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Looking for advice from persons more technically competent than myself.
A couple of times recently (in cold weather), when I've gone to set off in the morning, the freehub didn't seem to catch. The pedals did nothing when rotated, like the chain was off - but it wasn't. Not sure what caused it to resolve itself. It just started working.
Is this type of thing usual in cold weather or a sign of impending doom? Kind of worried it'll happen without warning when cycling.
Were I a gambling man I'd say your freehub was on its way out. Sounds like the one or more of the pawls aren't engaging, might be cold might be coincidence.
Its an easy fix, remove the old one and screw on the new one. (Assuming Shimano compatible hub)
I had waxing problems with Green Oil grease. It went a bit solid in the cold and things would refuse to move.
They claim to have got round this but I just went back to a big tub of Castrol LM.
Could be the grease getting extra sluggish with the cold.
"Its an easy fix, remove the old one and screw on the new one. (Assuming Shimano compatible hub)"
Well sort of.
You have to take the cassette off, if you intend to reuse.
The freehub body needs a large Allen key.
At least Shimano put the model number on their hubs, so at least you should be able to get the right freehub.
I get the same thing in cold days with my freewheel......but I reckon it IS on its way out. Hoping it and the chain and the chainwheel will last until they stop salting the roads.
partly as everyone is saying it could be your freehub is on its way out and it could be the moisture in the freehub pawls freezing these recent mornings as personally Im getting slight chain slap as the grease on my recently installed freehub is a bit sluggish at the moment.
I can recommend carrying a mahoosive cable tie if you`ve got one as if your freehub does decide not to play ball you can always cable tie it onto the spokes to get you home.
Thanks for the replies.
This hub will be about 3 years old - pretty heavily used though. Hadn't really occurred to me that they would wear out.
I think I've got an old wheel kicking about with a hub on so I'll try swapping that out (the wheel's from the days before I had disc brakes so it was discarded after 12 months because the rim failed - so the hub is a lot newer than my current one.)
Cheers!
Funnily enough same started happening to me yesterday morning, absolutely nothing doing on the way home yesterday evening. Not having thought to carry a mahoosive cable tie with me, it meant a taxi to the bike shop.
Diagnosis : failed freehub. Not Shimano-compatible, so recommendation is a new wheel.
Only 7 months old, so will see get on to Edinburgh Bike Coop and see if I can get it sorted under warranty first. Fingers crossed, eh?
"Only 7 months old, so will see get on to Edinburgh Bike Coop and see if I can get it sorted under warranty first."
Should be able to.
Will be interesting to see if they regard it as a "consumable" - like a chain.
Though clearly 'advice' is 'new chain, new cassette' NOT 'new chain, new cassette and new body TOO'.
I shall let you know how I get on.
As a fairly new cyclist (also 7 months old), my experience of bike shops so far feels a little along the lines of:
- go in to check if I need a new chain
- leave again trying to work out if just biting the bullet and buying a whole new bike is the most cost-effective option
Need to get better at doing more of this stuff myself, I think.
"leave again trying to work out if just biting the bullet and buying a whole new bike is the most cost-effective option"
Mmm, variously related threads about 'bikes are so cheap some people just buy a new one when it needs fixed'...
Replacing chains is (relatively) simple.
Optimum option is to go to the Bike Station for a DIY session - low cost, all the tools, advice on hand (plus basic parts to buy).
"Not having thought to carry a mahoosive cable tie with me..."
Such things can often be scavenged from lamp-posts, if you have something you can poke the wee ratchet thing with.
I'm good with changing tyres now... amazing what can be achieved with a little practice can achieve. And reckon I could have a good go at replacing a chain myself. But anything more technical's still pretty daunting.
Am up for learning, though, so will definitely keep the Bike Station in mind. Thanks.
@wingpig - good tip, thanks for that.
Edinburgh Bike Coop verdict (over the phone) is that they'd happily have a look at it, but 'the freewheel body is a consumable part, so would have to take into account the conditions it had been used in'.
Several hundred miles in a Scottish winter? Am kind of guessing my luck's out here.
