Atom freewheels - South Salem Cycleworks

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Vintage Components - Atom Freewheels

On this page:
Five speed: 5-speed 14-21
Six speed: 6-speed 13-26
Six speed compact: Compact 6-speed 14-28
Atom French-threaded freewheels are posted here.

Atom, a French component maker, produced very high-quality freewheels from the 1960s into the 1980s. Since they came on many inexpensive French bike-boom bikes, in the U.S. it was generally thought they were not as fine as other brands, such as Regina.

Riders who did use them for serious cycling found they were probably the most rugged, reliable freewheels available. And, they shifted quite well (this was the friction era).

There is a lot of compatibility between Atom and Regina cogs.

The cogs were usually black, but there was an occasional silver Atom freewheel.

And for the trivia buffs, French & Belgian bike parts (like some of the freewheels on this page) occasionally come with "S.G.D.G." stamped or engraved on them. This is an abbreviation for "Breveté Sans Garantie Du Gouvernement" (patent without government guarantees). It was a form of patent that ended in 1968. The maker could claim a patent for his product and register it without government examination. But the government would not enforce it. The maker was on his own. It was a warning to would-be copiers.

Freewheel Widths. We measured our freewheels and:

The 5-speed freewheels are 25mm wide
The Compact 6-Speed freewheels are 29mm wide
The Regular 6-speed freewheels are 32mm wide

Atom 5-speed freewheel, 14-21. Used, $60.00

We have three: #1 | #3

Atom 5-speed freewheel, 14-21, #1. Used, $60.00

Part# FW-13

25mm wide

Atom 14-21 freehweel