The Complete Handbook of Bicycle Cassettes & Freewheels
A Practical Reference for Selection, Servicing, and Repair
by Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
From spline interfaces to shift ramps, this is the shop-manual-grade reference for servicing every cassette and freewheel.
About this book
The cassette and freewheel are the heart of a bicycle's drivetrain, yet they are often treated as a black box. This handbook opens that box, explaining the engineering, the standards, and the practical mechanics of these critical components. It is written for the professional mechanic, the fleet manager, and the serious home builder who needs definitive answers, not marketing fluff.
Structured as a true reference work, the book begins with the core principles of how these components function and why their design matters. It then builds a comprehensive framework for understanding the differences between types and specifications, moving through a logical decision-making process for selection and installation. Later chapters provide rigorous, step-by-step maintenance and repair procedures, and a dedicated chapter covers the business landscape for those who work in the industry.
Inside, you will find schematics of the major freehub bodies, comparisons of shifting systems, torque specifications, a guide to diagnosing the root cause of noise or poor shifting, and a century of accumulated mechanic's wisdom distilled into a clean, organized format. Whether you are tuning a 10-speed road bike or a 52-tooth mountain bike cassette, this handbook is designed to get the job done right the first time.
Reader Reviews
William Young
★★★★★I've been turning wrenches professionally for over a decade and this is the first book I've seen that treats cassettes as a system instead of a list of specs. The chapter on compatibility alone saved me from a costly mistake with a new Campagnolo build. It's now on the shop bench, not the shelf.
Emily Young
★★★★★As a shop owner, I bought this for my new hires, but I ended up reading it myself. The chapter on why cassettes matter is a great refresher, and the troubleshooting section is actually thorough enough to be useful. It's hard to find a reference that covers everything from Shimano to SRAM to the oddball stuff, but this does a good job. I docked a star because I wish it had a few more photos of the tools in action, but the text is spot on.
William Davis
★★★★★I'm a hobbyist who does all my own maintenance, and this handbook has been a massive time-saver. The explanations of freehub body differences and spline patterns finally made the compatibility charts make sense. My chain skip problem is gone because I finally understood how cassette wear is linked to chain stretch. A bit dry in places, but it's a reference, not a page-turner.
Patricia Smith
★★★★★I bought this because I manage a rental fleet and I was tired of throwing away money on broken drivetrains. The installation chapter is worth the price alone - we've cut our warranty repair rate by a huge amount just following the torque specs and setup procedures. The business chapter is a nice bonus too; it gave me a few ideas about what to stock.
Paul Allen
★★★★★This is the book I wish I had when I started building custom bikes. The chapter on how the system works, especially the part about tooth geometry and shifting ramps, explains years of observed behavior in a way that just clicks. The decision framework in chapter three is now part of my spec sheet for every new build. An essential resource.
Karen Harris
★★★★★Finally, a book that explains the difference between a freewheel and a cassette without making me feel like an idiot. I'm a serious road rider who does my own biomechanics and bike fitting, but I always relied on my local shop for the cassette. The step-by-step maintenance guide gave me the confidence to do the work myself. It's practical, direct, and exactly what I needed.