Hey Grant, what’s going on with this new hub, tell us about it…

It’s the Revolution! This is the new generation of freecoaster hubs, it functions in a completely different way to regular coaster hubs, utilizing a new clutch system giving riders a smoother, more responsive experience. It basically solves a 30+ year old problem, something that product designers have been trying to figure out for years, which is why we are so excited to finally launch the Revolution Hub.

We believe it’s a game changer, our team guys, who've been testing this hub have said they won't go back to riding the older style freecoasters because of the advantages this hub gives to their riding and the way it makes their bike feel.

Why is that? What's the difference between the new Revolution hub and other freecoaster hubs?

It’s mainly due to the way it feels to ride, this hub is much lighter and doesn't have a huge pedal gap when you start pedalling. It feels like you’re riding a cassette hub but has the functionality of a freecoaster, it combines what’s good about both types of hub…

So what do you see as the main issues with freecoaster hubs right now?

Mainly they are heavy! The traditional freecoaster design comes from a modified coaster brake hub with the brake pads removed, this design is over 100 years old and really heavy due to the big clunky components. Most freecoaster hubs are just a refined version of this old design.

The large pedal gap is another problem, it’s required to stop the hub engaging when landing backwards, that quarter crank of gap doesn't feel nice but it's something riders have learned to put up with out of necessity.

Another issue is bearing life, sealed single row radial ball bearings which are used in freecoaster hubs are designed to mainly take radial load (along the spoke direction) and only minimal axial load (along the axle direction). Due to the clutch engaging along the direction of the axle, the repeated impact of this action means that the hub and driver bearings wear out over time and need to be replaced.

Okay, so does the Revolution hub sort these problems?

Yes it does. Firstly the hub is 30% lighter than a regular freecoaster hub, it weighs the same as a cassette hub and because of that the bike feels much more responsive. Saving weight on wheel parts can make a big difference to how the bike handles due to the reduction of rotational mass.

Secondly the pedal gap is minimal when pedalling forwards to engage the hub, again it feels like a cassette, also the clutch doesn't require a huge gap (slack) just to stop it engaging when going backwards, so again this makes your bike feel nicer.

Then reliability, the bearings are not under the same stresses as in a regular freecoaster.

How does the hub work and is there a need for this kind of hub?

The whole design is completely different, it uses the Planetary clutch system. It’s a cassette style hub where the driver pawls are sprung into the down position (instead of in the up position), when you pedal forward the clutch lifts the pawls to engage the hub. The whole hub is under a lot less stress and the bearings don’t have to put up with repeated axial forces.

Making a light, reliable, nice feeling freecoaster hub has been talked about for years now, it's kind of like the holy grail, and I believe the Revolution Hub ticks all the boxes.

We know you've been working on this hub for a while now, how did it come about?

My good friend Tal Mazar from Nightrider BMX in Israel had been working on freecoaster designs for the last 8 years or so, he came up with some pretty wild inventions. Back in 2018 he got in touch, excitedly telling me that he and his engineering and business partner Alon Cohen had made a hub that worked and sent us a couple of samples to try out. This was the first version of the Freenight hub. We built up wheels and started riding them and were instantly impressed, in fact Dan Paley rode the same prototype hub for two years. For the next few years we worked together to get to where we are today.

It was a privilege and really exciting to work with Tal and Alon, they developed a highly innovative solution to a very old problem. The Planetary clutch acts as the control system for the hub, which unbelievably was made from 3D printed plastic parts! They’d achieved what other companies had been trying to do for years. However, as Tal said, the Freenight hubs could only be produced on a small scale. So, we collaborated with them to use their invention and our manufacturing and product development knowledge to produce the BSD Revolution Hub.

We’ve worked together with them over the last two and a half years to test, fine tune and get the hub design ready for manufacture, it’s been a long bumpy road but it’s been fun and we’re stoked that the hubs are finally available.

Alon, Grant and Tal - April 2019 - Haifa Israel

The BSD Revolution hub is available now at www.bsdforever.com and will be available through shops and distros worldwide over the next couple of months as stock arrives…