing FW and see if I can work with it.
Again, thx all!
Again, thx all!
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tiger1964 that looks like an Atom freewheel, but I could be mistaken. The flange on the inner body where the removal tool fits might be too tall for the spacing, but it is worth a try. If an Atom, Regina sprockets should be swappable.
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tiger1964 that looks like an Atom freewheel, but I could be mistaken. The flange on the inner body where the removal tool fits might be too tall for the spacing, but it is worth a try. If an Atom, Regina sprockets should be swappable.
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Larry:1958 Drysdale, 1961 Gitane Gran Sport, 1974 Zeus track, 1988 Masi Gran Corsa, 1974 Falcon, 1980 Palo Alto, 1973 Raleigh Gran Sport, 1974 Legnano. Susan: 1976 Windsor Profesional.
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