Old 7 speed cassette - what make?

[Globalti]

I have an old 7 speed 13-24 screw-on cassette, which has no maker's name except the words "Compact Super Made in France" stamped on the back, as well as MA. On the front stamped on the inner fixed part is what looks like 1.575 x 24T 21 then 05 BSA 88. The space between the rings is 3mm making the ring spacing about 4.5mm centre to centre. To my certain knowledge this does not work with a Shimano shifter. It's pretty heavy and simple in design, no fancy ramps, with a super-smooth ratchet, probably bought around 1990.

Any idea who might have made it? I want to Ebay it.

PS: It is of course a screw-on freewheel, not a cassette.

 

[TheDoctor]

Malliard, I'd guess.

Check the St John St Cycles website - I have a feeling they have (or had) these as NOS.

 

[MartinC]

Yes it's Maillard freewheel (or block if you're American). They pre-date Shimano indexed shifting and your right - the spacing is smaller than the Shimano/Campagnolo 5mm standard for 7 speed indexing.

They were good. You could just go into your LBS and get them to build a custom freewheel from the big board of sprockets on the wall. You could even reverse most of the sprockets when they were worn. Sorry about the nostalgia - Campag transmission, Simplex retrofriction shifters, Sedis chain and a Maillard block was the workaday standard in the late 70's early 80's.

 

[Globalti]

That's interesting, thanks. Somebody on Retrobike told me that as this block has a green plastic spacer it WILL be 5mm spacing and Shimano 7 speed compatible. However somehow I prefer to believe your version as it never indexed properly with the 105 changers the bike had on it.

 

[TheDoctor]

There's a bit more to indexing than the right sprocket spacing, I suspect. All those ramps and things must be there for a reason...

 

[Blott's Mate]

You know a lot of stuff you lot!!

 

[MartinC]

That's interesting, thanks. Somebody on Retrobike told me that as this block has a green plastic spacer it WILL be 5mm spacing and Shimano 7 speed compatible. However somehow I prefer to believe your version as it never indexed properly with the 105 changers the bike had on it.

Yes your friend is right to an extent. It's all coming back to me now. If it has a green spacer it's 'compact' spacing (all 7's were) and the pitch is about 5mm - the commmon standard for 7 speed indexing. But as well as the teeth not being shaped for indexing the pitch on these freewheels wasn't too consistent i.e. some sprockets were closer together or further apart. Standard 5's and 6's had a wider pitch.

When Campag introduced indexed gearing ('Synchro') you bought a different coloured toothed washer for the DT gear lever for it to index on different freewheels/freehubs. There was a washer for Maillard (later Sachs and then SRAM) freewheels. Unfortunately they didn't work too well! If I recall correctly Regina freewheels were even worse.

 

[Globalti]

More useful trivia, thanks! It will be on Ebay this evening if you want to buy it!