Having had the hub serviced (elsewhere) last week with no success, am thinking this is just a write-off. Looks like I'll be treating the bike to a new wheel... Shimano-compatible hub, this time, though :)
I would be colouring myself distinctly unamused if a (respectable manufacturer's) freewheel body died after any less than a good few thousand miles, no matter what weather it had been used in. There's consumable, and then there's faulty :)
Not sure that "respectable manufacturer" is enough of a get-out for EBC.
Is the bike EBC's own brand?
Fitting non-Shimano parts (generally) reduces the price of a bike when new, and there needs to be some acceptance that parts might not last as long.
But - "As a fairly new cyclist (also 7 months old)" I suspect you really haven't done that many miles.
Unless of course you've realised that 'cycling' is the best thing ever - in which case you might be ready for a 'better' bike.
Now I've done a bit of reading round, it seems to be a bit of a issue with (unbranded) hubs used on the Specialized Allez.
If servicing doesn't sort it out, a new wheel - with Shimano hub - seems to be the straightforward way to get it resolved.
Not amused, you're right. But, hey, these things happen.
In terms of mileage, I do 50-70 miles a week. So, heading towards 2000 miles total, I guess.
(First time I've worked that out... go me!!!)
Cycling is certainly one of the best things ever. Knowing what I now know, I would have made a bit of a different choice for daily commuting. But, mostly, I do still love my bike very much :)
"it seems to be a bit of a issue with (unbranded) hubs used on the Specialized Allez"
Worth telling EBC that you know - they must...
There's probably a solid defence under some kind of sale-of-goods legislation that would protect you if your retailer seriously suggested that a hub dying after a few hundred miles was acceptable, but it depends how much of a grumble you want to get into with EBC :)
This armchair spectator would suggest that if you were willing to cover the cost of a new hub, EBC should be throwing in the wheel rebuild gratis.
@Schemieradge Sorry for having inadvertently & hideously hijacked your thread, btw.
Slight issue is the bike is sat at my shop of choice (not EBC) and they're happy to fit a wheel & hub to get me back on the road ASAP. Or I can take it to EBC over the next few days, start arguing the toss, see what happens and get the bike back who-knows-when.
Convenience and quick turnaround v saving money (maybe) and avoiding lingering resentment/regret... I have quite the dilemma on my hands ;)
What's the alternative transport option @Kev if you don't get it fixed straight away?
If its bus, train or car the costs could soon add up to that of a new wheel.
I like your thinking, galaxy. Am on the bus, so £4 a day. At £20 a week, this new wheel feels an awful lot cheaper all of a sudden. Thanks.
Get your shop of choice to fix you up but then take the faulty bit in to EBC and glare at them until they do something about it, all the while having a functional bike. You may end up with a spare rear wheel which you can then use as a spare-tube/winter-tyre-holder.
You know what? I might just do that. Just booked the bike booked in for a new wheel anyway.
Thanks everyone for the advice today.
Not having thought to carry a mahoosive cable tie with me...
Such things can often be scavenged from lamp-posts, if you have something you can poke the wee ratchet thing with.
That is a top tip.
Another cable tie tip is they work really neatly stored inside handlebars, providing you can get one of the bar end plugs out. Never be without a cable tie again...
For anyone struggling to picture what might be going wrong on these occasions take a look at the images in section 6 and 7 of the description here: http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/workshop-how-to-overhaul-your-freehub-23757/
When you freewheel or turn the pedals backwards the little metal catches (pawls) slip to allow the wheel and cogs to be independent from one another. When you pedal they engage to ensure that the cogs and wheel are directly connected.
Sorry - not my best ever explanation... google 'bicycle hub pawl' for images etc.
Imagine something which stops the little metal catches (pawls) engaging. That might be water which got in to the system (which is ice after a cold night). It might also be thicker grease (and maybe some added grime) - particularly if it's cold.
When I had this happen many years ago it was because I'd tried to add grease into this system - I was told that this was a mistake and that I should have used something thinner. To be honest I don't know what the exact right lubricant is... BUT if you're on the point of having to replace the whole thing anyway (so you have nothing to lose) I'd suggest trying to add a thinner lubricant of some kind - hoping to thin out whatever thicker gunk is holding the pawls in their disengaged position.
But please take my comments as just a personal opinion not particularly well informed advice - all I know is what I learned on that one occasion very many years ago.
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