I am hoping to get some advice from you here about changing my wheelset on my commuter bike.

Currently my mid-90's Bianchi is running 32mm tires on aluminum rims, but both front and rear rims have sizable single rough patches on the braking surface which produces a sometimes alarming rumble or low squeal under braking. I'd like get a second set of wheels for winter tires.

Here's my problem. I am assuming it's a freewheel from that era mated to a 6-speed twist grip shifter. The hub width is 130mm. I can find 6-speed MTB wheelset, but they're 135mm. I can find 6-speed road rims, but they're 126mm. I can likely fit 126mm on to the frame, but the gears won't match the index shifter without adjustment.

Without having to convert to a 9 or 10 speed cassette and freehub, what are my options?

Thanks.

You can just have a shop put a new rim on using existing spokes and hubs, no?

- Andy

No. Op said his bike is mid 90's, those spokes are probably 15-20 years old with a lot of miles on them. Why the heck would anybody reuse and put 20 year old spokes on brand new rims ??. And even if he did reuse his old spokes then he would have to purchase exactly the same type of rims, spokes are not interchangeable between different rims because each rim has a different ERD. Start with new parts and do the job right the first time.

If it was me I would purchase a pair of Sun CR-18 rims, those rims are very cheap and very strong and then have a good shop lace them up to your hubs. That's probably a cheapest option.

Re build around the hubs you have , new spokes and rim, same pattern same way as before.

want new stuff ? Phil Wood Co. makes great screw on Freewheel hubs, (in the USA) I have used mine for a decade of Touring with only 1 spoke to replace.
126 wide takes a 6 or 7 speed.

you can also just take an as it comes machine built wheel set Freewheel hubs, and just ride your bike and not worry about the best or what is better than what-else.

Thanks for the replies, guys.

I'm not completely against building a new set, but it would only be as a last option. Ideally I'd like to keep these ones that I have, even though there are those rough patches. They could be used as sort of a back up set, or as I said, for my studded winter spikes.

Maybe I'll get lucky and find something used on CL that fits perfectly.

But a 2d wheelset at 126 old, get a longer axle (141 mm, wheels manufacturing has them), and 4 1 mm spacers. Set the spacers so it matches your original wheel and redish if needed.

This...

Alternately,

Respacing a steel frame is relatively easy. LBS.
Deore or Tiagra hubs, Sun CR18's, Wheelsmith Spokes.
Order hubs and rims online, LBS does the rest ?

use the different hubs and the spokes is it ok for you?

Will a wide, light cut file clean up the bad areas? Maybe it's actually build up which could be removed with a Scotch Brite or similar?

You could get a 126mm wheel.
Add 4mm of spacers under the lock nut to the NDS and respace the axle. You'll still have enough "protrusion" for a QR.
Redish the wheel 2mm to the NDS. This is easily accomplished by adding a bit more tension to the NDS spokes. Just go slow (1/8 turn at a time) and check often. You can use the brake pads to align. Just flip the wheel in the dropouts until it's the same distance from the same pad each time.

In reality, your drop outs would probably spread 4mm easily enough to slip in a 130mm spaced hub with no changes IF a steel frame.

BTW, any change in a different hu will probably require a slight change in RDER adjustment. Maybe a turn on the barrel adjuster.

No. The areas are more like pock marks. I'm not sure how it got there. Might be a manufacturing defect. It is too deep to file down, unfortunately.

Good suggestion, though I'm not confident enough to try to redish the wheel on my own.

You're right. I have fitted a 126mm on it without no problem, but the problem is that the gears don't quite match, and would require readjustment every time I want to swap wheels.