I have a tacoed back wheel on my bike, its a cheap bike, but I really like it. It's a Mongoose Hotshot 700c. Taco'ing is from impact. I was wondering if can take the wheel off and loosen spokes and put them on a new 700c rim? I don't know if its freewheel or cassette, I'm not really versed in bike maintenance. I would be willing to buy a new back wheel as long as it wasn't too much, but the manual didn't come with any technical specifications for which wheels will fit on this bike. Someone also said it has to be either freewheel or cassette, I honestly have no idea, and they said the new wheel hub would have to fit. Can I just loosen the spokes on it and transfer hub and spokes to new 700c rim?

Yes you can. But as a self-confessed novice when it comes to bike maintenance, this is probably one of the most difficult things you can do. (Note: the rim would need to be nearly identical or you could run into issues with spoke length. Not all 700c rims are equal) That's not to say you can't do it - you might turn out to be really good at it. But wheel building is something of a dark art (at least for duffers like me) and it's not a quick job. Rear wheels in particular require 'dishing' to accommodate the position of the rim in relation to the spoke holes on the hub. The cassette/ freewheel essentially puts the hub off-centre, so dishing addresses this problem.

Easiest solution: get a new wheel. Take the existing wheel to your local bike shop and have them tell you what you need in terms of spec for replacement. If you're on a tight budget, wheels can be very very cheap in the used parts market. Good luck

Get thee to an LBS with your damaged rear wheel and buy a replacement. The LBS will easily determine what specifications the new wheel must meet.

As noted, trying to relace a new rim using your existing hub and spokes requires a nearly identical rim for both ERD (effective rim diameter) and spoke count and the skill to do the job properly. It doesn't sound like you are knowledgable enough at this point to do it.

I'll second HillRider's advice but add that the OP should keep the old wheel and begin his learning to do repairs on it. While the rim is not likely to ever return to true enough to use the hub can still be a no risk learning tool. Andy

Yes, a bike shop gets wheels from their wholesalers ,
for a price lower than the cost of the retail cost
of those parts , minus the labor to build it in the shop.

The Shop can hand check the wheel before handing it to you over the counter

as a sub $100 bike* that was not done at the non bike shop, where you bought the bike.
they just don't do that.

* did a quick google search, they sell for $99.00, whole bike..

... problem with 'used parts market', is the rear wheel is the first to go.



....

Is this your bike?
https://www.walmart.com/ip/700C-Mong...ange/143302742
If so, think carefully about the costs of repairing it, and maintaining it. What sort of impact resulted in your wheel taking the form of a Taco?. A well built wheel would need an impact that probably would have resulted in an injury to you. More information about that impact would be helpful. Changing a rim isn't difficult, but to do it properly requires time and expertise, both of which cost money
Kenny Rodgers said it best, "you gotta know when to hold them and know when to fold them"
I can understand why you are enjoying your bike, but you have to also understand how expensive it may be to maintain it

Who's this "someone" & also this "they" ? Any lbs that is worth the toilet paper in the restroom shouldn't have any troubles finding you the best solution to satisfy your situation.

The cheapest answer is probably going to turn out to be a replacement wheel from your local bike shop.

Bicycle wheels, despite being light in weight, are fairly pricy to ship. You say it's a cheap bike that you have been generally satisfied. That means it came with ordinary factory built wheels. A replacement wheel from a bike shop will match what was there before and that you have been happy with..