Changing cassette
 

What is involved in changing a cassette from one set of wheels to another? Should I bother buying tools or just take it to a shop?

providing both hubs are the same, it's very simple to swap a cassette. a shop can make the swap in a couple of minutes and that's probably cheaper than buying the tools...but not by much.

erader

Thanks. Will the shifting need to be adjusted or will it shift the same as it did on the old wheels?

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Chainwhips break, but if you have a chain tool they can be easily repaired. If you don't live near a bike co-op, and plan on biking for the life of more than three cassettes, it makes sense to buy tools.

Normally, you would use a special lockring tool and a chain whip.

There's also a special J.A. Stein self contained tool that is a bit less convenient, but works, mainly intended for on-the-road repairs. See: http://harriscyclery.com/tools/cassette.html

If you plan to do your own repair work on a regular basis, it's nice to have the tools. It is not a difficult job.

However, from a simple cost perspective, if you only need this done once, it would certainly be cheaper to have a shop do it.

To get the best price, you should bring just the two wheels in to the shop, preferably with the skewers removed. That should make it a very quick, most likely while-you-wait job. Depending on your relationship with your shop, you might not even get charged for such a simple thing.

On the other hand, if you bring in a wheel and a whole bike, it becomes much more of a hassle for the shop, and you're likely to need to leave it off, and will certainly be charged more considering the extra labor involved.

Sheldon "Any Excuse To Buy A New Tool" Brown

Thanks! Looks like I'll take it to the shop.