[CR]re:freewheel removal when spokes are cut

(Example: Events:Cirque du Cyclisme:2002)

Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2007 17:06:04 -0700
From: "Bob Freitas" <freitas1@pacbell.net>
To: CLASSIC RENDEZVOUS <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR]re:freewheel removal when spokes are cut

My Dad would have made a good blacksmith but he owned a bicycle shop and never went to any training classes or had any certificates but he knew how to work around a problem.We had more than our share of people who would walk in with hub and freewheel sans rim.

Mannys Method

remove as many of the cut off spokes as is possible on the freewheel side.you can use side cutters to snip them close so they will fall out. Using mechanics wire (Bailing wire to you farmboys) and an old rim (he used a 26" middleweight rim as he could get a good grip on it) lace the wire thru the hub out to the spoke holes and back again then back to the next spoke hole. sometimes you could lace all the holes and some times not but then it was a simple matter to use your newly mounted rim to twist the freewheel off using a remover and vise. We did have to sacrifice a few freewheels over the years. We probably went thru one 5 pound spool of wire per year (we also tied a lot of trunks down on newly bought bikes with the same stuff.)

Bailing wire and Duct tape ,Mans greatest inventions
                                                            BOB FREITAS
            Yes, theres bailing wire in my garage in MILL VALLEY,CA USA