7 TO 8 Speed Upgrade

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oldbrownjava

New Member
I need wider gear ratios on my Pinnacle Hybrid. At present it has a seven speed cassette. To upgrade this to an 8 speed, would I need to replace the rear wheel?
 

Landslide

Rare Migrant
Not necessarily the entire wheel...

If you already have a freehub set-up, you can change the freehub part for an 8 speed one.
This would necessitate stripping out the axle, switching the freehub, replacing the axle and re-dishing the wheel.

If a wider spread of gears is all you want, might you be able to get another 7 speed cassette with different ratios?
 

cyberknight

As long as I breathe, I attack.
Once you find out what you have freewheel or cassette you might find it a lot easier just to find what gear ratios you already have at the back.
Most gears i have seen have a little number on them to say how many teeth they have, if you need faster gears for speed or lower gears for hills you can shop around for one to suit you rather than spending money upgrading to an 8 speed.

My subway 1 came with a 12 -32 i think 7 speed but i never used the slow gear so i bought a 11-28 which is a lot better.
 
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oldbrownjava

New Member
Thanks Guys - I've been pondering this upgrade for sometime. The bike has a 28/38/48 on the front and 14/28 on the back. I've recently done the coast to coast fully loaded and although I managed, I found that I wanted both higher and lower gears., Now back in normal life, I'm enjoying the bike again - the close ratios are great for my everyday rides. This is why I was contemplating 8 gears. From whats been said above, I think I'll stick to 7 and live with wider spacings.
 

cyberknight

As long as I breathe, I attack.

TheDoctor

Europe Endless
Moderator
Location
The TerrorVortex
Right - if it's 14-28 that's a freewheel.
14-34 freewheels are available, but they have a massive jump from 1st to second gear.
Shimano used to do an 11-34 7 speed freewheel, but I've never seen one on sale.
 
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