I think this is what is more correctly called "skip tooth". The largest cog or two on wide range FW's in this era sometimes had only half the number of teeth, spaced 1" apart, although they were made for normal 1/2" pitch chain. On most such FW's I have seen, the "skip tooth" cogs are 15T or larger, i.e. would have been 30T or larger at the normal tooth spacing. This was probably considered more than adequate to engage the chain. I don't know if the idea was to reduce weight, improve shifting, or both.
Regards,
Jerry Moos Big Spring, TX
kerk@fuse.net wrote:
Interesting, but I have on my 73 World Voyageur, and I have seen on several other freewheels the inch pitch gears. Anyone have the rational behind that? I was once told that it made shifting to the larger gears easier. I don't know if I ever bought that explanation. Rick Kerkhoff, Cincinnati, Ohio Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 15:35:11 +0000 From: j.mccoin@comcast.net To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: [CR]Inch pich? Message-ID: <012320061535.22716.43D4F7AF00024FC5000058BC22070215730207010C0C03D206@comcast.net> Content-Type: text/plain MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Precedence: list Message: 10
Greetings, this answer is probably way too esoteric, but I've just had my first coffee so here goes. That type of chain, also known as block chain goes back to the 18th century, possibly earlier, some early trucks and automobiles used a chain as part of the connection from the transmission to the rear wheels. It's only natural that it was used on bicycles, how else you gona do it. As manufacturing and the want to have more gears evolved the half inch pitch evolved, easier to go up and down a freewheel.
Oscar Juner always said that half inch pitch chain did not belong on the track, not strong enough, although I did break one in a sprint.
Take care
Jim McCoin
Fremont Ca.