sours

Only to find out, the hub on the rear disc is not really compatible w/ my Langster Seattle; I need a "3/8 inch solid axle hub", and would like if it was flip/flop but I don't know if either of them are possibilities with the current wheel. I also need to get a sprocket/rear gear or what-have-you for it... Im running I believe a 42t Sugino Messenger up front, I'm not really sure what I should get for a sprocket. I don't know too much about bikes, enjoy riding them and that's about it, just trying to get the rear wheel to work with my bike.

There is also adhesive on the wheel from stickers and some glue just above the HED logo, I'm not sure how to go about removing it, was thinking some pure acetone would work but I don't want to dissolve the wheel. There are a few small dings in it, and one probably 3/4 inch long ding where it actually buckled a little bit, lost its glossiness and you can see the seams of the fibers... Im not sure if that is enough to affect the integrity of a disc wheel? Anyways, enough said, two pictures...

Nagrom_

So what's the issue?

I got lost in all the words...

sours

Would this work? https://www.hedcycling.com/wheel-acc/..._Kit_Thread_On


The issue is, I bought a matching wheelset for a good deal from a friend, he brought the wheels over, realized, the back wheel isn't going to be a drop in, but at the price I was getting them at couldn't really say no and figured I'd try and adapt it... I was told the axle wouldn't work by a friend and I'd have to do a conversion or something, and I also need a rear gear for my bike w/ the new wheel, or so I was told, but have no idea where to look or what to get.
Also, my ride as it stands, in case anyone wanted to see it...

Nagrom_

Matching wheelset? Those are different sizes.

You need an axle conversion kit.

sours

FIgured the 650 in front would be nice so I can clear the wheel and do barspins all the way to the coffee shop (lol), and my rear wheel that is on it right now is not true whatsoever so I figured I might as well replace it with another HED carbon wheel... The two wheels wouldn't be considered matching because of the size? I can't find either of the wheels on HED and he was running them together so I just kind of assumed they were matched...

Also, any insight as to what kind of axle conversion kit I should get? Thank you for confirming that it is indeed possible! I don't want to spend $120 and get the wrong thing... Will only HED kits work? Or can I try another companies?

Nagrom_

I have no experience with axle conversion kits.

I would not barspin on those. That is literally the last thing they were designed for.
Those are really old wheels.

Are they tubular? Just to add to the list of things that probably shouldn't be ridden on the street.

sours

I guess sarcasm doesn't convey very well over the internet, I don't actually intend on doing barspins, I'd be livid if I fell over and scratched the bike up. They are tubeless, so... I don't believe they are tubular? Or maybe that's what you meant?... You said they're pretty old, about how much would you value them at? The front one is mintish as far as condition goes other than some decal scratches, the disc like I said has a few dings and one somewhat minor dent. I was pretty stoked on the wheels, I've ridden the bike for almost a full days worth of time and I've only had it since Sunday, not going to school until next term so I've mostly just been biking around and I'm addicted.

I apologize if my lack of knowledge and my buying overkill wheels gives me a less than lackluster appearance on here but I do want to learn and I'm not claiming to know things I don't, and I do intend on riding on them quite a bit as it is my main mode of transportation...

Nagrom_

YOU mean tubular. Tubeless is something different entirely.
They're tubular.


I wouldn't want to ride them.
Call you local bike shop and ask them how much it costs to change a tubular flat, and the turnaround time.

sours

I was told they were tubeless, there is no lock nut on either and the valves are sealed in? I apologize if I am completely in the wrong here, I just googled tubeless valve stems and tubular valve stems and mine look like the former...

Nagrom_

They're tubular. Just trust me.

I don't even think road tubeless was a thing when those were made.

Leukybear 

Good news for you, yes a hed disc's axle is replaceable, it's modeled just/ exactly like the HED 3's. The kit is pricey however and considering you had to ask, I would have a HED dealer install it.
https://www.hedcycling.com/wheel-acc/...ssette_Adapter

Tubulars are expensive to maintain.
You can use this to fix a minor flat with a tubular although not cheap just as well as a serious enough flat to need a LBS' expertise:


For the adhesive on the carbon use:



It's citrus based and pH neutral meaning it's neither an acid or base to degrade the carbon/ finish.

sours

Yeah... you're right... its a tubular clincher... is that really that bad? Are these wheels really that bad?


