Spin Dizzy: Fresh Freehubs & Other Wheel Woes

Despite the rescue attempt, the Halo Spin Doctor’s Freehub had succumbed to pawl spring failure. Ison-distribution were characteristically incredibly helpful and empathetic, sending me a replacement the next day. I’m hoping this will be a long-term cure. However, I bought another XT hub as a precaution, while opportunity and favourable pricing presented. 

I’d been enjoying a succession of very mucky outings aboard Ursula, I succumbed to a sudden and unwelcome rear blow out and a minor wibble in the sturdy Sputnik/XT wheel. This ultimately meant a six mile walk home and led me to retire the basic but generally likeable Maxxis Ikon Maxxis Ikon Tyres | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 2,500 mixed terrain miles down the line. Doesn’t matter how well built a wheel, or how sturdy your tyres, catch that sharp, or that hole with your name on it and something’s gonna give.  

 

A couple of riders slowed and offered help-as is the standard code for us and understood there wasn’t much that could be done at that stage-the spare tubes had also failed. I thanked them and we went our separate ways. I was mortified when a middle-aged woman stopped her Nissan Qashqai and asked if I needed help, or a lift somewhere. I was touched on the one hand and made clear I was grateful. However, I’m also very wary of people and their motivations and often find accepting help very difficult.  

 

At that time, I also wanted to be alone with my thoughts and to reflect. I’ve replaced the rear Ikon for a Continental Cross King Shield Wall (26x2.3) which promises to handle well on most surfaces and a puncture- repelling belt also promises greater reliability.  I left Mick Madgett to work his magic with the Rigida/XT hoop and build another wheel based around an XT hub as a second/spare since opportunity presented and my faith in the Spin Doctor had waned. 

 

Though quite different, removing the spin doctor freehub cast me back to the old Maillard Helicomatic system from the early 1980s. I had one on a bike bought in March 1988 primarily for the frameset and ultimately, converting to a fixed gear. Rebuilt pretty much and racked up many miles in the four years of ownership. Daylight where head and down tube met signalled the end. I salvaged the good, transferable components and ported them over to a geared winter/training frameset in the summer of ‘92.  

I toyed with the notion of running it as a 1x6spd and bought another Helicomatic Freewheel- a very close ratio, knee-busting block, since that’s all I could find and in my impressionable teenage mind, it would be fine…Point being, it was incredibly easy to switch these blocks, compared to a traditional screw-on freewheel. However, it was one of those concepts that wasn’t fully embraced and ultimately, the freehub system became dominant.  

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it featured on some early 80’s Peugeots. I digress. I’ve decided it's now time to switch the Holdsworth’s BBB Razor for the Smanie GT137 saddle, which is 137mm wide, 257g and features hollow Cro-Moly rails. A little wider than the mighty Razor but may offer a little more support and, all right, I fancied a change, ahead of the Spring when hopefully the weather will be nice enough for some fast blasts.  

By that point, I’ll switch the fixed gear winter trainer’s KMC Z1 for the half-link Gusset Slink. For the uninitiated, the latter is a beefy model that will add some further girth but in my experience is great for getting chain length bang on and they’re super durable too. Despite suggestions, the Blub Ceramic has been surprisingly stoical despite some persistently wet, muddy lanes.  

I returned a good 280 miles in these contexts before giving the bike a seriously deep clean and deciding the gungy beard of mud and contaminant needed purging too. Having got everything respectable, I found myself spinning the wheels and discovered a very loose spoke.  

So loose that the nipple had retreated into the rim. I whipped off the tyre, tube, and rim tape, only to hear the nipple orbiting the rim and then vanishing. Never to be seen again. Another email to Ison and they graciously sent me some brass14g replacements. 

I overcame my 37-year fear of the spoke key (some might draw parallels with the android’s fear of the screwdriver cited in Channel 4’s 1984 tongue- in- cheek sci-fi drama “They Came from somewhere else”.) and wound a new one in, judiciously snugging the spoke taut, plucking the others to ensure uniformity. I’ve said this before, but this long-standing terror came from one summer afternoon in 1987.  

 

Armed with a rather basic spoke key, a cherished copy of Richard’s Bicycle Book and a vague notion of turning the spokes, I got busy with my Holdsworthy Butler’s front wheel… Transforming the 3mm wibble into a samba dancing hoop.  Sure, I’ve tweaked the odd nipple I desperation miles from home, but it was always with a sense of acute trepidation. Never trusted my own wheel building and over the years from chatting with other riders anecdotally, I’m not alone. 

Frazzled Freehub?

 

There we were, minding our own business, bimbling along the lanes when the glitch became a low grumble. Ursula’s chain began jumping and the freehub began to lock up when I attempted to freewheel. Yes, the Halo Spin Doctor’s freehub was protesting 8 miles from home. No river riding, Jet washing, or similar abuse and I’d only done a few weeks riding since it was replaced in December.  

