Mavic Aksium 08 wheels

ex-pat scot

i #need# (in a bike-lust sort of way) a nice shiny new pair of wheels for my recently-resurrected road bikes, and have conveniently come across a pair of Aksium 2008s half price in my LBS. £80 for the pair! Seems good value.

Unfortunately the LBS are a bit clueless...

My problem(s):
- I run 7 speed on my 2 road bikes (well actually on all 7 bikes...), but the shifters and existing wheels are Shimano 8 speed cassette compatible. If I recall from 1994, when I built them, the 7 spd cassettes fitted fine on 8 spd wheels then.
- I'd want to ideally keep with 7 spd or 8 spd Shimano, if possible

So - does anyone know if the Aksiums will cope with a 7 or 8 speed Shimano cassette?

I'm also aware that the pair in the shop might be campag or they might be shimano. They don't know. (they aren't a very good LBS, but at least they're "L").

- Is there any obvious visual differences between a campy and shimano freehub?
- (at a pinch) - would it be easy just to take off the freehub and fit a Shimano one if necessary?

ride_whenever

Swapping the freehub is easy.

You should be able to fit the cassette, but you'll need a spacer. IIRC a 7/8spd cassette fits on one of the campag freehubs, but i cannot remember the details, hopefully someone will come along and clarify.

Slow1972

I have some 08 Askiums fitted with an 8 spd shimano cassette.

As far as I know a shimano compatible hub on the '08 Askiums will take a 8,9 or 10 spd cassette wihout any further changes necessary (as its the sprocket spacing that changes, not the overall width of the cassette). For a 7 spd you may need a spacer.