Replace vintage rear 26" wheel, with what?

[sunbird]

My nutted 7-speed cassette 26" rear wheel, has fatigue cracked (1990's MTB.)
Finding an identical replacement looks impossible, as new cassette wheels are all Quick Release, and new nutted wheels are freewheel.
These are the only two options. Would either work?

1. Get a new wheel, but with a QR.
or
2. Get a new wheel, but with a Freewheel.

 

[TheDoctor]

Personally, I'd get the cassette one. 7 speed cassettes are still a thing, and you'll just need a 3mm spacer as well.

 

[Drago]

Get the cassette wheel and swap out the axles.

 

[Ian H]

Replace the rim if the hub is still working.

 

[sunbird]

Personally, I'd get the cassette one. 7 speed cassettes are still a thing, and you'll just need a 3mm spacer as well.

So a QR wheel will work with just one 3mm spacer?

 

[sunbird]

Replace the rim if the hub is still working.

The hub is ok, but building a wheel is beyond my ken.

 

[TheDoctor]

So a QR wheel will work with just one 3mm spacer?

Should do. I run 7 speed cassettes on 8/9/10 speed wheels, and you just need a 3mm spacer to go on behind the cassette.

 

[TheDoctor]

Ooh - I've just thought of a caveat. Modern MTB hubs might be wider than 7 speed ones...
And looks like it's a 4.5 mm spacer, not 3mm. Long timme since I bought one!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The hub is ok, but building a wheel is beyond my ken.

Get your LBS mechanic to do it

 

[tyred]

There's no real reason why you can't use a QR wheel. Possibly, if you have pressed steel dropouts, the QR axle may be too wide to allow it to clamp tight. If so, just file the axles down, or just use a 10 mm washer as spacers.

There may be a slight difference in spacing but the dropouts will spring enough to still put the wheel in.

 

[Punkawallah]

My flbs sells second hand bikes, and has a metric shoot-ton of 26" wheels of all types - might be worth you enquiring at yours. Or contacting mine, of course.
https://www.facebook.com/BikeShed2020

 

[MontyVeda]

My nutted 7-speed cassette 26" rear wheel, has fatigue cracked (1990's MTB.)
Finding an identical replacement looks impossible, as new cassette wheels are all Quick Release, and new nutted wheels are freewheel.
These are the only two options. Would either work?

1. Get a new wheel, but with a QR.
or
2. Get a new wheel, but with a Freewheel.

I'm still riding a 90s MTB and have no problem fitting new wheels. As mentioned a spacer is needed for 8+speed hubs of you're running 7 speed.
I bought one this week from bankrupt bike parts on ebay, and I'm sure i saw they had a 26" wheel with a 7 speed hub. (this one)