^^^ Thank you Leuky... I'll try and find a HED dealer to help me with this... With the adapter, will the rear sprocket that is currently on my bike work? Or is there no way to tell w/o looking at it? I haven't really ever had issues with flats other than on my Motobecane and that was from the cheapo Alex wheels they were on and they were tubed road wheels, although I'm not really sure how much different the tubes in that would be from the tubes in these.. I try to be careful about what I ride over.

Nagrom_

wut.

Tubulars are expensive to keep rolling

sinikl

Tubeless would mean a clincher tire with a rim that would lose no air (this is not what you have), similar to a car radial tire. Tubular means a tire that is also a tube, all in one, that needs to be glued to the rim (and the glue set up fully) before you could use it. This is why it's a bad idea for a street ridden bike.

When you said "track bike" i assumed you were actually riding on a velodrome. I think you mean street "fixed gear". Especially with a 42T chainring. I'm not trying to be a pedant; i like to call my POS kilo a "tarck bike", but the use case here is totally different and it matters.

Tubular would be OK for a 'drome, cause you're not going to flat (probably, and if you do, maybe you can wait for it to glue up before riding on it) but is a horrible idea for the street.

Changing a clincher 700-23 is enough of a PITA for me that i would never run tubulars on the street, but maybe that's just me.

With regard to your original question, you don't really want a quick release axle (i think this is what motivated your friend's comment that you needed some kind of "conversion"). The hub is clearly set up for a fixed, so if the spacing of the hub fits your dropouts (120mm spacing) then you'd want a (longer) threaded axle to take track nuts. Maybe your axle is shorter than what you'd need for a nutted (not QR) setup, in which case you'd be asking where to find a longer nutted axle. Does that help? Is that even what you're asking?

I feel like i may be not understanding the question.

sours

I looked up the tire that is currently on it, and its a Tufo Jet Pro 26"... Googled it, and this came up, https://www.everybicycletire.com/shop...ncher-571.aspx and it calls it a tubular clincher lol, sorry for the misphrasing

Thank you for the response, when I saw the quick release I kinda knew it wouldn't work I just didn't really know in what way. I don't really understand what to ask either which is why this is kind of hard, I'm just trying to get it to work with my bike, and I'm not sure what components are needed to get it to mesh together, I'm a total novice and I dont know the first thing about bikes, feel like I'm in a little over my head with all the terminologies

Training.Wheels

Bring your bike to a shop. You can't fix things on your own. It's fixable, don't worry too much. If I were you though, I would sell those wheels, make a small profit, then invest in some clinchers. Tubulars are for controlled environments where flats are less likely, or for people with waaaay too much money on their hands.

sinikl

So am i right that you want a longer axle to get rid of the QR? That will help us answer with what you need to convert, and how to do that right...

An axle is an axle, and a longer axle will get you the ability to run nuts instead of the QR. So if that's your goal, find a longer axle. But here's where it gets trickier (or at least.
"requires tools" tricky).

To swap in a longer axle, you will have to disassemble the hub completely, swap in your longer axle (sourced from ???) and then center that axle in the hub, and wind on the hub bearing preload nuts ("cone" or preload nuts if it's a cartridge bearing instead of loose-ball brgs) and have the tools necesseary to set the locknuts for the bearing (as distinct from the cone/preload nuts) once you've got it centered.

Does that help?

Nagrom_

If he's dead set on running the wheelset, the QR would be fine. It's a closed cam, so should clamp with plenty of force.

sours

I didnt make the connection with quick release and QR until just now, makes a lot more sense now...


I was told by my friend that I bought the disc from that it would work and I would just need a new sprocket and it would just kind of twist on, and that the QR could stay... I showed my friend I bought the Langster from the wheels and he liked them alot, but he told me that I would need a 3/8" solid axle hub - I don't really know how that is different than what is currently on there, but he was pretty steadfast that that change to a 3/8" was needed, and that once it was done I would be able to throw my current rear sprocket on there. If the first instance is the case where I can thread a sprocket on (?), where should I look/what should I look for?
If its the case that I need to swap out the axle, would most bike shops be able to help me out there? Or would I need to take it to a HED dealer? How expensive is it? Thank you again for the help everyone, learned alot already lol...



