Hi, I recently bought a Myka Sport to begin mountain biking, but I've found that right now most of my use is in-town commuting. I bought a set of Continental CityContact tires and mounted them on the stock wheels.

I want to get a 2nd inexpensive set of wheels and mount the stock knobby tires so I can do a quick-change between mountain and street modes. My questions are:

- I think I need to buy a cassette or freewheel mechanism also. How do I know which one I need?
- Anything I need to look for when I'm purchasing the wheels to make sure they're compatible?
- Will I need special tools to mount the cassette/freewheel?

Any other words of wisdom/experience?

Thanks!

Lori

The trick with being able to quickly switch wheels is having two identical wheelsets. If you have rim brakes (which I think you do), and your other set of wheels does not have a rim of the same width or is slightly larger or smaller in diameter, you will probably need to adjust your brakes whenever you switch wheels. If you use disc brakes, you can have similar problems if you don't use the same hubs and rotors on both wheelsets.
You may also need to adjust your rear deraileur if the cassettes and rear hubs are not identical.
Sometimes it's easier to switch the tires, than having to readjust everything after changing wheelsets.

Unless you can find an identical wheelset, my suggestion would be to look for a good deal on a used bike to set up as your commuter. It will probably end up being cheaper and far more convenient.

Good point, trailville, thanks. I didn't realize I needed to consider the rims (I do have rim brakes) or cassette/hub sizes - makes perfect sense though. I'll check out prices/availability for the stock replacement wheels, but I may need to table that idea for now.

I'll keep my eyes out for an affordable used bike that might work well for this.

Thanks again.

Lori

I do the same thing with my motobecane, In the winter it’s runs studded tires. In the spring through late fall. It’s my city/ road bike & my XC bike. I have two wheelsets and three sets of tires for my bike. I also need to adjust my brakes when I change my wheelsets around. However, if you can do that and don’t care about the small hassle then here we go…

I looked up your bike, a (Specialized Myka Sport ) and this is what you will need. I picked stuff for the best price… You need a 8 speed cassette and a cassette removing tool. You also wanted a cheap but good wheelset.

Sun-Rhyno-Lite-Rims with deore hubs $89.98
http://www.pricepoint.com/images/styleImages/D_365%20SHIDD2.jpg

Click here (http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/12001-365_SHIDD2-3-Parts-75-Wheelsets/Shimano-Deore-Disc-Wheelset-w_-Sun-Rhyno-Lite-Rims.htm)


SRAM Powerglide II PG850 8 speed cassette $18.98

http://www.pricepoint.com/images/styleImages/D_065%20SRA854.jpg

When you pick a size… Pick the 11-32.

Click Here (http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/12911-065_SRA854-3-Parts-51-Cassettes/Sram-PG-850-Cassette-8-Speed-2007.htm)


You will need these two tools. One is for installing and removing the cassette and the other is for holding the cassette and keeping it from turning.

Cassette Remover w/ Guide Pin…$3.98

http://www.pricepoint.com/images/styleImages/D_325%20SETLR5.jpg

Click Here (http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/14610-325_SETLR5-2-Accessories-42-Tools/Sette-Torx-ST-126-1A-Cassette-Remover-w_-Guide-Pin.htm)

Chain Whip/Sprocket Remover $8.98

http://www.pricepoint.com/images/styleImages/D_325%20SETWH5.jpg

Click Here (http://www.pricepoint.com/detail.htm?stylepkey=14596&style_id=325%20SETWH5&detailName=Sette%20Torx%20ST-501A%20Chain%20Whip&dept_id=2&deptName=Accessories&sub_id=42&subName=Tools&lprice=8.98&hprice=8.98)


Last, this site should be able to help get you started working on your own bike...

Click Here. (http://www.parktool.com/repair/)

Goos luck:thumbsup:

But, you really don't need the tools if you have your LBS install your spare cassette on your spare rear wheel. Also. brakes shouldn't need readjustment if the rim width is the same between both sets.

Well, this looks do-able. Moto Rider, THANKS for the specific info. I think I can adjust the brakes w/out a lot of problem. Adjusting the rear dérailleur is another thing - that takes the skills to another level. My LBS guy turned me onto the Park Tools site, I used that to change my tires to the Continentals.

citybiker, the tools are pretty inexpensive, I think I'll give it a shot myself, and keep the LBS as a backup plan. I'll keep my fingers crossed about the rims being the same width.

My plans now are to use the stock wheels for the MTB tires, and the 2nd set of wheels for the semi-slicks. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I won't need to do derailleur adjustment - any idea of the odds on having the hub/cassette match up to the stock sizes?

I think your odds are good. I swap out my spare wheel set without having to make any adjustments.

Cool, thanks, parts are ordered, I'll let you know how it turns out!

i have a spare set of wheels with the off-road knobbies on em...and i don't switch them nearly as often as i thought. but for what i have in them, i can't complain - check craigslist for used wheelsets. ended up with a low-mileage set of mavix xc221's with a 9 speed casette, deore hubs, rotors, and tires for about 80 bucks.
especially considering keeping them now that the g/f is looking at a bike, specifically te trek 4300 WSD - the extra wheelset will be handy to have if i want to upgrade her to discs down the line.

Technically you don't need the Chain Whip for cassette installation, just cassette removal so you don't have to get that in order to get rolling with a spare wheelset.

i used those cheap deore/sun wheels set for many miles. The only thing I noticed was the freewheel got loose over time. Just had to relube and retighten.

That brings up another question - Will I need to pick up some kind of lube to use when assembling the cassette on the wheel? The only bike-specific lube I have is Ice Wax for the chain. Are there recommended lubes for the hub?

Thanks for all the info!

i normaly put a thin layer of grease between the freehub and the cassette, and on the lock ring threads, just to make sure they don't freeze together.

Thanks to everybody for the advice on the parts and assembly. I got the wheels, parts and tools in, and after a trip or two to the LBS for rim strip and presta tubes, got everything mounted. It all seems to be working out well. On down the road I'll spring for some better wheels, but for now these'll do the job.

Thanks!

I just swap tires on the same wheelset - only takes a few minutes at most, although it seems I've been lucky all my life in that I've never needed tire levers to remove a tire....also gives you a chance to inspect tube condition and inside of the tire casing for thorns/etc (for those of us that aren't running tubeless.....swapping tubeless on a regular basis probably ain't a pretty task...)