Nice wheels for a screw-on freewheel!?

fbooth90
fbooth90 Posts: 3
edited June 2019 in Workshop
Hello bike crew,

Wonder if anyone can help me...

I've restored my incredibly faithful (belonged to my grandfather before me) Peugeot 5spd and upgraded most of the gear to a tougher more modern standard. It still uses 5 Speeds, so takes the old school screw-on freewheel. Question is.. how to upgrade the rear wheel? It's got this heavy old steel wheel on it that I feel is letting the rest of the bike down a bit.

Do any manufacturers make nice (double-walled) wheels that fit a screw-on freewheel? All I can find is Wilkinson wheels and the like, which look pretty heavy and a little weak.

If anyone has any pointers at all, that would be great.

Cheers

Comments

  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    I guess take the hub off and have it re-laced to a new rim with modern rims and spokes?
  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    edited June 2019
    There are new 120mm and 126mm spaced hubs
    The 126mm spaced hubs take a freewheeling. The 120mm spaced hubs are pricey but have a short shimano freehub. 8 miche 11 speed sprockets mount fine. So with an 11 speed chain you can use a friction shifter to shift 8 speed with 11 speed spacing.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • Nick Payne
    Nick Payne Posts: 288
    SunXCD make a nice 120mm OLN spacing cassette hub that will take a de-populated modern cassette - eg 7 cogs off a 10-speed cassette. So the bike would no longer be using five rear cogs, but as I presume the shifting is non-indexed, that shouldn't be a problem.

    https://www.veloduo.co.uk/products/sun-tour-sunxcd-large-flange-hubs

    Velo-Orange in the US still sell a 126mm OLN freewheel rear hub, and Alex's Cycle in Japan sell Gran Compe and Suzue 126mm OLN freewheel hubs.
  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    I was referring to the sun xCD hub. The 126mm hubs are made by zenith.

    I actually stock these things.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • fbooth90
    fbooth90 Posts: 3
    Thanks for the replies all.

    I'm not sure I can afford to build a new wheel, and switch to a cassette, although I'd like to give that a go in the future. I'm currently using an indexed 5spd shifter that I got off a kids bike (upgrade from a downtube shifter), and an old 'Volante' derailleur. It works really well and I'd like to keep it as the shifting is perfect.

    I think I might just take a gamble and buy something like this...

    https://www.rutlandcycling.com/componen ... heel_99500

    Unless any of you guys think it looks rubbish :?:

    Thanks
  • timothyw
    timothyw Posts: 2,482
    A wheel that costs £40 won't be any better than what you already have, and could well be worse.

    I wouldn't buy that unless the other wheel is broken.

Categories