I recently bought a specialized expedition decked out with some old campy gear. I unfortunately dented the rear rim beyond repair. When i took the rim into salvage the cassette, and the mechanic could not take it off as the cassette was stuck and grove for the wrench warped (see attached photos).

With a very limited know-how for bikes I come here seeking advice about replacing the backwheel/cassette. At first I was thinking i would find the identical rim (mavic MA 40 36hole) and have the wheel be rebuilt with the campy cassette (5-speed). But really, I don't care about the vintage feel of the bike nearly as much as I do about having the thing run great.

The mechanic I talked to said he would put on a shimano claris hub w/ a suncr 18rim (bear with me i don't know what im talking about here) and an entry level shimano 7-speed cassette on it which would come out to about $110 (~80 for wheel ~30 for cassette).

Right now I'm using a spare wheel from a friend, but i'd like to find a long term solution soon and am willing to spend about $100-130 on parts. Is the cassette salvageable/ worth salvaging? What would ya'll recommend as a solution? Would switching from a 5-speed to a 7-speed cause any difficulty for the chain or bike?

That is a real kludge of a 'cassette'. Price set for wheel and 7spd is not at all bad for a shop and the parts you
list are a more than adequate grouping. 7spd should be compatible with your chain/RD and shifters. Ask about
rear fork spacing on the bike versus the wheel your mechanic proposes as the new wheel is likely to be a bit
wider than the old one which can cause minor problems, usually not insurmountable. Ask if the 18 on the rim
is the width. A 32 or 36 hole rim is more than adequate for any use. Old era rims were pretty soft. A new
one should be a lot tougher. Have the chain checked for wear, you might need a new one.

The freewheel (not cassette) is not salvageable, though in theory it is removable you have a very good price for a
new wheel so the hub is not worth the effort, even if Campy though it might be worth something.

THAT IS NOT A CASSETTE. IT IS A FREEWHEEL.

As far as replace vs rebuild. That is up to you. To get the freewheel off, put the tool back in, then clamp down the quick release onto the tool as tight as it an go, then try twisting off (maybe with the tool in a vise). A few prayers help.

I've also carefully filed new notches into a freewheel (not sure if it was before or after getting it off). But, enough good freewheels are available, that I'd toss that one and use a more modern freewheel that takes a splined tool if you get it off.

So, the question comes down to upgrading to a new 7 speed (or greater) cassette, or rebuilding the wheel around the original Campy hub, then using a 5, 6, or 7 speed freewheel.

The Campy hubs are quite nice, but old.

Does the front hub match?

Rebuilding your old hub into a new rim could easily cost you that same $100 to $130 or so. Do you wish to try your first wheel build? But, then you keep a piece of the old bike.

Make sure you get the freewheel off before removing any spokes from the old wheel.

Oh,
If you can get the freewheel off, then the old hub can probably be sold for around $40 or so to help fund your project, depending on exactly what it is.

If the rim's bent and your freewheel's removal slot is shot, your mechanic's not out of line to suggest a whole new wheel. The repair option and the prices he quoted you are totally reasonable.

But on the other hand... If I was in your shoes, and assuming the front and rear hubs are a matched set in good shape, I might go through the effort to build a new wheel around your original hub. You'd need to get the freewheel off first and you might have to resort to destructive removal. (Park Tool's web site shows one method.) After getting the freewheel off, unlace the wheel by removing or cutting the spokes. Then build a new wheel around your old hub and screw a new freewheel onto your freshly-built wheel.

Those freewheel notches look pretty stripped, making hub salvage difficult.

You should check the dropout spacing. Trying to stick a modern 130mm wide hub in 120mm dropouts is a bit of a stretch without cold-setting.

