Wheel Query

Help needed!

In theory how easy/expensive)/possible is it to get a reliable 700c clincher rear wheel for a frame with 126mm spacing? To take a 7 speed casette?

Thanks

nb I'm particularly looking for 700c rather than 27inch.

Failing this I read that a 130mm wheel will work in the 126mm spacing, what is the largest speed cassette that could fit?

Anything up to 11 speed will work in a 130mm hub - it's the modern standard.

126mm is obsolete so you would be looking at NOS stuff, or chop down a modern hub's axle, remove some non-drive side spacers and re-dish.

Depending on the frame, I'd look to cold set it to 130mm.

It depends how much you care for the bike and how much you are prepared to spend.
If it's a matter of putting the bike on the road, then respacing to 130 mm is the most practical way. See Sheldon brown website for instructions.

If you want to keep your bike with all the nice bits, downtube shifters, original gearing etc, then there is a number of 126 mm rear hubs still available that can be built.
If your bike is worth it, I have spotted a Phil Wood 126 rear hub at a very affordable price... and that is as good as it gets, in my books. I think they got the pricing wrong, but so be it....

http://www.totalcycling.com/a-z/hubs/hu ... A_126.html

If you are interested in having it built, send me a PM

Thanks for the responces

I asked as a friend is giving me a Raleigh Clubman 531 frame which I plan to build into a tourer, I had presumed it would be 126mm rear spacing as it was running 6 speed, though now I'm thinking that it may be 120mm. I didn't really want to cold set it but it may be nessesary to get the gearing for touring, (agree/disagee?). And I was also taking into consideration I wanted to have a dynamo hub front wheel for such I have found a ready built 700c wheel at a good price. (this tourer is utility rather than beauty!) And as such would need a 700c rear wheel. Given it's more a question of getting it running decently for touring at a low/reasonable cost I think the cold set to 130mm will (unfortunately) be the best option.

Freddie

Makes sense.

I am Italian and Raleigh means nothing to me, when I see one in terrible state I don't feel much for the thing... different story when I see a Wilier Ramata converted into a tourer... then I get upset! :evil:

If it runs 6 speed it is 126 mm and it is easy to convert to 130. You will then need to find a cassette which is compatible with down tube shifters... 8 speed maybe? 9 and 10 get a little iffy without indexed shifting.
A crap rear wheel can be bought for 50 pounds or so, a better one maybe second hand on Ebay?

For touring a modern freehub offers a far stronger axle so is a good choice. It's not fun to ruin a tour by trying to source an axle for an obsolete hub.

If you are forced to respace, go the whole hog and get it done for 135mm (mtb hub) as you get a stronger wheel as a result.

120mm 6 speed does exist, using a 'compact 6' block.

Assuming its 126mm just buy a modern set of wheels. People talk of cold set which is over doing things. Just give the chainstays a gentle tug when the wheel goes in. Its 2mm each side. Nowt. You'll get people saying that the dropouts now need setting etc. To be honest you'll notice not a thing.
If you really don't want to go that way, just whip a few spacers out of the elft side and get the wheel redished. Around here that might cost a fiver

Thank you all, will likely post the finished product.

There shouldn't be any problems.
Get a good used hub and lace a clincher rim to it.

I've got a 7 speed freewheel with a 126mm hub on my 126mm spaced Eddy Merckx and it works fine.

It was originally a 6 speed but I needed to replace the freewheel as the new chain was skipping.

If you want to keep it 126 mm then this not a problem. The right shop with the right account can still order 126mm HG hubs for example ultegra and RSXA410 hubs in 36H are still available.

Even 136mm UG hubs are still available like Dura ace or 1050 plus there are a few 126mm threaded hubs about.

Even 27x 1 1/4 rims are available still. It is all doable.

You can still even get 6, 7 and 8 UG cassettes. So unles you are putting the bike on a modern 8/9/10/11 speed groupset then you might as well stick with a 126mm hub. It makes getting the wheel out a bit easier, unless you go to the trouble of old setting the frame whih is not nesessary as alreay said.

As for an eariler comment about using a cassette ompatible with down tube shifters, if you friction shift you can use any speed cassette you like. Frition shifting is fine even for 10 speed.