Originally Posted by
sknhgy
Since I would be getting a new hub, how difficult and costly would it be to change over to a freehub?
Lessee, Trek 820 with a freewheel... I'm guessing 6-speed with 130mm spacing. But it's a steel frame so you can put a 135mm rear hub in it without problems. So that part of changing to a freehub wheel is easy.
The more difficult part (i.e. more costly part) will be if you have indexed shifters that don't have friction mode. But if memory serves me right, the 820 had bar-top thumb shifters with friction mode (at least my friend's old 820 did). If so, all you'd need once you get the new wheel built (or bought) is an 8- or 9-speed cassette, a new chain to match and flip those shifters to friction and go.