Who Invented the Cassette hub?

[thecaptain]

Not sure if this is the right place, but when did cassette hubs first come on the scene? am i right in thinking that profile was the first with the SS cassette or were they around long before but never caught on

cheers in advance guys
tom

[woody allen bars]

I think they've been around since the late seventies, or earlier. Mongoose was using Shimano cassette hubs on Supergooses at the turn of the eighties, and I guess they weren't the only ones.

As for when the cassette hub first became popular with freestyle riders that's another question - mid  nineties or after I guess (I wasn't riding at the time so can't recall)??

~ Craig

[Philbert]

If my memory serves me correct, I believe profile started doing cassette hubs for race bikes in about 97, shimano also made some with lower specs 'sealed mech bearings'. Then I think it was profile again who introduced a freestyle hub at about the turn of the century, they were the only one available for quite a while until odyssey came along with one in 2002 (roughly) with a more affordable on

[Dark Diggler]

dont know who invented them but .

The Shimano 600 freehub goes back to the 1978 model year, though the first units were actually manufactured in 1977 and made their first appearances at 1977 trade shows

 

[RATTY]

My Tuff wheels from late 1980 came with a cassette hub

[fouronethreeoh!]

Shimano DX hubs were cassette type back in early 80s, still have matching splines with todays shimano cassettes.
Bendix coaster hubs had cassette type sprockets mid to late 70s, so did Sturmey Archer, 3 rounded type splines.



I believe these were based on Suntour cassette hubs similar to shimano.

My Tuff wheels from late 1980 came with a cassette hub

[stuntmaster]

ultra burner`s  came with cassette hubs as standard on mark one`s   

[teamsano]

cassettes were originally on road bikes, so that individual rear gear ratios could be customised, it's not a bmx 'invention'.

 is this a trick question?

[thecaptain]

So they've always been around but no one really picked up on the idea until late 90's or was it that they just didnt work well enough to be mass produced and used by the masses?

[SaMAlex]

So they've always been around but no one really picked up on the idea until late 90's or was it that they just didnt work well enough to be mass produced and used by the masses?

I think it was a combination of things.
-Newer Cassette hubs are way better, the early ones had horrid lock rings and all sorts (Even the early profile ones).
-Once people started using small drives it became clear just how much it helped.
-Finally, it took someone who rode for T1 to use one for it to really take off!

[gobshite]

the illusive paul b??

trying to find that street whip-gap pic now!!