chilly freehub problem

[ke6bid]

My reasonably new (~400 miles) Deore freehub has a problem when it's really cold... after 45 minutes or so when the temp is in the teens...it starts sticking in "freewheel", not engaging when i pedal...eventually to the point where it just won't engage at all....when it warms back up it's fine...which is truly a pain in the hub...!!! I've not dare strip the thing yet but I'm hoping a lube change to something else will sort it...help....any reccomendations??

[C.P.]

Sounds like it could be a combination of cold temps and the effects it has on the lube and such...that can sometimes lead to the pawls sticking and not allowing the freehub to engage.
Or the freehub is trashed...time to get the 10mm allen wrench and tear it apart.

[johnbryanpeters]

http://users.rcn.com/icebike/ has recommendations on lubrication and instructions for freehub teardown.

J

[Z]

That's exactly the problem I was having with my freehub (although mine's old)! See my thread (freehub buddy) below!

I rode my bike home from work in the most godawful cold and halfway home I started having problems. For a while it would be mostly ok, but then at the most inopportune times (taking off at the intersection, cars whizzing by) the pawls in the freehub just stopped engaging and I was spinning madly. Finally I gave up being a hero and realized it was getting hopeless.

(Luckily there was a warm pizza joint where I could hide out for an hour 'till I could get a ride.)

I haven't had much luck with biking in the cold recently, I guess!