I’m interested in purchasing another bike for casual neighborhood rides, but I’m not interested in a fixed gear. I prefer a single speed with a free wheel. Could you please determine if the rear hub is a fixed gear or not? The owner claims it is, but I’m not sure if they understand my question. To be fair, I’m not familiar with bike gears. It seems like there might be a free wheel if I flip the tire, but I’d appreciate some expert advice.
by Loud-Relative-521
14 Comments
The side pictured looks like a freewheel. The side the currently holds the chain is likely a fixed cog.
It’s absolutely pointless to share a photo of anything other than the drivetrain, but I’ll say that it *looks* (in a very pixilated way) to be a freewheel on the other side, which could indicates that it’s a flip/flop hub, meaning one side of the hub is fixed and the other is freewheel.
A little tough to tell but looks like it’s likely a flip flop hub. Pretty sure that’s a freewheel on the near side and probably a fixed cog on the drive side.
Looks like a flip-flop rear hub. One side is fixed. The other freewheels. If you can check that before you buy. I’ve ridden a single speed with a flip-flop for a spell. Loved it.
Looks like a flip-flop hub.
Can’t guarantee, but it’s a flip flop hub with a freewheel currently on the NDS so I’d be at least 60% comfortable guessing the drive side is currently set up as a fixed cog. But if you’re just looking for a SS with a freewheel, remove the wheel and flip it around and you’re set.
Freewheel is what’s shown.
It appears to be a “flip flop hub” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flip-flop_hub). So – normally – one side is fixed and the other is a freewheel cog. So you can quite easily decide what you like more. But that’s what you already guessed.
For me, it looks like the side facing to the photographer could be the free wheel cog because you can see the individual cogs sit on a type ring that spins. Here is a picture to compare what I mean: [https://cnc-bike.de/hansasport-freilaufritzel-braun-zaehne-p-20548.html](https://cnc-bike.de/hansasport-freilaufritzel-braun-zaehne-p-20548.html)
But I could be wrong.
Ask the seller? ICan the pedals be spun backwards without the wheel turning?
Thank you all for the advice. I think I’m going to buy it. It’s only 35 bucks. Wife is gonna be pissed that I’m adding a neighborhood bike to the garage after I already have a mountain bike and road bike. lol.
A fixed gear with a single speed freewheel.
Flip flop.
Both. It’s a flip-flop. More importantly, make sure you clean out the rust on the freewheel side before you use it. Some cheap freewheels get rust from non-use.
It’s both. It’s a flip flop hub.