As mentioned, your current wheel uses a freewheel instead of a cassette. The main difference is that the ratchet mechanism (which lets the wheel coast) is built into the freewheel whereas current wheels have the ratchet in a freehub part that stays with the hub and all you replace are the cogs that make up the cassette. The other difference is that the cassette arrangement allows the hub bearings to be placed farther apart which puts much less stress on the axle - it was not uncommon for axles to break back when we all used freewheels and this is quite rare with cassette hubs. Cassettes are also much easier to remove - as you found out, freewheels can get very tight resulting in breakage when you attempt to remove them.

Given that you need both a replacement rim and cogset, I'd go along with the shop's recommendation to get a new wheel with a cassette. The spacing of the rear dropouts of your bike may currently be 120mm whereas the 7-speed cassette hub would be 126mm (or 130mm if designed to accommodate even more cogs). Since you have a steel frame, the shop should be able to easily respace your frame to the wider size if needed.

I'd get a nice double walled aluminium rim. Doesn't need to cost more than 20 euros.
Nice Shimano Tiagra hub, with a freehub, for 8-10 speed cassettes, not the 11 speed one.
Make sure they're both for 36 spokes.
Get 36 stainless steel DT Swiss spokes, with brass niples.

Get a new 7 speed cassette, place a 4 mm spacer, then cassette, then lockring. It will work like a charm.

From what little I can see, this is a fairly nice, albeit old bike. I would look for a period-correct rear wheel on EBay. While you are at it, get the 'replacement' wheel (maybe with a matching front as well) if you need to ride it right away. Then, when you find the 'correct' replacement for the rear, you will have a 'classic' wheelset as well.

The hub should be fine; the damaged notches just mean that it may take a little bit more effort or ingenuity than usual to get the freewheel off.

thewyattshaw, Welcome to the forum.

It's a shame about the freewheel yet this and other set backs can happen with disassembling an old bike. Your bike shop has come upon a very workable solution, not to mention more affordable than most shops can offer. The Sun CR18 rim, in spite of it's budget price is a well regarded replacement and I'd try to budget replacing the front rim and spokes to match.

There are still freewheel hubs available, but if you are a heavy rider or plan to carry a touring load, I suggest using a stronger freehub design hub. You maybe able to simply install a 126 mm spaced hub, freewheel or freehub, into your 120 mm spaced rear drop outs, but the 126 mm freehub hubs are sometimes difficult to find so more likely the rear hub will be 130 mm wide and the shop will need to re-space the rear via cold setting the frame.

The rear derailleur may not have enough lateral movement to cover the 7S cassette. A replacement RD isn't much money.

I know my suggestions are liberally spending your money, but you can do the front wheel at a later time as that's a cosmetic item. Another possibility is to go 8S, if the 130 mm hub is the only hub available as the cassette price is about the same and it won't require a 4.5 mm spacer. This will also require your RD to span a greater distance and is more likely to require a replacement RD.

Brad

great advice all! I agree with the majority of you who think going ahead with the mechanic's recommendation is the best plan given my budget and priorities for the bike. I will certainly be enquire about the dropout spacing and possible issues with a differently sized hub. I checked with the mechanic about the chain, but might just get a new one to ensure it runs smooth and problem free with the new cassette.

Thanks all!

My Specialized Expedition came with a Wolber 58 40 spoke rim.

MA 40 were collectors Items + got More so When Mr Bontrager Scoured the dumpster at Specialized
and cut the 40 hole down and rolled them down to 559..




seek them on Ebay Its A Freewheel You should Know.. Regina not Campag but they both are Dead products
(Campag made aluminum cog 6 speed Race day freewheels .. Really rare at auction by now)

and the Regina Company is long dead

You just want A freewheel to use the Bike,. they will be coming from Asia.

The Hub can be cleaned and re greased with Fresh Balls , throw the freewheel away once you Get it OFF.

Going to 7 from 5 means spreading the frame from 120 to 135 (126 would do, but the current road standard is 130 or 135)
[turn the job over to someone who has done that before )You are needing a new chain by now

7 speed is 1980's, the pushing of more went to 8 (7 speed like Spacing)

then 9.10. & 11 packed into the width of 8..






./.