Which bicycle wheel would I need for an 80s trek?

G

g-man

New member
The hub is needed so that the wheel can spin freely when not being pedaled. Its basically a ratchet operated hub in which the ratchet engages when pedaling forward but disengages, turning freely when the pedaling stops. The rear cassette fits over the hub to complete the drive train.

Actually a free wheel hub is part of a typical rear wheel on any geared bike. Front wheels don't have a free wheel hubs because they aren't part of the drive line. The truth is that most any rear wheel from another bicycle that is 700c will work on your bike provided the hub will take whatever cassette is needed. There are differences between the hubs for the different sized cassettes (as in 7 speed, 10 speed, etc) as well as between the manufacturers like Shimano or Campy.

So, if you can find a 700c rear wheel, with a hub that's compatible with your cassette it will be interchangeable. Or... you can change out a non-compatible hub with one that fits your bike in order to use the replacement wheel.
 
I can't remember what the bicycle shop guy said, but he was on about something like 'freewheel hub' or something. What makes this so different from typical wheels, so to speak? I didn't understand his explanation on why I couldn't just get any bicycle wheel with the right size and slap it on.

If it helps any, the tube inside the wheel is 700 x 23C sized.
 
There are a couple answers here that could be slightly misleading. Any 700c wheel should work as long as it fits between the frame correctly. However, don’t get confused by the terms “freewheel” and “cassette”, they look the same on the outside but they are very different in they way they mount to the wheel. A freewheel is a gear cluster that screws on to the hub of the wheel. A cassette is a gear cluster that slides on to the hub and is held on with a lock nut.

If you really need to replace the whole wheel, I recommend taking it to a good bike shop and asking for help. Find out how much you can save by reusing your old parts on a new wheel and see if it’s even worth it. They will also be able to help you choose a wheel that is compatible with your old parts if they are worth reusing.
 
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