Transferring wheels Summers->Winter bikes

[razabbs]

Good evening all, hope you’ve all had a great Christmas.

Naturally, I want to upgrade my bike, and as we all know, wheels are the next place to go after tyres.

I currently have 2 bikes, a ‘summer’ bike; Planet X Pro Carbon running SRAM Rival 2x11, on Fulcrum Racing 800 wheels (my order info says Shimano 11 speed 12mm, 12 x 142mm) with 160mm Brake rotors. (Centrelock)

Secondly, a Triban RC120 disc ‘winter’ bike. 8 speed 11-34 (Microshift) cassette, with 160mm rotors. Not mentioned but I’m hoping centre lock?


The question. Is it possible? to (I guess using a spacer or two) be able to ‘convert’ my Fulcrum 800’s from the 11 speed summer bike to the 8 speed winter bike? I hope this would make a big difference to the winter bike as it does feel kinda sluggish (naturally, based on how much I spent on it)

Therefore allowing me to buy a nice set of new wheels for my summer bike. Some examples I’ve seen for the upgrade would be maybe Zipp 303’s? Currently reduced from £1100 to £890 but at the moment I just want to see if my thought is viable?

 

[cyberknight]

you can use them with spacers , you will need to realign the brake calipers more than likely .

 

[razabbs]

you can use them with spacers , you will need to realign the brake calipers more than likely .

I hoped it would just be a spacer or two. Is it easy/simple to realign callipers? Otherwise I’m sure it’s a job a cycle shop would be happy to carry out?

 

[fossyant]

Yes, I do it all the time. Three of my bikes are 7 and 8 speed, all running with spacers of one sort or another. I also have spare wheels for most of the bikes, and if you get a pack of different width spacers (ebay/amazon) you can fine tune the indexing/spacing on each cassette so the wheels swap without needing to re-index. Many hubs are slightly different positioning, which can mean the cassette sits say a mm out from the other wheel - this then knocks out your indexing.

 

[fossyant]

PS 8 speed cassettes are a similar width to 10/11 speed, so you won't need any more than about 2mm, so a pack like this. You need enough for the lowest sprocket to clear the end of the freehub, so the lockring doesn't bottom out on the freehub before tightening the cassette in place

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Saipor-Bicycle-Flywheel-Hub-Washer/dp/B0D1R2J212/ref=sr_1_6?crid=3VWK2QVIU5A44&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.d6-maGs-NB-CiXzYhtXwKZS4WtmVmHNGMIsaSEnhXKT3j8JkTAhtAdRWnAk2t3bBGivtI-GX2FTpAaVDqZ2ztuVMZayqOn9JgjLndATjmBhgFqPGpc2m1EWwzEuEByuyobu81s7uNPnRIe-9b1OYGYfUT1Hff4U2WRE9JfyYZVyWzwoE4Um0iH5QPgpROB_tbkv6qHUMViIMVrVEYZaitQbrvdv-YDDaIrmpuxWfQ563D1wntuen1x8Q8pTB4RZbVmg2oZPf0PtbtRJudMsJjMlnM1ATsRVZ5-5wGV7GN-iDF2hTubHb-POZuxfoeSO2bbBfzjzo4pKzROwxO3DRX9XDhphql9gmJZf1HM2xKnu5K__NJV-hNldtRsws1Ryh8VMyX472fRiG2N1ABYIUix7vs0yatXmPSEaW5APLzSMPhgy7lTADUBL3GZ_75V0y.JoAIUbA9CEgw8PvMbOmteT1etyBjbOl2cVwVUh-SK8U&dib_tag=se&keywords=cassette+spacers&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1735551926&sprefix=cassette+spacers,aps,91&sr=8-6

 

[razabbs]

Stunning, thanks for all the help!
Now to decide how much I’m willing to spend on a set of wheels! They should last ages, right?

 

[roubaixtuesday]

They should last ages, right?

As a rule of thumb, once at a price beyond cheapo garbage, I'd say more expensive = lighter, maybe stiffer, but *less* robust.

Other opinions will be available.

 

[razabbs]

As a rule of thumb, once at a price beyond cheapo garbage, I'd say more expensive = lighter, maybe stiffer, but *less* robust.

Other opinions will be available.

I feel like something around £6-£700 is a number I’d be content to spend and genuinely hope they last me for the next 10 years on my summer bike (which is also I think my penultimate bike for life)

 

[Jenkins]

Don't wish to be the bearer of bad news, but the spec on the Planet X wheels indicates they are thru axle while those on the Triban are QR (at least the ones I've looked at are) and so cannot be transferred between these bikes.

 

[andrew_s]

Don't wish to be the bearer of bad news, but the spec on the Planet X wheels indicates they are thru axle while those on the Triban are QR (at least the ones I've looked at are) and so cannot be transferred between these bikes.

There are adapters to use a thru-axle wheel in a QR frame.

The other way (QR wheels in a thru-axle frame) can't be done, short of a few specific hubs that have swappable components (iirc).

 

[Jenkins]

There are adapters to use a thru-axle wheel in a QR frame.

The other way (QR wheels in a thru-axle frame) can't be done, short of a few specific hubs that have swappable components (iirc).

That would work for the front, but the rear wheel on the Planet X shows as 12 x 142mm giving a 142mm spacing - the Triban would be 135mm spacing.

 

[razabbs]

Don't wish to be the bearer of bad news, but the spec on the Planet X wheels indicates they are thru axle while those on the Triban are QR (at least the ones I've looked at are) and so cannot be transferred between these bikes.

This is a good point and you’re spot on. Summer bike wheels aren’t QR. I’ll look into the adapter that someone has linked below. I would be perfectly typical if this isn’t viable

thanks for raising a very important point!

 

[wiggydiggy]

I've just swapped a pair of wheels from a spare to my main (due to damage), the simplest for me was to swap cassettes as one was 8 and the other 11, didn't want to complicate things further with spacers.

And the indexing still needs fine tuning lol 😂

 

[Jenkins]

This is a good point and you’re spot on. Summer bike wheels aren’t QR. I’ll look into the adapter that someone has linked below. I would be perfectly typical if this isn’t viable

thanks for raising a very important point!

Something simple like that is easily overlooked - I've spent hours in the past looking at a wheel swap between bikes and associated tyre and cassette options, completely missing that one bike was rim brake and the other disc braked 😂

 

[razabbs]

That would work for the front, but the rear wheel on the Planet X shows as 12 x 142mm giving a 142mm spacing - the Triban would be 135mm spacing.

I’ve continued to do more research; someone else (On Reddit, of course) asked a similar question a few years ago and there’s a comment stating that a 142mm Thru Axle would become a 135mm QR; the standard sizes for each, so there is still hope!

It’s important to me as this would mean I can spend more on a set of new wheels . my logic is if I buy one new set of wheels for my summer bike, I’ll get benefit whenever I ride my summer bike, obviously. But if it also let’s me put my old wheels on to my winter bike, then I’ll get benefit on my winter bike, too.

Therefore, double benefits; basically free!