Mercifully, my default constant cadence, developed through many years riding fixed meant we could scoot back at 12-14mph. Pedestrian perhaps but infinitely preferable to walking home. Switching to XT/Ryde wheel with recently upgraded bearings, loaded with Juice Lubes Bearing Juice solved the immediate issue. However, it left me with something of a conundrum. 

An email and subsequent telephone chat with Ison-Distribution suggested it could just be wet, gritty stuff creeping inside along the lanes. I also learned the unit has a grease port, something I consider a godsend for easy maintenance and long component life. Sure, you’ll still need to strip and inspect bearings, races etc but it means they’ll have plenty of lubrication and are protected from the elements in-between. On the advice of Ison Distibution’s MD, I pumped grease into the freehub’s port until some brown gooey stuff bled out. Cleaned up and dropped some middleweight wet lube into the port.    

Then my mind went into overdrive... 

I could always retrieve the lowlier Deore- a decent enough hub but the seals and other components aren’t as you’d expect, to the same standard. Given the mileage and four seasons’ service involved, I’d be better served by the XT, and it would ultimately work out cheaper, long term. There were some interesting hubs but too pricey for a gamble, especially on the spares front. No rush... 

The fixed’s Un300 square taper bottom bracket is still turning away smoothly three years on. Testament to it (and the UN52 and 55 predecessors) build quality. I’m not the only rider who has returned nigh on 10,000 miles (about 16093.44 km) before they’ve turned sloppy, or grumbly. For context, while some of the patterns have served me well, they’ve hit the bin at 6,000 miles (about 9656.06 km). I may well go for this Genetic Cromozone Cromozone Sealed BB | Ison Distribution (ison-distribution.com next time.  

To lubes. The Blub ceramic is supposedly unsuitable for damp to wet conditions, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how it stayed put, despite being exposed to wet, greasy roads, not to mention blasted with deep, dodgy puddle water.  

I was surprised to find Ursula’s left Microshift bar con rotating in the bar ends. An easy fix- simply a matter of popping in a 4mm Allen key, separating the lever from mount, introducing a 5mm into the expander wedge and turning counter-clockwise.  

An opportunity to use this Muc Off 17in1 multi tool, which I’d received for testing. It’s a compact model with 17 functions and thus far, only a few, minor compromises have revealed themselves. When choosing multi tools, in my experience much will depend on your bikes, their age and genre.  

Compact models such as the Muc Off work best on contemporary bikes, including, but not restricted to smaller framesets. Multi tools are designed for quick tune ups and get out of a jam repairs, not workshop duties.  

However, tourists, or those on group rides might find Topeak’s Alien, or this Passport CDWPASSPORT CDW MULTITOOL | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) a better bet. Talking of touring, functions such as spoke keys tend to be a little basic, and not the nicest to use, so you’re better served packing a dedicated key.  

I’d also suggest packing a separate, long-ish  L shaped key for recessed fasteners, such as those found on brake levers/brifters and of course, any specialist tooling for your bike, tagalong, trailer etc. Same goes for tyre levers, and applies to the Alien and CDW, although these are the better of the grouping.  

Strangely enough, while the ergonomics of more expensive standalone composite levers mean they’re nicer to use, some of the most dependable models are the bargain basement nylon types usually found in puncture repair kit bundles. Thorn Cycles 20 function Multi Tool comes complete with a Rohloff compatible bit. Mine still serves me well, although 16 years down the line, corrosion has made itself known in places. Last lube biased mention for this entry, my review of Muc-Off MO94 https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/muc-off-mo94-multi-use-spray  

The Leatt Jacket MTB Endurance 2.0 has become my default, given its lightweight, yet highly windproof, water-repelling and quick wicking properties. The perforated back and arm panels ensure a steady supply of cooling air, while keeping the chill and moderate showery rains at bay and it's so light, I’m only noticing its positive qualities.  

It also packs small, taking up minimal space in bike luggage, although it will certainly fill a jersey pocket. I’ve been alternating between bib long and bib knickers, given the season but I’m also looking forward to putting the Endurance Bib shorts through their paces once the temperatures get milder.  

There’s the usual detailing I’d expect from a premium garment- mesh bibs and braces, SPF50+ UV protection and a 4-layer Italian chamois pad, reckoned good for 7 hours of XC trail riding, which also bodes well for long, steady road miles, too.  

Pockets have become an increasingly common sight on bib shorts, especially those geared towards gravel and mountain biking audiences. Madison’s Roam Madison Roam Men's Cargo Bib Shorts | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) being prime examples, although theirs is designed to port bigger items including phones. Gloves and other things you might want easy access to. Leatt has suggested theirs is intended for a communication radio, but I think it’s a good bet for energy bars and other essentials.  

I could don Lycra knee warmers, since these are designed to extend a garments wearability, say in autumn, or early spring, where the weather can switch from warm sun to chill rain at the drop of a hat. However, I appreciate their benefits. Those I’ve tested tend to slowly work their way down, exposing skin, while being annoying, into the bargain.   Could wear them beneath messenger knickers, though…Watch this space.