Does it click?
September 30, 2024 11:29 AM
Does the bicycle in this photograph have a clicky freewheel?
I'm want to recreate the sound of this bike. Not 100% accurately but near enough. I imagine there's chatter from the steel frame and fenders; and no rear derailleur. But what about the freewheel? Would it likely be the clicky sort?
I'm want to recreate the sound of this bike. Not 100% accurately but near enough. I imagine there's chatter from the steel frame and fenders; and no rear derailleur. But what about the freewheel? Would it likely be the clicky sort?
If it's a coaster hub, that is, you backpedal to brake, then no, it does not click. But a coaster hub would be thicker than the hub that bike has. And it seems the bike has calliper pad brakes, at least on the rear wheel, so it is probably a freewheel hub, in which case it does click, unless it's a fixed hub, which will not click.
So the question is, is it a freewheel hub? Is it a fixie? Can you tell just by looking?
I'm betting it's not a fixie hub because the chain is too damn loose. So, yes, the bike clicks.
posted by seanmpuckett at 12:18 PM on September 30
So the question is, is it a freewheel hub? Is it a fixie? Can you tell just by looking?
I'm betting it's not a fixie hub because the chain is too damn loose. So, yes, the bike clicks.
posted by seanmpuckett at 12:18 PM on September 30
Not sure if intentional, but both of your "this" links go to the same image. It's a little hard to tell from the photo, but that almost looks like a fixie (a single, fixed gear with no freewheel) with a poorly-tensioned chain. I don't see a derailleur or the usual zig-zag chain path that usually goes with a derailleur. It might be an internally-geared hub, but the diameter of that rear hub looks awfully small to be such. It's not the best angle for it, but I also don't see any cables that would be going to a derailleur or the rear hub.
I also don't see a brake arm that would indicate a coaster brake, and it does have U-brakes front and rear. So... it might be a single-speed freewheel, or it might be a single-speed fixie. Freewheel would be more likely, given the front and rear U-brakes, and if so, it would be clicky to some extent.
posted by xedrik at 12:21 PM on September 30
I also don't see a brake arm that would indicate a coaster brake, and it does have U-brakes front and rear. So... it might be a single-speed freewheel, or it might be a single-speed fixie. Freewheel would be more likely, given the front and rear U-brakes, and if so, it would be clicky to some extent.
posted by xedrik at 12:21 PM on September 30
The rings on the seat tube make me think it's a Peugeot, which were common in Vietnam. Here's an example of a similar decoration scheme in a video about a Vietnamese Peugeot collector.
posted by zamboni at 1:07 PM on September 30
posted by zamboni at 1:07 PM on September 30
Whether or not the freewheel clicks (it likely does) is hardly relevant as that sound will be overwhelmed by the rattling of the rear aluminium fender.
And in the overall soundscape, don't forget the 1970's boombox the soldier on the far left is carrying.
posted by Stoneshop at 1:37 PM on September 30
And in the overall soundscape, don't forget the 1970's boombox the soldier on the far left is carrying.
posted by Stoneshop at 1:37 PM on September 30
There is a rear rim brake and no coaster brake arm. I'm definitely in the clicky freewheel camp here.
posted by advicepig at 2:15 PM on September 30
posted by advicepig at 2:15 PM on September 30
That's almost certainly a single speed hub with a freewheel (there is maybe a 0.001% chance it is a fixie).
It will make a rapid and rather soft clicking sound, but only when the rider is coasting - not constantly. The speed of the clicks will go up with the speed, and also there is a distinctive speed-up of the clicks when the rider reverses the pedal (ie, when stopping, to get the pedals in the place to start again, or when stopped and getting ready to go, to get the pedal in the right place to start).
This video gives you a pretty good idea of what such a thing will sound like - similar vintage bike & similar fenders, etc (it is a 3 speed rather than 1 speed but that shouldn't make much difference in the sound):
- Riding along a path: Note sound of kickstand (very beginning), tires on the path (far louder than the freewheel clicking and far more frequent than fender bumps), occasional noticeable fender bump, lack of clicking as long as the rider is pedaling
- Here is a freewheel taken apart so that you can see how it works and why it makes that sounds when coasting
- Here you can hear the slow, soft clicks as he pushes the bike (freewheel is coasting, but very slow speed), then the short "zip" as reverses the pedals to get them into place, right after he puts his leg over the bike, then the clicks stop as he begins pedalling. Note the snapping of tires as they roll along the path is the dominant sound. You'll hear occasional clunks as he hits a bump - the fenders but also other things attached to bike, handlebars, etc will clunk when a bump is hit.
- Here note a tapping sound is heard once for every pedal revolution - he mentions it and later fixes it. So that kind of thing is a pretty characteristic sound if something is slightly out of adjustment - which is often the case for this type of bike.
