Warning: Bar ends and powerful riding with cheapo hubs

[Pete Biggs]

My brother used a basic mid-range Trek 820 mountain bike casually for a couple of years with no
problems. Then, a few weeks ago, shortly after fitting bar ends, the freehub broke (made strange
noises and wouldn't freewheel at all). Replacement freehub is now going in the same way after just a
few short rides!! The wheel has an unbranded non-Shimano hub.

Our theory is that the failure is caused by extra pedalling force applied after fitting bar ends and
climbing hills much harder than before. The following notes from Jobst Brandt recently posted to
rec.bicycles.tech backs it up:

> Freehubs generally have the ratchet pawls cramped into a smaller diameter than freewheels of the
> past and are more heavily loaded, especially with the lower gears available today (under gearing
> with chainwheel smaller than rear sprocket). When a ratchet step or a pawl is overloaded, metal
> sticks up where it shouldn't and causes that point to hang up when it passes a pawl or ratchet
> tooth, depending on who ate it.
>
> Yes, it is entirely possible to ruin a ratchet escapement. The presence of all sorts of noisy
> escapements is a sign that there is a problem down there.
>
> Jobst Brandt

~PB

 

[Tony Raven]

In news:[email protected], Pete Biggs <pLime{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> typed:
>
> Our theory is that the failure is caused by extra pedalling force applied after fitting bar ends
> and climbing hills much harder than before. The following notes from Jobst Brandt recently posted
> to rec.bicycles.tech backs it up:
>

So it copes with the wide range of weights, strengths, levels of fitness etc of the people buying
Treks with that hub as well as the different top tube lengths of different frame sizes and stem
lengths on that and other Trek models that use the hub but won't cope with the extra inch or two a
bar end adds? Curious.

Tony

--
http://www.raven-family.com

"All truth goes through three steps: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed.
Finally, it is accepted as self-evident." Arthur Schopenhauer

 

[W K]

"Tony Raven" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In news:[email protected], Pete Biggs <pLime{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> typed:
> >
> > Our theory is that the failure is caused by extra pedalling force applied after fitting bar ends
> > and climbing hills much harder than before. The following notes from Jobst Brandt recently
> > posted to rec.bicycles.tech backs it up:
> >
>
> So it copes with the wide range of weights, strengths, levels of fitness etc of the people buying
> Treks with that hub as well as the different top tube lengths of different frame sizes and stem
> lengths on that and other Trek models that use the hub but won't cope with the extra inch or two a
bar
> end adds? Curious.

Also curious - what kind of cycling creates the most pedalling force. If a heavy person with a bad
standing up style where they stamp on the pedals they'd apply far more force than anything the best
cyclist in the world would do.

Do bar ends really make much of a difference to pedalling _force_.

 

[Tony Raven]

In news:[email protected], W K <[email protected]> typed:

>
> Also curious - what kind of cycling creates the most pedalling force. If a heavy person with a bad
> standing up style where they stamp on the pedals they'd apply far more force than anything the
> best cyclist in the world would do.
>
> Do bar ends really make much of a difference to pedalling _force_.

Sorry, should have added the <irony> tags to my post.

Tony

--
http://www.raven-family.com

"All truth goes through three steps: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed.
Finally, it is accepted as self-evident." Arthur Schopenhauer