# Thinking of buying a White Industries ENO freewheel but they're £80. Worth it ?



## braaivleis2003 (24 Aug 2015)

Hi all, I've noticed a knocking / clunk sound when pushing hard down on the crank even more so going uphill. From what I've researched on the net its most likely the freewheel that's causing this noise. My bike is only approx 4 weeks old but I'm already putting quite a bit of mileage on it. The freewheel on the bike is a Shimano. So from what I've read I came across the white industries EMO freewheel and they seem to get good reviews. Anyone reading this have or have uses one. Are they worth the +- £80.


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## ianrauk (24 Aug 2015)

You say a lot of miles, how many? At 4 weeks weeks old I would say it's a warranty issue which should be checked by the shop you bought the bike from.


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## braaivleis2003 (24 Aug 2015)

I've done 173 miles so far so probs not far to some.


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## ianrauk (24 Aug 2015)

braaivleis2003 said:


> I've done 173 miles so far so probs not far to some.




No where enough to go down the route of forking out for a new wheel.
Take it back to the shop you bought it from.


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## Tim Hall (24 Aug 2015)

What @ianrauk said. Get them to look at the crank/bottom bracket interface too.


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## MossCommuter (24 Aug 2015)

Best 80 quid I ever spent on a bicycle was on a White Industries freewheel.

Like yours, from new, the Shimano freewheel on my Genesis Day One Disc knocked and clunked and was replaced under warranty, as was the bottom bracket (when changing the freewheel didn't make the noise go away). Finally I decided to take the plunge and get the ENO (16t) and the clunking stopped.

What's more, the White Industries freewheels are servicable (you can change the outer if the sprocket wears, for example).

Besides; the ticking of a White Ind. freewheel is aweseome and worth the 80 quid all by itself 

[edited for typos]


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## JimboJames1972 (24 Aug 2015)

I've got a Shimano freewheel on my Genesis Flyer, but I think it t might be different from the one that comes with you bike.

I've done just over 350 miles since installing it from new a few weeks back, and there are no issues with it at all. Likewise with the bottom bracket.

I realise that all components with moving parts and (considerable) forces being applied to them will have a limited lifespan, but I would hope to get several thousand miles from my freewheel and bottom bracket, not just a couple of hundred!

Return to shop if I was you.

J


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## braaivleis2003 (24 Aug 2015)

Thanks for your replies. Up until Saturday was absolutely fine, and I was thinking " yes this is why I bought a single speed for the simplicity and well its smooth and quiet " until the noise started. So yes will take my bike it for them to look at and hopefully replace the faulty part. Those ENO freewheels sure look good though along with the quality.


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## Sharky (24 Aug 2015)

I've been using Dicta free wheels since I got my SS back in 2010. I know they are "cheap" but have been reliable and at less than £10, I was able to change my mind about the number of teeth I needed without much cost. Neither am I worried about it failing on me, as I have a fixed sprocket on the flip side.


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## GGJ (24 Aug 2015)

I've a Shimano MX30 freewheel on my Genesis, it's done over 2000 winter miles and is still like new.


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## Basil.B (25 Aug 2015)

My Shimano freewheel was clunky till I squirted some oil into it, seems ok at the moment. Over two years old now.
Might get a White Industries freewheel next, not sure if they are compatible with 1/18 chains though.


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## rowdin (25 Aug 2015)

braaivleis2003 said:


> Hi all, I've noticed a knocking / clunk sound when pushing hard down on the crank even more so going uphill. From what I've researched on the net its most likely the freewheel that's causing this noise. My bike is only approx 4 weeks old but I'm already putting quite a bit of mileage on it. The freewheel on the bike is a Shimano. So from what I've read I came across the white industries EMO freewheel and they seem to get good reviews. Anyone reading this have or have uses one. Are they worth the +- £80.



I've got the same bike as you, I've done 4000 miles on mine so far with no trouble from the crank or freewheel.


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## EasyPeez (8 Nov 2017)

MossCommuter said:


> Like yours, from new, the Shimano freewheel on my Genesis Day One Disc knocked and clunked and was replaced under warranty, as was the bottom bracket (when changing the freewheel didn't make the noise go away). Finally I decided to take the plunge and get the ENO (16t) and the clunking stopped.



