Re: [CR] The Sound of Old Freewheels

(Example: Framebuilders:Tubing)

In-Reply-To: <d62.29e3b6ed.36b15c4f@aol.com>
References:
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:03:40 -0800
From: "Don Williams" <donwilliamsjr@gmail.com>
To: <Stronglight49@aol.com>
Cc: seaneee175@gmail.com, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR] The Sound of Old Freewheels


I checked Velo Base and it was a Cyclo that made the cool sound... Yea the Atoms are crisp sounding. (I have a few) ut it was the Cyclo that had the odd sound...

Don Williams Woodinville Washington USA

On Tue, Jan 27, 2009 at 10:59 PM, <Stronglight49@aol.com> wrote:
> Ah, so many different sounds, and all delight the ear.
>
> Some which I now recall were received in new condition,
> yet with no lubricating grease at all (perhaps I'm thinking
> of Regina and Everest?) and when shaken you could
> hear the tiny balls rattling in their races. Others were
> heavily packed with thicker grease which tended to
> muffle any sound and even quiet but not impede the
> pawls. Others, such as possibly the aforementioned
> Atom, I recall as having had a unique ticking of it's
> own - which sounded quite delicate and complex.
>
> Hah! - this has just struck me as rather funny. This
> might well be a discussion of wines for all the uniqueness
> of the individual, perhaps even regionally dictated, styles.
> And, there were even year related distinctions too within
> the various "growers" of freewheel labels. Not to say there
> were good or bad years in freewheel production. The
> differences were surely in subtle modifications to the
> body design.
>
> It would be interesting to record some of the various sounds.
> Perhaps this could provide the basis for an interesting quiz
> for the obsessive connoisseur of such things...
>
> Actually, I think this would even make for an entertaining
> and amusing short video: Imagine a group of serious
> freewheel "listeners" gathered around a table discussing
> and comparing the distinctive aural character of several
> different freewheels - like a wine tasting... but, without
> the requisite spitting.
>
> And we might also consider the delightful waxy smell
> of some of the aged grease in the freewheels, too. I
> happened to notice this myself while recently handling
> an old Cyclo 72 5-speed freewheel.
>
> Thanks for the delicious memories, Sean!
>
> BOB HANSON, ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, USA
>
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