Jerry Moos wrote:
>Actually, I like the Helicomatic. It was an ingenious first attempt at what
>would later become the cassette freewheel. Only problem is that they did it
>in a way that didn't become the standard, so parts are hard to find.
That's not all that's wrong with them. There are good reasons they didn't become the standard.
*Both flanges are 1 mm farther left than comparable conventional hubs. This led to a much higher than usual tension disparity between the left and right spokes. As a result, these hubs were notorious spoke breakers, and if you brought the tension up high enough to keep the left spokes from breaking due to fatigue, the right spokes would have to be so tight that the rim was liable to crack around the eyelets.
The only way I was ever able to get these to be half way reliable was to spoke 'em half-radial.
*Due to clearance issues, they weren't able to put a standard size bearing with 1/4" balls on the right side. They got around this by using 5/32 balls and a smaller cone. These undersized cones wore rapidly, and replacements are nonexistent.
These hubs are not worth putting any trouble or money into.
Sheldon "One Of The Products That Put The French Bicycle Industry
Where It Is Today" Brown
Newtonville, Massachusetts
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