Need a 4spd vintage cassette. Any ideas??
03-25-24, 11:17 AM
#1
Midlifecyclist
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Need a 4spd vintage cassette. Any ideas??
Recently rescued a 1973 Motoconfort from the bin, and the original cassette is absolutely toast.
I’ve looked everywhere I can think of. Any ideas where to source one??
I’ve looked everywhere I can think of. Any ideas where to source one??
03-25-24, 12:55 PM
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Use a 5-speed freewheel with one cog removed?
03-25-24, 01:02 PM
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Many 4 speed freewheels available out there.
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03-25-24, 01:06 PM
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Check ebayuk. There's a much better and cheaper assortment than EBAY US.
03-25-24, 02:33 PM
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I'd be surprised if a '73 anything had a 4 speed freewheel. Pics of the bike?
03-25-24, 02:47 PM
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On the 5-sp freewheels where the high gear cog threads into/onto the next larger cog, instead of onto the FW body, you can just leave the top gear cog off. Regina is the one I've done this with but I bet an Atom is about the same way if you need a French thread. I have a couple and can take a cog off to confirm if needed.
On the Regina I did that to, I ground down the "new" top gear on the belt sander to remove the projection that the old top gear threaded onto. Not strictly necessary but it looks more "right". If you do it neatly, it looks like it was made to be a top gear position. Sand out the belt-sander scratches with some fine sandpaper taped to a flat surface, just rubbing the cog against the paper by hand.
I suppose it'll rust where I ground off the factory coating, whatever that is (if any?) but I keep my freewheels coated in a nice layer of grime, which is effective at rust prevention. This was not an "Oro" FW, it's a GS Corse, so I think they may come with no coating at all, i.e. I didn't change the susceptibility to rust at all.
All that work is unnecessary of course if you just find a 4-sp FW, they're out there. But in my case, making my own was faster than waiting for something to arrive in the mail.
On the Regina I did that to, I ground down the "new" top gear on the belt sander to remove the projection that the old top gear threaded onto. Not strictly necessary but it looks more "right". If you do it neatly, it looks like it was made to be a top gear position. Sand out the belt-sander scratches with some fine sandpaper taped to a flat surface, just rubbing the cog against the paper by hand.
I suppose it'll rust where I ground off the factory coating, whatever that is (if any?) but I keep my freewheels coated in a nice layer of grime, which is effective at rust prevention. This was not an "Oro" FW, it's a GS Corse, so I think they may come with no coating at all, i.e. I didn't change the susceptibility to rust at all.
All that work is unnecessary of course if you just find a 4-sp FW, they're out there. But in my case, making my own was faster than waiting for something to arrive in the mail.
03-25-24, 02:58 PM
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Recently, there was someone in Wisconsin who had a listing on FB with a couple of NOS 4 speed freewheels. IIRC they were in the $30-35 bracket. I will see if I can find her listings again.
03-25-24, 03:09 PM
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What is wrong with it? I've encountered quite a few of those old freewheels, and more often than not I've been able to bring their mechanisms back to life with a liberal dose of WD40, sewing machine oil and some TLC. Worn cogs can be replaced, or even filed back into a usable shape.
03-25-24, 04:39 PM
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03-25-24, 05:59 PM
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The 1960 Schwinn Varsity had flat-bladed forks and a 15-18-21-25 four-speed freewheel, while the Continental had tubular forks and a 15-17-19-22-25 five-speed freewheel.
By the next year, the Varsity was a 10-speed, as well.
For a number of years, Regina and a few others made only 4-speed bodies, and the optional 5th cog was screwed directly into the 4th, as mentioned above.
By the next year, the Varsity was a 10-speed, as well.
For a number of years, Regina and a few others made only 4-speed bodies, and the optional 5th cog was screwed directly into the 4th, as mentioned above.
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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
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03-25-24, 10:09 PM
#12
Midlifecyclist
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03-25-24, 10:10 PM
#13
Midlifecyclist
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03-26-24, 02:35 AM
#14
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I suppose it'll rust where I ground off the factory coating, whatever that is (if any?) but I keep my freewheels coated in a nice layer of grime, which is effective at rust prevention. This was not an "Oro" FW, it's a GS Corse, so I think they may come with no coating at all, i.e. I didn't change the susceptibility to rust at all.
the mail.
the mail.
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03-26-24, 01:05 PM
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I rechecked FB but either they sold or were withdraw.
