Sourcing a 700c wheel for trainer

[Harrys767]

Hi all,

Relative newby here. I have just bought a trainer for the cooler months/time poor with young family and am looking to get a cheap wheel so that my regular tyre doesn't go bald. I am currently running a Shimano RS010 with 11 Spd 11-28 105 gears on the bike. I assume I'd need the same setup to be able to simply swap the rear wheel over when needed.

Here are my newby q's :

Are all 700c rear wheels the same?
Can I fit a Shimano 11 Spd 11-28 on any 700c wheel?
My inclination would be to get a cheap 2nd hand one, as weight/aero don't matter on the trainer?

Where would I be able to source something like this? Or does someone on here (preferably Sydney) have anything laying around?

Thanks for the advice.

[Duck!]

700c wheels are all the same diameter, but width differs between road, hybrid and MTB (where they're called 29") versions, which affects tyre fit. Hybrid and MTB rear wheels also have a slightly longer axle due to their host frames usually being compatible with disc brakes, if not already fitted as standard.

You can't fit 11-sp. on just any wheel; the cassette is wider than 8/9/10-sp, so needs an 11-sp. compatible wheel to fit on.

The RS010 is probably one of the cheapest 11-sp. compatible wheels around, but you might find something generic with a Novatech or similar hub in it.

[Harrys767]

Thanks Duck. I guess the next question is can I put a wheel with a 10 speed cassette on my bike (currently with 11 Spd), without changing / adjusting the derailleur?

[koshari]

Thanks Duck. I guess the next question is can I put a wheel with a 10 speed cassette on my bike (currently with 11 Spd), without changing / adjusting the derailleur?

quick answer is no, as the cog/index spacing is different.

longer answer , maybe if your prepared to do something like run 10 of 11, (ie get an 11 speed cassette and disregard and remove if you can the biggest cog/spacer and run it as a 10) problem being that you would need to adjust the limiter or the chain would go flying off into the spokes when you accidentally select the non existent 11th gear.

Again the duck will know for sure, but i believe that 11 speed cassettes bigger cogs are bound together a lot more than previous incarnations so this may not even be possible.

[Duck!]

Thanks Duck. I guess the next question is can I put a wheel with a 10 speed cassette on my bike (currently with 11 Spd), without changing / adjusting the derailleur?

quick answer is no, as the spacing is different.

longer answer , maybe if your prepared to do something like run 10 of 11, (ie get an 11 speed cassette and disregard the biggest cog/spacer and run it as a 10) problem being that you would need to adjust the limiter or the chain would go flying off when you select the 11th gear.

Double quote, so I can address both at once.

As above, short version is no, not without adjustment.

Elongated version is it's possible but not perfect with tweaking. 10-sp. has slightly wider sprocket spacing, so gear tuning isn't perfect trying to run in an 11-sp. system. Whether you run standard 10-sp. or shortened 11-sp (which will be shorter again than standard 10-sp. due to the tighter spacing, so will need an additional spacer behind the cassette), you will need to adjust the derailleur's low limit so you don't send the chain & derailleur flying off into the spokes.

[koshari]

then there is the $250USD solution that would work, its called Edco Monoblock.

[Harrys767]

Thanks for the info guys. It sounds like I should just replicate what I've already got on the bike, with a trainer tyre. Simple and compatible.

[DG1984]

The other option is to simply replace the tyre every time you want to ride on the trainer.

Probably $120-150 cheaper than buying a wheel/cassette unless you can find something really cheap second hand, however far more effort involved should you want to ride outside/inside and the wrong tyre is on the wheel.

[jasonc]

best option is to spend a few bucks extra and get a direct driver trainer