Calling all Wheel/Drivetrain experts

[simon the viking]

Can you just check through my logic/idea here please

Upgrading my stock Giant wheels soon..... The Giant wheels are okay but I had a problem recently with the built-in free-wheel which seems to have been sorted now by LBS... but this is what pushed me to upgrade... so my thoughts are........

- Get the Giant wheels hubs fitted with new bearings (and free wheel checked again) and fit an 8 speed cassette (currently 10 speed which will be on new wheels) and then fit these to my 2012 Viking along with a new chain and Claris derailler...... which is currently running a semi deep rim stock wheels with a spin on 7 speed free-wheel. (would I need a spacer?)

The Viking would then be running 8 speed cassette and derailler but with a 7 speed brifter (going 8 speed as may try and pick up 8 speed brifter in future...) The Claris derailler is an upgrade I have been thinking about for ages to replace the chocolate BSO level stock gears....) Total cost of above ...£7 chain....£17 Claris £10 Cassette... (wiggle and Amazon) plus fitting and wheel service if I don't do it myself.......

Then.....

- Get the Viking wheels serviced and cleaned then fit Mrs V's New-ish 6 speed free-wheel then use them to replace her 1980's original Chrome 'no brakes in the wet' wheels.........

I suppose I could even replace the jockeys in my original Viking gears get her a new 7 speed free-wheel/chain and use the butterfly levers taken off the Viking ages ago to give her indexed gears.... replacing her original very worn Huret set up..... (would indexed levers work with original front derailler from the 80's?) but not sure I want to spoil her that much

cost of just fitting above free.... Cost upgrading £15 freewheel/chain

So for a total of £50 quid-ish (could be a bit of labour for setting up correctly and free-wheel swapping etc)....
I could upgrade both my 'winter' (better gears and wheels) and Mrs V's bike (better gears and stopping ability).....

Is it A worth it? and B is my logic sound, would it all work as described?

Thanks in advance for any input/advice

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Am no expert, but fwiw I presume the original Giant rear wheel has a freehub (not freewheel as stated), the Viking and Mrs V have freewheels (not freehub).

First you need to check is whether all the rear hubs have the same width (measure distance between rear dropouts, 135mm/130mm/126mm/120mm are all possible due to lack of info in your description), and if all the rims are the same size (i.e. are the tyres all 700c/622? Quite possibly Mrs V's is 630/27").

If the Giant or Viking is a hybrid then you might find it is 135mm. If Mrs V's is from the 80's it could be 126mm (normal 6 freewheel) or 120mm (ultra 6). Squeezing a 130mm hub into 126mm dropouts of a steel frame is doable - don't force alloy, a greater difference will require cold setting for a steel frame. You can put a 7 speed freewheel on a 126mm hub, but not a 120mm hub without further surgery. Many brakes for 630/27" wheels can't reach a 622/700c rim, so longer drop brake calipers may be required. Drop and flat bars don't have the same diameter for bits, which may impact your plan for reusing levers.

If Mrs V's a double chainset then front indexing is not an issue, nor is mixing 7 and 8 speed cassette/freewheel and shifter. Don't forget to take the innermost spacer if there is one with the 10 speed cassette with it.

Just my 2p.

 

[simon the viking]

My concerns was the drop-out width of the 80's bike, it could be the issue.... but I believe it can be gently 'fettled' apart ..... Sorry about my descriptions of freewheels etc.... yes the free wheel on the Giant is inboard on the wheel all others the freewheel is part of sprockets.

I think I need to wait until the Giant wheels are off and check the wheels against the drop-outs in a sort musical wheels...... slightly difficult but possible, the bikes don't live together normally....... The Viking lives at work in the stockroom

Edit all wheels are 700c, width might be a bit wider on the 80's (may v early 90's) bikes (it's a ladies team Raleigh)