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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!seismo!rlgvax!cvl!umcp-cs!fred
From: fred@umcp-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: Why a front freewheel?
Message-ID: <5882@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 13-Mar-84 17:08:53 EST
Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.5882
Posted: Tue Mar 13 17:08:53 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 14-Mar-84 19:51:04 EST
Organization: Univ. of Maryland, Computer Science Dept.
Lines: 21

This weekend I was looking at a Lotus ``America'' at a local bike
shop. This model has the ratchet mechanism located between the
crankarms and the front sprocket, rather than the more traditional
location on the rear axle. This, of course, means that the entire
chain & sprocket assembly is in motion whenever the bike is. The
salesman insisted that this is a wonderful advantage, but I don't
see it that way. If you assume (probably incorrectly) that you
spend roughly half the time coasting, this would double the wear
on the entire chain assembly. Even worse, if a stray limb or pants
leg were to get caught in the chain, (yes, I use those little metal
clips, but accidents can still happen.) it would be pulled into
the front sprocket by the momentum of the bike & rider, possibly
jamming and locking the rear wheel throwing you into a skid. With
the ratchet in the rear axle, if something got caught in the chain,
only the pedals lock, and you can backpedal to release whatever is
stuck. Am I just being paranoid, or is there really an advantage
to having the freewheel mechanism on the front sprocket rather than
the rear?

					- Fred Blonder
					harpo!seismo!umcp-cs!fred