New 6 speed freewheel rear wheel with 130ish mm OLN (700c)

[ChrisEyles]

Mrs Chris needs a new rear wheel for her commuter.

No problem, said I, I'll order you a new one and fit it in a jiffy... then I had a look at the OLN distance and spacers on the axle and I am getting confused!

The spacing on the rear dropouts I measured at 132mm - assumably it started out as 130mm and has been stretched open a tad. The current rear wheel is a 6 speed freewheel hub - this is quite a bit narrower than the dropouts so there's a large-ish spacer on the non-drive side of the axle.

I don't really want to upgrade to 7 or 8 speed because that would mean new shifters (and possibly rear mech) and Mrs Chris says she's happy with the bike how it is in any case. But if I buy a new 6 speed wheel I guess it will have an OLN of something like 125mm, which will be too small... this is OK if I can just re-use the axle and spacer that is currently in the old wheel, but my fear is that I'd also then have to re-dish the wheel to get the rim centred between the drop-outs. While I'd be happy enough doing that on my own bike and accepting that I may have to tweak it for a while to get it right, I really need an instant reliable fit-and-forget solution for Mrs Chris.

If anyone has any thoughts on the best solution I'd be very grateful for your input! Thanks

 

[ChrisEyles]

ps - forgot to mention, I also need a rim width around 25mm (measured outer to outer) - Mrs Chris is running 38mm tyres.

 

[DCLane]

eBay's got loads of 6 speed rear wheels with 130 OLN. Not sure about 132 though.

 

[si_c]

As @DCLane says there are plenty of options on eBay. If looking for a specific recommendation then Baldwin's cycles are pretty decent and the guy who runs it is quite happy to space the axle for you. Recently got a wheel from him and he made sure it was set as 120mm not 130 as he usually does them.

 

[cyberknight]

Is it a hybrid style bike using a 135 mm oln ?
http://www.woollyhatshop.com/700c-r...e-walled-rim?gclid=COjmu-7s5tECFRONGwodpREA8w

 

[ChrisEyles]

Thanks for the recommendations. I was actually having a look at some of the Baldwins Cycles wheels on ebay earlier, they look like they would do the job. It's a steel frame so a 130mm hub (or probably a 135mm one too) should fit fine.

How do you work out what the dishing on the wheel should be to get the rim centred between the drop-outs? Am I right in thinking that spacers can only be added on the non-drive side of the hub (otherwise I'm thinking that getting a good chainline with the larger sprockets would be impossible) - if so I guess that adding spacers on the non-drive side would mean the rim had to be shifted in this direction (by either lengthening the drive side spokes or shortening the non-drive side ones).

This is the only thing I'm not sure about, and I can't find any relevant info on any of the sellers details on ebay etc.

 

[raleighnut]

Thanks for the recommendations. I was actually having a look at some of the Baldwins Cycles wheels on ebay earlier, they look like they would do the job. It's a steel frame so a 130mm hub (or probably a 135mm one too) should fit fine.

How do you work out what the dishing on the wheel should be to get the rim centred between the drop-outs? Am I right in thinking that spacers can only be added on the non-drive side of the hub (otherwise I'm thinking that getting a good chainline with the larger sprockets would be impossible) - if so I guess that adding spacers on the non-drive side would mean the rim had to be shifted in this direction (by either lengthening the drive side spokes or shortening the non-drive side ones).

This is the only thing I'm not sure about, and I can't find any relevant info on any of the sellers details on ebay etc.

Fit spacers to both sides, dishing will still be fine.

 

[ChrisEyles]

If you fit spacers on the drive side as well as the non-drive, won't this shift the freewheel away from the chainrings? Or is this not a problem in practice?

 

[biggs682]

Equal spaces should keep it all in line

 

[Ajax Bay]

If you fit spacers on the drive side as well as the non-drive, won't this shift the freewheel away from the chainrings? Or is this not a problem in practice?

Equal spaces should keep it all in line

In line with what, exactly?
Chris, your 'spacer either side' will effectively shift the 3/4th sprocket, say, by about 3mm ((132-126)/2). This will mean the chainline is 3mm 'out' at the back: about half the sprocket spacing. If the chainline was 'correct' before (ie middle chainwheel (assume of triple) lined up with mid point between 3rd and 4th sprockets) then your 'spacer either side' will have the chainline lined up with the 4th sprocket. This is "not a problem in practice". Even large to large, though worth avoiding, will harm nothing.
HTH

Center-to-center Spacing: "Regular" 6-speed 5.5 mm

 

[ChrisEyles]

@Ajax Bay - that information is *exactly* what I was looking for. Thanks! Should be no problems getting hold of a wheel then, and I can hopefully re-use the spacers on the old wheel.