Re: [CR]french freewheel threads

(Example: Framebuilders:Rene Herse)

In-Reply-To: <p0623092ac12b6617f0e1@[10.0.1.14]>
References: <1157974301.4505491d948e0@www.boltblue.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2006 07:27:48 -0700
To: Sheldon Brown <CaptBike@sheldonbrown.com>, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
From: "Jan Heine" <heine94@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [CR]french freewheel threads


>Quoth Dominic Rose:
>
>>Could anybody tell me when french threads stopped being used on bikes made in
>>France for the french market and how common they are? There is a four speed
>>currently on ebay.fr but the seller doesnt know which thead it has.
>>I'm trying to decide whether it's best to rebuild a wheel with an
>>english hub than trying
>>to find a four speed french threaded freewheel.
>
>I can't tell you exactly, but I believe the switch occurred after
>the move from 4-speed to 5-speed.
>
>I very much doubt that you would find a French made 4-speed
>freewheel with English/ISO threads.
>
>The 4 to 5 switch occurred in the late 1950s.

Most French bikes (sold in France) well into the 1980s had French-threaded freewheels (and hubs). Sometime in the late 1980s, Peugeot made a big deal out of the fact that the bikes they sold in Germany now had "BSA" threads, by which they meant British threads.

If a freewheel was sold in France before 1985 or so, it most likely is French-threaded. As was pointed out earlier, French companies did export British-threaded freewheels, so if you find the freewheel in Britain, it is likely to be British-threaded, unless it is a recent import by an old-parts dealer.

Jan Heine
Editor
Vintage Bicycle Press
140 Lakeside Ave #C
Seattle WA 98122
http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com