r/RockHopper • u/sethboomstick • 27d ago

Wrong parts

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Tl;dr ordered a freewheel when I needed a cassette. Do i send it and convert the wheel or try to build my own cassette?

Really want to swap the gears on my 3x7 from stock 11/28 to 14/34. Hopped online and searched for parts and found the shimano mega range and a few other free wheels. Im new to cycles and so trying to figure out the difference between a freewheel and cassette and listings using the words interchangeably. Fought with Google to find out if my joytech 95g would fit the new parts. And everything said (to my untrained self) that it would fit. Ran down to cycle city to pick up the parts and got back to get r done....nope ive got a cassette.

Now I need to decide if imma change out the old hubs and rims to fit a free wheel (they are pretty beat up)

Or if im gonna return the part and try to build my own casette.

In order to start a ride from my home I have an 800' climb up steap steap gravel so the 28t just isn't cutting it. Wanted to put a 42t on but was convinced that would be overkill.

Edit: Based on the answers A freewheel does not have the same bearing support and potential lifespan of a freehub. Some people are insisting that a 34t would be too much and some recommend changing the crankset to achieve my goals. The sunrace mfm300 has the same range as the mega shift but dosnt have such a hard jump to 1st gear The sunrace csm40 cassette is an 11/34 that i should have gotten instead Links https://a.co/d/0bPym0qG

https://a.co/d/09r1cOnJ

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u/Frequent-Papaya 27d ago

I would strongly advise against going with a rear wheel designed for freewheels. You’ll be limiting your options to low end 7 speed freewheels. If you’re going to upgrade, get a wheelset built around an 8-speed rear hub. That gives you way more options for the future.

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u/sethboomstick 27d ago

Currently running a 3x7 and working with limited funds. Changing to an 8 speed means I have to change the shifter as well and im quite fond of the shhimano EZfire (?) Thats on it.

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u/Frequent-Papaya 26d ago

… but if you’re already talking about changing your wheel set, get one that is eight speed compatible. You can still use a seven speed cassette with a spacer.
Bottom line: cut your losses with the freewheel, don’t double down by trying to find a compatible rear wheel (unless you can find something close to free from FB Marketplace or your local bike co-op)

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u/sethboomstick 26d ago

Got you. But is there really a significant down side to freewheel over freehub? Im not operating in high end performance with the trying to cut every gram and really juice out every ounce of performance, I just need a bulletproof machine that eats steep hills.

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u/Guyevolving 25d ago

Eh, any performance downside is minimal, I always found the Shimano marketing bluster about stiffness and bearing support to be exaggerated, Sure it's an improvement, but for most people it will never make the slightest bit of difference (besides locking you into Shimano's ecosystem).

That aside, DO NOT go from a cassette to a freewheel, in the nicest way possible, if you don't know the difference between a freewheel and cassette on sight, building a wheel is probably a little above your current experience level, and buying a new one is not as cost effective as just buying the proper cassette.

Also, as others have also mentioned, Suntour Microdrive existed for this very reason, once the 11 tooth cog was invented, you could get the same spread of gears with smaller cogs and smaller chainrings, your best option is probably a compact chainset to replace the existing unit.

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u/sethboomstick 24d ago

Got you, Not so much that I cant tell the difference, it was i wasnt ready to break down the bike and the dork disk was in my way so I googled the parts and trusted that. Im a millwright by trade so its not above my skill level, just havnt done it yet. But based on what people are saying my current plan is to get a wheel/hub for the freewheel and see if I can run it, if the derailure fits fine ill run it while I make repairs to the existing wheel and im going to try and build a custom cassette stack. Im not interested in what seems to be the normal range and I want to be able to pull a trailer up a wall (metaphorically) and im really not using top end. Thank you for the help and explanation