Anyone have experiences with Campagnolo Freewheels (7/6 sp)

[agentorange]

I was wondering, these frighteningly expensive Campagnolo freewheels, are they much good. They appear to be beautifully made and silly light but why did they have such a brief production run and does anyone run them today or do these remain expensive coffee table curios?

I inherited a bike last year with a rather scratched looking 7sp unit which I was determined to use. I then discovered that it would need a frame with a 130(min) OLN to allow space for the inner-most cog. I then discovered that you cannot convert a 7sp to a 6sp as the freewheel body is of a different width, which makes sense. So, not only was there a range (well 2) of freewheel bodies but also a myriad of different sprocket sizes in the two (stepped) widths required to fit the freewheel body. I've also discovered that there were some steel sprockets available as well as the allu versions (there was also some titanium ones, pure, no doubt). So, all-in-all another brief period of Campagnolo thrashing around with an over-engineered product, reinventing the wheel and getting themselves in a not.

Needless to say, these are lovely things. So, really, just wanting to build my knowledge and wondered if anyone else has experience with these glorious items?

 

[Citoyen du monde]

I have them fitted to a number of my bikes today. I use them as I would any other freewheel, however I must admit that none of my present bikes get used all that much as I try to use all of them intermittently. Back in the day, I fitted one to my principal bike and put thousands and tousands of miles on it, even switching out most of the cogs as they had worn out (after about 8K miles).

The biggest issue is that you MUST use the specific freewheel remover otherwise you are virtually assured that the freewheel will be destroyed.

 

[agentorange]

I have them fitted to a number of my bikes today. I use them as I would any other freewheel, however I must admit that none of my present bikes get used all that much as I try to use all of them intermittently. Back in the day, I fitted one to my principal bike and put thousands and tousands of miles on it, even switching out most of the cogs as they had worn out (after about 8K miles).

The biggest issue is that you MUST use the specific freewheel remover otherwise you are virtually assured that the freewheel will be destroyed.

Yes, I took this step after seeing the very non-standard notches.

It's good to know they are rated by someone who clearly rides rather than shows. So, can I ask if you've been able to share sprockets between 6 and 7 speed units? To me, the sprockets appear to be the same.

 

[Deax]

I've got a few 6 speeds (red stripe), with one in regular use.

Personally, unless you're a fanatic, my advice would be to stick with steel. They can wear very quickly and I seem to spend way to long looking for replacement DE-18 sprockets.

I find it heart breaking to ride them - every time you change and hear the chatter as the chain tries to climb a sprocket, you know it's costing you money.

I've bought a couple that looked to be in reasonable condition, but the key (central) sprockets have been worn, and jump as a result.

So, from an engineering and weight perspective, really lovely, but practically, for regular use, not really.

I learnt to only buy NOS as I couldn't really trust pictures - then you're looking at £150+ plus the cost of a removal tool if you've not already got one.

That said, if I stumbled across a NOS Gold Stripe 7 speed (the rarest variety), then.....

 

[Deax]

Just to keep your interest up!