Pecker2Fast

Hello and good day bicycle lovers.. I have recently returned from a deployment and tried shipping my Diamondback insight 1 back to the states. Everything made it here except my back wheel. Being new at this I am looking for advice on where to get a replacement wheel set up. Any help is appreciated. Thanks

-Chris

Bill Kapaun

How many cogs in back.

Measure the spacing inside the drop outs.
It's probably 135mm, but verify.
Any markings on the front rim as per brand/model/

FBinNY 

Is UA the current acronym for MIA or AWOL?

If so, you'll need both a new wheel and new cassette (sold separately) Plus the tire and tube. The specs needed to replace it are:

Wheel and tire size, ie 50-559 or 26" or 700c, etc. Take this from the other wheel's tire.
axle width, as measured from the inside width (separation) of the rear dropouts.
Number of speeds on the cassette -- if not marked on your levers, tension the derailleur cable, and run the shifter through the range counting clicks. Add one for the starting position to get the number of speeds
cassette range (hopefully you have a sense of how wide the range was, ie. 12-26 teeth, or 12-34t or something in between.
tire type, basically the style of tread, from smooth for road, to coarse knobs for mud and sand so something in between. Look at the front tire and match from pictures.

If there's a local bike co-op this would be the best place to find a bargain. Otherwise there are regular bike shops and a number of good on-line sources.

I hope this helped.

Welcome home, and thank you for your service.

cny-bikeman

If the loss is covered make a claim based on full retail price, then make your decision as to how you replace. A bike shop should be able to give you a written estimate, or just put together an order online and print it out (including tax and shipping). This appears to be the specs for the Insight 1:


Cassette
Shimano 7spd (14-28t) Freewheel

Rims
32 hole Equation R23 Doublewall

Tires
Kenda Kwick Trax 700x32c

Hubset
(F) 32h Alloy QR (R) 32h Alloy QR Cassette

It looks as though the rim (Equation R23) may be an OEM only item, as I could not find it provided on any aftermarket wheel - nor by itself. The only way to maybe get an exact match would be a Diamondback dealer. If you are particularly heavy or expect heavy use you can get a 36 hole instead of 32 for the rear.

cny-bikeman

Unauthorized Absence

+++

davidad

You need a 700C rear wheel. 700c Rim Rear Quick Release Wheel Shimano Cassette Hub 135mm 36 Spoke Black Bike | eBay

Cross Creek

Officially, UA replaced AWOL when the Uniform Code Of Military Justice was signed into law in 1950. Shows how long slang can hang around, lol.

Bezalel

You need the following items:

Wheel (135mm dropout spacing 700c for rim brakes)
Freewheel or cassette (depending on what hub you get)
Rim strip or tape
Inner tube
Tire
Optionally - spoke protector
Optionally - reflector

Although your bike probably came with a thread on freewheel going with this option limits your upgrade options to 7-speed. If you get a freehub and cassette it can be upgraded to at least 11-speed.

cny-bikeman

No, first of all as noted above the bike appears to have come with a cassette. Secondly, if the shifters are 7 speed then that's the cassette he needs. Otherwise your list is correct.

cny-bikeman

Well, actually we still used Absent Without Leave in official correspondence in the Air Force in the early 70's. I worked in the duty Status Office at our base, and was responsible for sending out the letters when someone was AWOL or declared a deserter.

JohnDThompson 

Thanks for that clarification. In my current line of work, "UA" means "urinalysis," which didn't make sense.

Bezalel

There is no such thing as a Shimano 7-speed 14-28 cassette (CS- prefix) but there is a Multi-Freewheel (MF- prefix) with that size. I would still recommend a freehub even for 7-speed, that way the wheel can potentially be used elsewhere.

cny-bikeman

Well, duh on me - heading is Cassette, but it says 14-28 FREEWHEEL! I plead cut and paste blindness. Yes, a 7 speed freehub is best choice.

GravelMN

OP

Since the original wheel is entry level, and the rear wheel takes the most abuse, I'd take the opportunity to upgrade it. A 32 or 36-spoke wheel with butted spokes, a mid-level hub, and a double walled-eyletted touring rim should set you back about $125-$150 for a pre-built wheel. If you are over 180#, a strong rider, or ride on anything but smooth pavement, you'll be glad you did. Going from your previous freewheel to a free hub will give you more options should you want to change your gearing in the future.

A less expensive option is to find a bike co-op and find a compatible wheel. Most 700c wheels can handle a 32mm tire, but watch out for very narrow road rims. Look for something along the lines of a hybrid or touring rim that is slightly wider. You'll also have to check to make sure that the hub is spaced to fit your frame.

fietsbob

Uncle Sugar going to pay for the Missing Movement problem, that had your Rear wheel not Make the Shipment back Stateside?

UnsafeAlpine

I can attest that a back wheel did not come to me.