Advice on wheels for build I'm doing

glasgowbhoy
glasgowbhoy Posts: 1,341
edited November 2009 in Road beginners
Hi,

Should have my new 2.5 Defy soon that will be my race bike through Cycle to work.

For winter commuting and hacks I'm using the money I made from the sale of my mountain bike that I used as a commuter for over a year to build a flat bar road bike based on an old Steel Reynolds 531c frame (hopefully should have one by this week).

I saw these Mavic cosmos and bought them today.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 416wt_1167


I just wondered if I would be okay to fit a 7 speed freewheel:

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLq ... 151c003218

Hopefully the wheels are as good as advertised ...... hope I haven't been bumped either.... :)

Comments

  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    You won't be able to fit a freewheel to a cassette freehub.
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  • glasgowbhoy
    glasgowbhoy Posts: 1,341
    redddraggon wrote:
    You won't be able to fit a freewheel to a cassette freehub.

    Mmm... can you explain? Do I just have to change the wheel hub?

    Would It still run okay for commutes with no big hills on the cassette that's on it with say a single 53 front ring?

    Thanks
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    Freewheels and cassettes are not compatible.

    You could get a 7speed cassette and spacer and it'd fit on that hub.
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  • glasgowbhoy
    glasgowbhoy Posts: 1,341
    redddraggon wrote:
    Freewheels and cassettes are not compatible.

    You could get a 7speed cassette and spacer and it'd fit on that hub.

    Cheers I think I get it now. Cassette Freehubs are pretty much the 'standard' now

    Would be something like this that would fit.

    http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLq ... 151c003218

    Although it looks like the cassette that are on the wheel should do.
  • gkerr4
    gkerr4 Posts: 3,408
    Glasgowbhoy wrote:
    redddraggon wrote:
    Freewheels and cassettes are not compatible.

    You could get a 7speed cassette and spacer and it'd fit on that hub.

    Cheers I think I get it now. Cassette Freehubs are pretty much the 'standard' now

    Would be something like this that would fit.

    http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLq ... 151c003218

    Although it looks like the cassette that are on the wheel should do.

    yes - that will do fine - the one on the wheels is 9 speed so you would need 9-speed shifters and mechs.
  • glasgowbhoy
    glasgowbhoy Posts: 1,341
    gkerr4 wrote:
    Glasgowbhoy wrote:
    redddraggon wrote:
    Freewheels and cassettes are not compatible.

    You could get a 7speed cassette and spacer and it'd fit on that hub.

    Cheers I think I get it now. Cassette Freehubs are pretty much the 'standard' now

    Would be something like this that would fit.

    http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLq ... 151c003218

    Although it looks like the cassette that are on the wheel should do.

    yes - that will do fine - the one on the wheels is 9 speed so you would need 9-speed shifters and mechs.

    Thanks mate.

    Any feedback on the Mavics?
  • gkerr4
    gkerr4 Posts: 3,408
    they look OK - did you get them for £65?

    not my cup of tea I have to say - you aren't far off the price of a newer 2nd hand lower grade set of wheels like aksiums etc - nice enough though.
  • glasgowbhoy
    glasgowbhoy Posts: 1,341
    gkerr4 wrote:
    they look OK - did you get them for £65?

    not my cup of tea I have to say - you aren't far off the price of a newer 2nd hand lower grade set of wheels like aksiums etc - nice enough though.

    Yes, £65 with the rear cassette and hubs. As they're going on a 2nd bike I'm building I thought they were a decent price. The retro look should be okay on the old reynolds 531 i'm getting.
  • glasgowbhoy
    glasgowbhoy Posts: 1,341
    One last question?

    Sorry to sound daft but I was commuting on my mountain bike and never had to use anything but the big chainring at the front and a couple of gear changes for small climbs. Albeit it was a 48 ring or something and I'm looking at a single 53 chain ring for this bike- should the 9 speed cassette on those wheels be sufficient?
  • glasgowbhoy
    glasgowbhoy Posts: 1,341
    One last question?

    Sorry to sound daft but I was commuting on my mountain bike and never had to use anything but the big chainring at the front and a couple of gear changes for small climbs. Albeit it was a 48 ring or something and I'm looking at a single 53 chain ring for this bike- should the 9 speed cassette on those wheels be sufficient?
  • gkerr4
    gkerr4 Posts: 3,408
    Hmm - might be quite highly geared - a typical 12-25 cassette and the resulting 53 x 25 would be quite high.
  • glasgowbhoy
    glasgowbhoy Posts: 1,341
    gkerr4 wrote:
    Hmm - might be quite highly geared - a typical 12-25 cassette and the resulting 53 x 25 would be quite high.

    Cheers, what would you recco? Given that I'd want to keep it as simple as possible with a single chainring?

    Thanks again
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    Cassette is 12-23 isn't it?

    Doesn't sound a great combo to use with a single 53T ring. It really depends how small the small hills are.

    Also are you using DT shifters in friction mode? 'cos 7spd STIs/shifters won't really index on a 9spd cassette.
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  • glasgowbhoy
    glasgowbhoy Posts: 1,341
    edited November 2009
    redddraggon wrote:
    Cassette is 12-23 isn't it?

    Doesn't sound a great combo to use with a single 53T ring. It really depends how small the small hills are.

    Also are you using DT shifters in friction mode? 'cos 7spd STIs/shifters won't really index on a 9spd cassette.

    Yes 12-23

    Cool, sounds like another cassette then. Anything you'd recco? Probably a 7 speed would be my preference with a single chain ring

    Haven't bought shifter yet and thinking I'd want to put flat bars on it. Again anything you'd recco?

    Also trying to keep costs reasonable.
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    Are you using indexed or friction shifters?
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  • glasgowbhoy
    glasgowbhoy Posts: 1,341
    redddraggon wrote:
    Are you using indexed or friction shifters?

    Haven't bought shifter yet and thinking I'd want to put flat bars on it. Again anything you'd recco?

    Also trying to keep costs reasonable

    Sorry if I'm sounding a bit dumb on all this.
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    Here's my recommendations:

    1. Assuming you are using a 53/39 chainset, use the 39 chainring rather than the 53T, get some shorter chainring bolts, and run the 39 on the inside, it'll give a better chainline and set of gears.

    2. If you are getting an old 531 frame, I'd recommend using DT shifters with it, you should be able to pick these up really cheap.

    3. If you keep the 12-23 cassette it should go well with the 39 ring. Just get a 9 speed chain.

    4. Pick up some drop bars. Likethese

    5. You might need some sort of device to hold the chain on the single chainring, bashguards + dogfang perhaps. I've got no experience of using a single ring though.
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  • glasgowbhoy
    glasgowbhoy Posts: 1,341
    Thanks Red Dragon, all much appreciated :)

    Think I'll go with the DT shifter and a smaller 39 front Chain ring and keep the 9 speed cassette that is coming with the wheels. At least that will save some money.

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