^^^^ Nagrom, if the quick release will work for mounting, how would I go about acquiring/installing a sprocket on there and getting it together? I kind of do want to ride these around on my bike regardless of how impractical it is I guess, I just paid for them and I'm a college student so it was a pretty significant amount to me lol, I don't have a license right now so I figured I'd make an investment in something I use every day. I do have quite a large collection of tools, just nothing really bike centric like chain breakers or what have you, and I'd really rather spend a couple hours and rip my hair out for a bit and come out knowing how to do these things then just paying someone else to do it for me, unless it is a really skill-centric job that needs to be done

Training.Wheels

You can take it to any shop. You'll have to anyways since you will need help putting your cog, or sprocket as you call it, on there. Don't just "twist on" anything - it has to be tightened with tools. You'll need a lockring with that cog, too. So you're certain the QR doesn't work? Have you ever used one?

Nagrom_

Again, before you decide you actually want to ride this, call a shop, ask them how much it costs to change a tubular flat.

You're going to be out ~60 dollars for a tire, ~30 dollars labor, and if they use glue instead of tape, it will take about three days.

sinikl

Moving the "cog" (that's what we call it) or "sprocket" (what you call it, technically more correct but whatever) from your existing wheel to the new wheel will involve:
-a chainwhip
-patience
-OR rotafixing the cog off ONCE YOU REMOVE THE LOCKRING (google or youtube "rotafix")

so, removing the lockring will involve
-buying a locking tool
-remembering that lockrings are "reverse threaded" so that counterclockwise=tight (most threads are clockwise to tighten, but not this one. its sole purpose is to keep your cog from backing off the hub when you resist pedaling, so it sees "lefty" forces and needs to use those to self tighten. capisce?).
-so... righty=loosey for the lock ring... unlike most threads that are "righty=tighty". follow me?

Threading on your parts should be straightforward. the cog goes on "righty tighty" (or, clockwise=tighten) and the lockring goes on the other way (lefty=tighty)

At this point, (or even before) if you are still confused, just pay a bike shop. They KNOW what's up and they'll set you up. You probably don't even want to spend the money for the lockring tool because your local bike shop can sort all of this for you cheaper than the tool costs.

sours

I have a quick release on my motobecane, my gary fisher and my univega... I've never really messed with any of them other than lubing maintenance wise, and I've always just thought quick release was a nice feature to collapse a bike to fit in the car and was just kind of a bolt on thing with the hub and not an actual component to it.

This is my first fixed single speed bike and the wheels actually nutted down onto the chain stay instead of having a quick release which is also a first, and it is why I was thinking that the force from pedal resistance might end up setting the quick release askew and thats why it was nutted down. On top of that, I was told by the person I bought the bike from that it was incompatible, which is why I came to the conclusion that the QR was kind of an unfeasible option...

I keep getting told different things by different friends hence the confusion, but you guys have been pretty consistent with your answers and I appreciate it. I'll take it to a local bike store along with my bike assembled the way it is and see if they can't get the cog/sprocket mounted on it and the wheel on my bike as opposed to elongating the axle and actually nutting it down.

I know... and I'm taking that into consideration as its my only mode of transportation really at this point in time so I don't even know how I'd get it down to a bike shop to have it repaired, but I already bought the wheels and Im just staring at a disc of carbon fiber and that deep v front that I've been wanting and I kind of feel obligated to go through with it. If you don't mind me asking, how much do you think the set of wheels I got would be worth? With the front in mintish other than decals, and the back having several indents and one small 1/2"-3/4" dent...

sinikl

EXPECT them to wonder just what in the hell you are trying to accomplish [have cool wheels on a bike with a small chainring... may trigger skepticism or snark on their part] and be ready to explain you got a deal on these wheels and NEED HELP. Most important, you're out of your element [you are, i'm not being a dick], but this establishes you're not telling them what to do, and want them to do what they think is best. Bring beer [optional, but seriously, it helps] and be mellow. Hopefully they're not towering pricks, but that's sort of a bike mechanic thing. Be humble-ish but don't let them abuse you/make fun of you.

sours

I talked to one of the only bike stores locally where I'm at right now (I'm going back up to Portland, OR in a week or two) earlier today about wheelsets, and he said he could probably build me a Velocity Deep V set for only a little less than I paid for these guys with no-name spokes and half-way decent hubs... He told me that Velocity was name-brand and there are other cheaper pretty identical ones, and he also told me not to mess with anything else on the bike beyond what I had done and to just ride it. I was going heed advice and bring it over there tomorrow and I was already expecting a bit of a facepalm reaction, especially after having read what you guys have to say on the wheels... I just needed a Portland-compliant wheelset lol, and I figured that these would be worth it over the new Velocities... Thank you again everyone, I really do appreciate the help