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Howdy. My name is Mark and I was a bike messenger in Seattle for 12 years and now I’m working at MadFiber about 20 feet away from Justin Littell (another former messenger) and he said you may be interested in the ENO freewheel that I’ve enclosed in the envelope. Perhaps you can put it in the White Industries petting zoo. It’s returning home after years of real world testing and abuse and it’s still more smooth and silky than any brand new ACS claw.
I bought it barely used at nearly full retail price at Second Ascent in Seattle in 2006. I put it on a single speed cross bike and rode it gently for a bit before I rode it across Iowa on RAGBRAI that same year. Then I rode the shit out of it for a couple years as a bike messenger here in Seattle. I did nothing to the freewheel except ignore it, as I wore through a couple chainrings and replaced the chain a few times. Doing nothing except pulling the wheel back in the dropouts to suck up the slack chain tension. I rebuilt the hub into a new rim once too because of Seattle Sidewall Syndrome, burning through brake pads and tires and blowing out Carhartts and Dickies. Drinking and working through dark Seattle winters as a messenger, the White Industries freewheel was the last thing on my mind. I finally stopped riding it after a couple years when the teeth were shark-finned enough to drop the chain just dropping off curbs.
I’ve had it hanging on the wall in my shop for a while as a tangible reminder of years past. And I’ve been too lazy or clueless to try and rebuild it.
In my single speed life, I’ve blown through countless ACS Claw freewheels and several Shimanos too. They have a relatively short lifespan in Seattle weather and often offer audible indicators of when it’s time to let them go and buy another. Unlike your amazing freewheels, the ACS bearings and pawls go way before the teeth.
Cheers to you. I admire and respect your products.
pilderwasser
Seattle
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