With the subject of freewheels on a recent post, I thought it would be of some interest to quote a piece of Rivendell history from the first Rivendell catalog (Summer 1996).
"Freewheels "We don't sell cassettes. There's nothing wrong with cassettes, but there's something fishy about the way they're promoted. Cassettes support axles better, so you don't break axles; but Bullseye, Phil and others have proven that you can totally eliminate axle-flex and breakages with a better designed freewheel hub. More likely, the real reason cassettes have overtaken freewheels is to increase production efficiency for the large hub makers. We and many others find freewheels quicker and easier to change than cassettes; and freewheels certainly have versatility on their side. Freewheel availability has got to be a concern for anybody with freewheel hubs. Cassettes change often enough to make year-to-year compatibility an issue, so it's not as though once you've got your cassette body, you'll always be able to get the cogs. But there's little incentive for anybody who ever made freewheels to continue making them. Shimano still makes one cheap model, SunTour is history. Regina-the company still exists, but we hear they're making conveyor belts or something. Sachs, the great German hope, still offers a full line of freewheels, but the word is they'd like to cut back their selection. Factories see freewheels as money-eaters." I don't wish to insinuate that something Grant Peterson wrote in 1996 is representative of his present opinion. It's still interesting, however, to see how some (including me) would have chosen a freewheel equipped bike at that time in preference of a cassette. I'm personally quite satisfied with the choice I made for my 1996 Rivendell Standard and feel that its given me good service and will continue to do so in the future. Jim Cloud Tucson, AZ -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
