Mountain Biking - Where can I order a complete rear wheel?

For starters, I'm just a regular city cyclist with a 1999 Specialized Hardrock who uses it to ride to the grocery store with. I'm not a cycling enthusiast per se. My rear wheel got stolen, so I need to replace it. The local bike shop 2 blocks away has them for more than I can just buy a used road bike for. The pawn shops are useless for this here as well.

So I've looked all around online, and I can't find any place that will sell me a complete replacement that isn't some high performance item. I don't want parts to put together, I just need an inexpensive complete rear wheel (at minimum the rim, spokes and gears all assembled, I can handle the tube and tire if need be). The few online bike places I've stumbled on, not really very helpful.

Remember, I'm not as knowledgable like you guys at where all the good parts stores are at, so can someone just point me out a place to get this a reasonable price with minimum hassle? Thanx.

You didn't mention how hardcore you want them or if you needed discs so I assume you want decent without discs. Try these. Good rims with good hubs for a good price :D

http://pricepoint.com/product20.html

Crap just realized you only wanted rear. Sorry most placed I know of only sell sets or custom singles. My mistake. :)

Discs? I don't know what you're talking about there (assume I'm completely ignorant about bikes, please). Are you referring to those things the racers put on the spokes to reduce drag? I'm not hardcore, I'm a normal cyclist, the kind who just uses the bike to get someplece.

Not being snide, but I need the gears, rim and spokes at minimum. If a 2 wheel set is available at a decent price, I'll take it, even though I really don't need a front wheel right now. Thanx.

Disc Brakes

anyways i'm gunna go a little bit OT here and ask if the Shimano M540 ATB wheelset is any good, and is there a good place with a large selection of wheelsets or a fairly inexpensive place to get a set of custom wheels? If you could throw me some links that'd be cool, thanks.

Originally posted by Randy G
Discs? I don't know what you're talking about there (assume I'm completely ignorant about bikes, please). Are you referring to those things the racers put on the spokes to reduce drag? I'm not hardcore, I'm a normal cyclist, the kind who just uses the bike to get someplece.

Not being snide, but I need the gears, rim and spokes at minimum. If a 2 wheel set is available at a decent price, I'll take it, even though I really don't need a front wheel right now. Thanx.

The quote I gave above will be perfect for you (maybe even a little overkill bvut they are CHEAP!!!)...

DrGonzo - pricepoint always seems to have good prices on wheelsets. For truly custom I like www.unrealcycles.com or www.go-ride.com for burlier selections.

Mael, looks like no gears on there. Not only would I have to buy gears in addition, I have no idea how to install them.

No offense (I really appreciate your responses), but is there no place that will sell me a complete rear wheel with minimum hassle? I can't believe that I'm having this much trouble finding one to buy. I even called a few places and they acted like they couldn't be bothered with this.

The gears are VERY easy to install, or you can go to your LBS and ask them to install it for you on the wheel it should only cost a few dollars. Basicaly you just slide the casette (gears) on the splines on the wheel. Then screw on lockring on the hub.

Check out this info at parktools, you can scroll down to Cassette and lockring removal. http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/FAQcogs.shtml

Nashbar has just a XT rear wheel for sale $69..
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=126&subcategory=1202&brand=&sku=6291&storetype=&estoreid=
Then just get the correct speed cassette.

I appreciate everyone's response, but this is turning out to be more trouble than it's worth. I'm just gonna bite the bullet and pay the bike shop's price and chalk it up to being a learning experience for not making sure both wheels were locked. At least this wasn't like 4 years ago, when I had 2 locked bikes (a Raleigh Pursuit and some clunky Magna) stolen in one month (although I supect it was my addict roommate at the time who did it, but can't prove it).

It's easier than you think, Randy G. Give a look at www.coloradocyclist.com and give them a phone call. Or www.jensoUSA.com Or the first two sites listed above. These people are very helpful.

They will both help you with everything you need give you a very good price, including the gears (cassette) you need. Will be less than half of what you will pay your LBS.

Good luck.

Got to local bike shop(lbs), purchase rear wheel, have them transfer cogset from original wheel to new wheel.

Originally posted by danka24
Got to local bike shop(lbs), purchase rear wheel, have them transfer cogset from original wheel to new wheel.

Very sound advice.

Unfortunately, the thief didn't feel like leaving the cogset behind! LOL

I would give jenson or colorado cyclist a call, they might be willing to install the cogset before shipping.

Randy

Go to www.bikepartsusa.com they have wheels from $27.00 - $800.00 you can all so purchase the freewheel/casette from them. Good Luck

http://rack2.bikepartsusa.com/product_images/mfg_01/9/full_91061.jpg

I'mma buy me a pair of these bad boys for the trail! Thanks bikepartsusa!

If you haven't bought the wheels already, many bike shops will install a cassette for you. Since your other cassette got stolen, you'll have to just buy the cassette and wheel seperately. Just call an online retailer like www.jensonusa.com and ask them if they'll put it on for you if you buy a wheel and cogset together. They did for me, no questions asked. Since you're buying a wheel AND gears they shouldn't mind throwing on some gears at no charge for you. If they won't, simply buy the gears and wheel seperately, and take it to a local bike shop and they'll install the gears for practically nothing.. maybe 5 bucks at most.

OK now I'm confused. Aren't the cassette and gears the same thing? All the thief took was the entire rear wheel (which was a quick release), everything else is still on the bike.

Unless your bike is belt driven or driveshaft driven, you will need a cogset aka gears, cassette for it to work, but remember the number of speeds your rear deraillieur has, because you are going to need the correct cogset and hub that that will handle the x speed deraillieur.

The cassette and gears are the same thing. But they don't come with the wheel when you buy it. Has to be purchased seperately. But you probably already know that.

At your LBS, you should expect to pay about $40-50 bucks for a comparable wheel (depending on whether it's freewheel or cassette) and about $20 for a comparable FW or cassette. If they're any kind of shop they'll toss the FW/cassette on there for you at no extra charge.

To update, I decided to go with a wheel from the shop across the street. I went in Saturday the 10th to get one. They didn't have a gear, they'd get one in on Wednesday and call me. It's now Friday and still no wheel. I guess I'll be ordering, it'll get here quicker.