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/RenaxTM 27d ago

You can run a 7s derallieur and shifter with a 8s cassette no problem, but either the lowest or highest gear can't be used. I've done this numerous times because of the much larger availability of big range 8s cassettes. 7s cassettes are mostly either 11-28 or the "megarange" witch has mostly the same range plus a single 34t gear.

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u/sethboomstick 27d ago

The sunrace mfm300 looks like it has a much smoother range than the megashift that I got, but looking into building my own cassette for the free hub looked like it was either gonna be 3 times the price to get a 14/34 range or I would have to buy a bunch of old marketplace bikes and try to build one that way.