I've posted this over in the Mechanics forum, too, but Commuting and Clydes are my true homes around here, so I thought I'd post this here, too, in case any of you could help.

I've got a cheap-o hybrid w/ a Shimano Tourney RX-30 rear derailleur on it that is my only bike and a daily commuter at that. The rear wheel is shot (bent axle, broken spokes galore lately) , and I'm looking to replace it. The current wheel has a 7-speed Shimano freewheel on it, and I'm looking at a possible replacement wheel that has a Deore LX hub, on which I'd be running a 7 speed Shimano HG50 cassette w/ similar gearing to what I have now.

Before I plop down my limited funds on a new wheel, cassette, etc., I just wanted to make sure there shouldn't be any issues with a conversion from freewheel to freehub as far as my Tourney derailleur and current shifters (basic Shimano V-brake easy-fire trigger type) are concerned. 7 speeds=7 speeds, whether they're on a freehub cassette or a freewheel, right?

Or is it overly naive to assume that a 7 speed Shimano shifter, a 7 speed Shimano rear derailleur, and a 7 speed Shimano cassette are all compatible?

I hope someone among you might be able to clarify things and hopefully reassure me enough so I can pull the trigger on this purchase and finally get my wheel woes taken care of...

Thanks all!

It should be a nice upgrade. You shouldn't have any issues.

It is pretty much plug and play... the spacing on a 7 speed cassette and freewheel are the same if you are comparing Shimano to Shimano and hub spacing should be the same but it a good idea to check.

I made that transition on my bottom of the barrel mountain bike, it made a huge difference. It ride smoother and I can easily pull the cassette off after a particularly dirty ride. Plus I have hit some pretty hard drops without any damage to the axle. The best part was the easy switch, it took about 5 minutes of tuning the rear dr and my trigger shifters were back to normal.

Excellent! Thanks for the quick replies, guys! Both wheels are 135 mm spacing, so that shouldn't be an issue. I'll be placing that order ASAP then.