As far as I am aware the first production bike with a six-speed freewheel was the Moulton Speed Six in 1964/5. Although not common it was a genuine catalogued production machine built in reasonable numbers. It used a special freewheel with small top sprockets and a modified Cyclo Benelux P60 rear derailleur (modified by Cyclo not Moulton). Regards Hilary Stone
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>From: Chuck Schmidt <chuckschmidt@earthlink.net>
>To: RALEIGH531@aol.com
>Cc: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>Subject: [CR]Now: Six-speed freewheels Was: catalogue #3
>Date: Fri, Feb 23, 2001, 7:40 am
>
> RALEIGH531@aol.com wrote:
>>
>> Thanks for the catalog pages.
>> I was surprised to see a 13-26 six speed Regina freewheel in 1964(?)
>> Was this intended for touring and would it have required 126 spacing?
>>
>> Pete Geurds
>> Douglassville, Pa
>
>
> Good question!!! This always puzzled me. In the mid-1950s the racing
> bikes came with 4-speed freewheels, even though there were 5-speed
> freewheels available. In the mid-1960s the bikes came with 5-speed
> freewheels even though there were 6-speed freewheels available.
>
> I have heard that the early 70s Raleigh Professional was the first
> production bike that came with a 6-speed freewheel (Atom) and I don't
> think 6-speed freewheels were generally in use until the mid-1970s.
>
> Seems like there was a ten year lag each time before anyone decided they
> really needed another gear. Quite a contrast to today's drivetrains
> with the number of speeds in the rear increasing every couple of years.
>
> Chuck Schmidt
> South Pasadena, California
> http://www.velo-retro.com (NEW list of reprints and T-shirts)