Things just go from bad to worse. + Cassette Question

redddraggon

I got my first puncture today. I got the flat on a bust stretch of road, on a narrow bridge, so no chance of pulling over instantly. Hit a few bumps on the way to pulling over.

Changed the tube, forgot to check the tyre for debris so destroyed the second tube as well.

These problems were quickly solved after walking my bike home and patching up the tubes. The only problem now is that I seem to have buckled my wheel. Could I have done this by cycling on my rims for a few 100 metres? Or could I have done this by putting the wheel back on wrong after(its a back wheel)?

I've bit the bullet and ordered a replacement wheel, a tiagra one - but even that's an upgrade to what I have now, halfrauds own brand.

I don't fancy taking the bike to the LBS to see if they can do anything as the cost will probably end up about the same as the tiagra wheel. Is there anything I can do or check myself?

redddraggon

Another question, how easy is it to change the cassette over from my dodgy wheel to my new wheel? Is it just a simple case of unscrewing the cassette off the old wheel and screwing it on the new one? Anything I have to look out for?

How long for a newbie?

pw1brown

Bad luck with the punctures.

Regarding the wheel, what kind of sprocket casette has your old wheel got, and how many sprockets? You'll need a "slide-on" freehub casette rather than a "screw-on" to go on that new wheel. I'd guess you do have a freehub already, so in theory it's a simple switch from one wheel to the other. Freehub casettes need special tools to fit and detach, though I'm told it's easy to do the job yourself if you've got or can borrow the tools.

I'd suggest you might still be better discussing with the LBS. A good shop will give you free advice in the expectation that you'll come back for components, etc., from time to time.

And maybe your old wheel is repairable too, to keep as backup?

Zendog1

The wheel buckle is probably a broken spoke try plucking the spokes to check for the dud one. Otherwise the wheel needs re-truing. Your lbs will fix either for very little money.

To change a cassette you need a chain whip (a length of bike chain on a lever - stops the freewheel rotating when unscrewing the cassette), a cassette lockring remover (these are specic to manufacturers Shimano / Campag etc) and a big adjustable spanner. The actual job is easy and takes about 2 minutes but the tools will cost £20 +.

Edit: and a quick afterthought - have you ordered rim tape for the wheel ? Usually has to be bought seperately. Apologies if i am teaching my granny.

redddraggon

Well, I took the wheel to the LBS in the end, and they are going to do a wheel true for me for £5, bought a spare inner tube while I was there.

My faith in them has been restored.

redddraggon

Good news,

Wheel trued for £5, all fine now. Definitely support my LBS from now on.

I rely on the bike for commuting, so I plan on getting a spare set of wheels. I'm going to get a spare set of wheels and cassette. I'm currently using Sora 8-speed, is possible to fit a 9 or 10 speed tiagra/105/ultegra cassette and get this to work with my current shifters and dérailleur?

gavintc

Upgrading - the normal desire of the roadie. You can upgrade your wheels quite easily. You need Shimano compatible wheels. That is wheels with a shimano hub. Some of the top end Shimano branded wheels are only available in 10 sp, but this should not affect your decisions. Changing the cassette is remarkably easy. You will need a specialist spanner, it will cost around £10. In addition, you will need a chain whip to hold the cassette while you undo the locknut. These also sell for around £10 and both are useful tools for most cyclists.

Turning to the groupset, with Sora, you are stuck with 8 sp. In addition, the 9 and 10 sp Shimano cassettes will not work with Sora as the intervals between the gears is different. An upgrade will demand a new STI, cassette and rear derailleur.

Before committing to any upgrade, you might like to ponder that at this point, you could switch to Campag. The lower end Campag groupsets allow access to 10 sp and are actually quite cheap compared to the Shimano equivalent. You will need Campag hubbed wheels as well, but as you are considering new wheels, this might be the point to consider options.

redddraggon

It wasn't really an upgrade I was planning. As I rely on the bike for commuting, I just wanted a spare set of wheels just in case I need to take a wheel into the LBS for trueing I can still use my bike. Sometimes I get back too late from work to be able to be able to take the wheel in, and the LBS isn't too fast at getting the work done.

Do Tiagra 8 speed cassettes work with Sora? Otherwise anyone know where you can get the Sora cassettes from?

gavintc

Ribble sell the Sora cassette:

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/details.a ... IMCASS0450

Other bike shops; Wiggle, Parker International and Probikekit etc will also sell them. There are lots of online shops.

The tools you need are these:

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/details.a ... RKTOOL0350
and
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/details.a ... RKTOOL0950

I cannot confidently answer the question regarding the spacing of Tiagra cassettes, but common sense says that they will be interchangeable.

redddraggon

gavintc wrote:

Ribble sell the Sora cassette:

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/details.a ... IMCASS0450

Other bike shops; Wiggle, Parker International and Probikekit etc will also sell them. There are lots of online shops.

I'd looked there actually, must have had my eyes shut, thanks for that.

acorn_user

8 speeds cassettes are so cheap that you might as well get them from the LBS. Campag is great, but I would probably want to stick to 8 speed for commuting as 8 speed chains are more durable than the narrower 9 and 10 speed models. Anyway, why wreck nice stuff on grimy roads?

Pretty much any road Shimano compatible 8 speed cassette will work for you. Sram and other make compatible models that will work fine (I'm running a Sram 7 speed right now). If you buy one with a really large rear cog (30t or more), you will probably need a new rear derailleur (if your current one is a Sora or Tiagra etc type).

Good luck!