Hi again, @MossCommuter - I'm really sorry, I promise I will stop bugging you with questions about your bike soon! Having done my first week's riding on my brandnewsecondhand Day One I have also been annoyed by a knocking sound, which I took to the the bottom bracket. I got the shop to fit a new one yesterday but it's made no difference, so I presume/hope the problem is the freewheel. 

I presumed that the freehub on the stock wheels was splined and that a new sprocket would slide on, as with the splined freehubs and slide-on cassettes on most modern geared bikes. So I thought the WI freewheel that you recommended was based on you having replaced your wheels and having a new type of hub. But does the stock freehub actually take screw on sprockets and freewheels? So it's just a case of unscrewing the Shimano and screwing on a replacement freewheel such as the WI?



Sharky said:


> I've been using Dicta free wheels since I got my SS back in 2010. I know they are "cheap" but have been reliable and at less than £10, I was able to change my mind about the number of teeth I needed without much cost.



See above. I thought those cheaper Dicta ones were just sprockets - but it's actually a freewheel and sprocket combined that screws onto a hub, rather than a sprocket that fits onto a splined freehub? Cheers.


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## MossCommuter (8 Nov 2017)

Yes, the stock wheel on the 2013 Day One Disc is for a screw on freewheel so it's not a freehub, there is no bearing in the hub - it is a freewheel.

I took the supplied freewheel off and replaced with a WI freewheel as simply as you suggest.


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## EasyPeez (8 Nov 2017)

MossCommuter said:


> Yes, the stock wheel on the 2013 Day One Disc is for a screw on freewheel so it's not a freehub, there is no bearing in the hub - it is a freewheel.
> 
> I took the supplied freewheel off and replaced with a WI freewheel as simply as you suggest.



Great stuff. As mentioned in another thread I was looking to change the gearing ratio anyway, so now I have all the more reason to crack on with that. Rather than buy a cheap freewheel now I'll likely persevere with the knocking til Christmas and ask Father C for a WI 16t.

Thanks again for all your help.


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## MossCommuter (8 Nov 2017)

EasyPeez said:


> Great stuff. As mentioned in another thread I was looking to change the gearing ratio anyway, so now I have all the more reason to crack on with that. Rather than buy a cheap freewheel now I'll likely persevere with the knocking til Christmas and ask Father C for a WI 16t.
> 
> Thanks again for all your help.


Thinking on.... Mine knocked when new as well. The retailer changed the BB on warranty but it didn't make the knocking go away.

I don't remember what caused it now or what made it go away but I think it might have stopped with its first new chain.


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## EasyPeez (8 Nov 2017)

MossCommuter said:


> I don't remember what caused it now or what made it go away but I think it might have stopped with its first new chain



Your post upthread suggested it was fitting the WI freewheel that stopped it, so I presumed the problem was with the stock Shimano freewheel...?

Did you change the chain at the same time?


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## ORO (8 Nov 2017)

Definitely take it back to the shop. Should not be causing problems so soon. I have some old vintage bikes with 6 speed freewheels, two Regina and one Maillard all still working fine after about 40 years!


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## MossCommuter (8 Nov 2017)

EasyPeez said:


> Your post upthread suggested it was fitting the WI freewheel that stopped it, so I presumed the problem was with the stock Shimano freewheel...?
> 
> Did you change the chain at the same time?


I don't remember; it's a few years ago now


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## EasyPeez (8 Nov 2017)

ORO said:


> Definitely take it back to the shop. Should not be causing problems so soon. I have some old vintage bikes with 6 speed freewheels, two Regina and one Maillard all still working fine after about 40 years!


The OP bought his bike over two years ago, so I'm guessing he's taken it back by now, or else that ship has sailed


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## EasyPeez (16 Nov 2017)

braaivleis2003 said:


> Hi all, I've noticed a knocking / clunk sound when pushing hard down on the crank even more so going uphill. From what I've researched on the net its most likely the freewheel that's causing this noise. My bike is only approx 4 weeks old but I'm already putting quite a bit of mileage on it. The freewheel on the bike is a Shimano. So from what I've read I came across the white industries EMO freewheel and they seem to get good reviews. Anyone reading this have or have uses one. Are they worth the +- £80.



Did you go for the WI Eno in the end?


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