Frozen freewheel

[hockeynut]

It's been fun biking in to work the past couple of mornings except for one small problem. My freewheel sticks in the "coast" position, so I get to spin really fast with no results. FUN!!! I pedal forward, backward, bounce up and down and then it fixes itself.

My question is: Is there any easy, inexpensive fix for this? I'm using about a 1998 or so Diamondback Outlook (steel, rigid, lower end parts) to commute, so the hub is none too fancy. Would a new hub fix this? Or is it just a fact that when it's 0 degrees out that the freewheel will crap out every once in a while? I guess it isn't that big a deal for commuting sake since I've got 1 mile to go, and most of it is on bike trail.

Have a great night

Isaac

[GearDaddy]

This used to happen to me with my mountain bike that had a 7 speed setup. There's not much you can do about it. It seemed that if it just got cold enough that it would start happening. I got used to either reaching my foot back to smack the rear wheel in the side, or I would just try to keep pedaling like I was riding a fixie. One particularly cold day it got stuck and wouldn't unstick. I even picked the bike up and slammed it to the ground a few times. But no luck, which really sucked because I was 3 miles from home and work. After I finally got the bike inside again, it magically unstuck when it warmed up.

I'd say you need to get a new hub or try some different wheels.

[Palmer]

If it gets real bad you can pee on it. It works cause it's warm. It's just a little too biological for some people.... Also, for the love of god, clean it off before you bring it into the shop.

[Palmer]

Upon reading my post, it would seem to imply that random urination will fix your freehub body's sticking. It does not. That works only when it's cold/frozen. I bet you already knew that.

[tedsti]

You should not need a whole new hub, just the free-hub body. Check what kind of hub you have and call around to see if anyone has one.

Ted

[FSSS]

Two words: fixed gear

[funky-funky-chicken]

If your bike has a threaded freewheel, you should remove the freewheel, flush it out with solvent, and use a lightweight lubricant to re-lube. The same would hold true with a freehub body, but it also involves a hub overhaul. If you do not have the tools to perform the repairs yourself, you should take it to your local competent bicycle mechanic at the bike shop.

Your other choice is to remove your rear wheel, turn it on its side with the cassette/freewheel side facing up. Drip TriFlow or other lubricant down into the freewheel mechanism. Spin the freewheel to work the lube in, add more. Wipe up the extra.

The old lubricant or grease (never should use grease for a freewheel) gets thick during cold weather. This inhibits the pawls from springing back and engaging. Not only can it be inconvenient, it can be dangerous. Until you fix your problem, I would suggest not standing on the pedals to accelerate of climb a hill.

[hockeynut]

I'll try the lube into the freewheel approach first. Luckily I don't have any hills, or very far to go on the bike, so no matter what it's all good. Though I am thinking trips to Salem, or the River Bottoms would be pretty fun when it's 10 degrees out.