- Here he does a lot of coasting so you can hear the clicks of the freewheel and then how they stop when he begins pedaling. Note the tires make far less popping, snapping, and rumbling when on pavement vs. a soft-surface path. There is still often a little hissing type sound, though, depending on exact surface.
- He mentions that the Raleigh is pretty silent & I would agree with that - the old Cambodian army bike is likely to be louder in the sense of a lot more bumps, rattles, and such - especially on a surface that is bumpy at all.
So not an exactly identical bike, unfortunately, but still likely to give you a good idea of the types of sounds a bike from this era is likely to make.
posted by flug at 8:53 PM on September 30
It will make a rapid and rather soft clicking sound, but only when the rider is coasting - not constantly. The speed of the clicks will go up with the speed, and also there is a distinctive speed-up of the clicks when the rider reverses the pedal (ie, when stopping, to get the pedals in the place to start again, or when stopped and getting ready to go, to get the pedal in the right place to start).
This video gives you a pretty good idea of what such a thing will sound like - similar vintage bike & similar fenders, etc (it is a 3 speed rather than 1 speed but that shouldn't make much difference in the sound):
- Riding along a path: Note sound of kickstand (very beginning), tires on the path (far louder than the freewheel clicking and far more frequent than fender bumps), occasional noticeable fender bump, lack of clicking as long as the rider is pedaling
- Here is a freewheel taken apart so that you can see how it works and why it makes that sounds when coasting
- Here you can hear the slow, soft clicks as he pushes the bike (freewheel is coasting, but very slow speed), then the short "zip" as reverses the pedals to get them into place, right after he puts his leg over the bike, then the clicks stop as he begins pedalling. Note the snapping of tires as they roll along the path is the dominant sound. You'll hear occasional clunks as he hits a bump - the fenders but also other things attached to bike, handlebars, etc will clunk when a bump is hit.
- Here note a tapping sound is heard once for every pedal revolution - he mentions it and later fixes it. So that kind of thing is a pretty characteristic sound if something is slightly out of adjustment - which is often the case for this type of bike.
- Here he does a lot of coasting so you can hear the clicks of the freewheel and then how they stop when he begins pedaling. Note the tires make far less popping, snapping, and rumbling when on pavement vs. a soft-surface path. There is still often a little hissing type sound, though, depending on exact surface.
- He mentions that the Raleigh is pretty silent & I would agree with that - the old Cambodian army bike is likely to be louder in the sense of a lot more bumps, rattles, and such - especially on a surface that is bumpy at all.
So not an exactly identical bike, unfortunately, but still likely to give you a good idea of the types of sounds a bike from this era is likely to make.
posted by flug at 8:53 PM on September 30
- Here note a tapping sound is heard once for every pedal revolution - he mentions it and later fixes it.
One of the cranks hitting the chaincase. The bike in the photo doesn't have one at all, though it would likely have been a thin sheet-metal shield running along the top and front of the chain only, skewed by just thinking about it and causing a 'plenk-plenk' sound. There will also be creaks from the saddle with every pedal stroke, and noise from the badly-oiled chain.
As long as the rider is not freewheeling there will be no clicks.
posted by Stoneshop at 1:22 AM on October 1
One of the cranks hitting the chaincase. The bike in the photo doesn't have one at all, though it would likely have been a thin sheet-metal shield running along the top and front of the chain only, skewed by just thinking about it and causing a 'plenk-plenk' sound. There will also be creaks from the saddle with every pedal stroke, and noise from the badly-oiled chain.
As long as the rider is not freewheeling there will be no clicks.
posted by Stoneshop at 1:22 AM on October 1
Unmentioned above are sprag clutch hubs; outwardly, they are indistinguishable from conventional pawl-and-ratchet freewheels, but they run silent. Onyx Racing makes hubs like this, and old Shimano Deore "Silent Clutch" models worked this way, they're great...
posted by Rat Spatula at 12:25 PM on October 1
posted by Rat Spatula at 12:25 PM on October 1
Another note: Even a conventional (ratchet) freewheel can run pretty quiet if it's well-worn-in - see the comment about the aluminum fenders upstream.
Among the fancy cyclists, it's become fashionable to buy a rear wheel with MANY ratchet teeth ("engagement points") and to make sure it buzzes REAL LOUD, as a dominance display to keep beta/sigma cyclists in their places.
posted by Rat Spatula at 4:49 PM on October 1
Among the fancy cyclists, it's become fashionable to buy a rear wheel with MANY ratchet teeth ("engagement points") and to make sure it buzzes REAL LOUD, as a dominance display to keep beta/sigma cyclists in their places.
posted by Rat Spatula at 4:49 PM on October 1
I think of super loud high end hubs as ways to remind you that you are coasting instead of pushing it. Also, it's a bike bell substitute. If you are rolling up on someone hard and start to coast, it screams at them...
posted by advicepig at 8:49 AM on October 2
posted by advicepig at 8:49 AM on October 2
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posted by dis_integration at 11:42 AM on September 30