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In the process of working on my Schwinn 564, I managed to locate a 7-speed Hyperglide hub body that would directly replace the OEM one on the SportLX hub. The 13-26 7-speed Uniglide cassette is still in pretty decent shape, but I thought changing it would be much better in the long run. I was able to find an inexpensive 12-28 7-speed hyperglide cassette.
But all this left me to wonder.... is a working Uniglide hub and cassette desirable at all among the C&V folks, or is it one of those things just best avoided when possible, as I have chosen to do? Because let's face it, people aren't going nutty trying to find SportLX parts. (Although these do have the Sante-like white derailleur bodies.)

repechage

I stretched out a Uniglide chain in less than a month.

shoota 

My opinion: most people don't give two craps about the cassette itself. It's function over form for cassettes. The only UG parts I can imagine being desirable are NOS or near-NOS hub bodies and cassettes at the Dura Ace level for period correct restos. Anything less than that I'm going for functionality for a rider bike.

wrk101

There is a viable market on eBay for Uniglide cassettes.I've sold a few of them.

Somewhat interesting, the DA Uniglide cassettes had a different thread size on the locking cog.

bikemig 

I try to avoid obsolete technologies like uniglide. Oh wait, that could be a problem in C & V,

verktyg 

Uniglide twist tooth sprockets worked well, especially on smaller sized freewheels and cassettes. In fact Uniglide freewheels are still in demand. One advantage is when the teeth wear they can be taken off, reversed and you have new teeth again.



When Shimano introduced Hyperglide, the ramped/stepped sprockets made shifting from the middle to the larger sprockets a lot smoother and easier, especially 26T and up. I don't know if you will notice much difference in shifting between a Uniglide and Hyperglide on the 3 or 4 smaller cogs.

Inexpensive Shimano cassettes which include the "obsolete" 7 and 8 speed versions are usually made in China and the quality is not as good as the originals made in Japan and later in Singapore.

The cheaper cassettes are pretty clunky vs the better quality ones:




As far as the 12-28T cassette, 11T and 12T sprockets were designed for use with smaller sized chain rings like 48T...

For many years 52T or 53T large chain rings were standard on many bikes. Combined with a 14T small sprocket gave a 100" or 102" high gear.

A 48T x 12T combo gives 108" while a 52T x 12T is 117" and 53T x 12T is 119". That a lot of gear to push for an average rider.

Hyperglide cassettes and freehubs have one wide spline, I've mounted Hyperglide cassettes on Uniglide freehubs but they require the wide spline to be narrowed to fit. Dremel tool time!. I used Uniglide screw on small sprockets in the outside position.



My first venture in cassette mods back in 2007: a 7 speed Hyperglide cassette on a 6 speed Uniglide freehub - 13-28T with a screw on 13T Uniglide sprocket. I think that I sanded the spacers down to 8 speed width.



The difference between older DuraAce freehubs and standard Shimano freehubs is that the DA freehubs had a smaller diameter locking thread for use with an 11T outside sprocket.



As far as Uniglide chains are concerned, I cant speak for the later versions but the first one that came out in 1975 lasted forever and shifting wise were the best thing since sliced bread compared to other chains from that era. I have one that I took off of my bike back about 1976. It had 3000+ miles on it. Living in the dusty southwest plus running a bike shop, I changed my chains at that mileage.

I pulled it out and measured it when I bought a Park CC-3 chain tool about 12+ years ago. It's still good!



verktyg

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My thoughts were pretty much along the same line as Thrifty Bill...and bikemig! :-) I guess you could say the folks here thrive on obsolete parts!

.....in fact...I might be described as an obsolete part...but I digress...

I'm only using this wheel while my bike is on the trainer for winter anyway. When it goes outside I have a rear wheel with a 9-speed hub that goes on. I'm already going through my stash for smaller chainrings....

1simplexnut

Got a few of these sitting in a box .
Keep thinking I should buld up some single speed wheels just for giggles


nos UG steel bolt on hub 36 hole

dddd

Uniglide sprockets together with 7-8s modern chain are for me the very, very best combination for providing quick, responsive friction shifting while giving the right amount of audible feedback needed when using friction shift levers.

I am well stocked on my preferred freewheel and cassette cogs going forward, but the issue of having the threaded smallest cog(s) wear out does cause one to perhaps hesitate when considering building up a suitable cassette freehub into a wheel.

Uniglide freewheels, whether basic 6s or premium 7s models are on many of my bikes, and the 13-28t six-speeder is adequate for spirited riding while giving a wide ratio spread for riding heavier bikes up into the hills.

Making HG cogs fit onto a UG freehub is as simple as making a few swipes with a chainsaw file to knock down the wider spline, but the threaded cogs are available only in the UG type and can be difficult to find. These threaded smallest one or two cogs can't be reversed to increase their life, but can be treated with a file or grinder to correct hooked teeth that no longer get along with a new replacement chain (so don't toss them!).

LeicaLad 

Chas, as always, your replies are so thorough.

Dura-Ace made wonderful hubs in that early Uniglide-and-into-Hyperglide window. Yes, finding the DA-only screw on cogs did require diligence. BUT the real fun begins at 7s, when the DA hub requires not only the outer screw-on cog, but also a special 2nd position cog with built in spacer. Without that, the second cog could easily slip.


The two necessary cogs.

I’m unclear if the Uniglide-only hubs at 7 or 8 speed require this cog /w spacer, or if it is the Dura-Ace that really needs it. The spaced cog will fit both standard Uniglide and DA-specific hubs.

SO, as long as you conserve your special DA-only cog supply, Bob’s yer uncle.

I have a special affinity for hubs that are both Uniglide and Hyperglide compatible. I use the Uniglide cogs up to 21t, or so, and Hyperglide for anything wider. I like the performance, and, as said above, when the Uniglide cogs wear, just flip ‘em over.

As I ride almost dominantly C&V bikes, I like these hubs and the gearing.

ymmv, of course.

4funbikes

Desirable? Maybe not,
Avoided? I'd say not.

As others have mentioned, Flip the cogs when they become worn. Same goes for the threaded small cog. Flip it, and correct the built in spacer with a few FW/BB 1mm spacers.
Replace chains right when they become worn and you'll get thousands of miles out of that cassette.
I've got a spare UG cassette that I'll rob the needed cogs off when the time comes. Chances are low that you're going to wear all the cogs out at the same time.