What type of wheel do I need?

[edcracknell]

Hello chaps

I'm just an ordinary guy. I don't know anything about bike repair but I'm reasonably intelligent. So why am I finding it so hard to fix my bike? Nothing else in life seems to be this unnecessarily complicated.

I am trying to fix up my old Marin Kentfield (2006) hybrid bike. It has a bent rear axle. I figured I would buy a new wheel as well in case something in there is broken too.

I checked to see what sort of wheel the Marin Kentfield uses but nothing on the Marin website or anywhere else on the internet seems to know.

I checked the existing wheel to see if there were any useful markings. Nope.

I checked the tyres. These are labeled 700 x 35c. It should be a simple matter to find out what sort of wheel fits that size tyre shouldn't it? Someone on the internet must have had the same question. Nope.

So I bought a 700c wheel thinking this has the same number in it, and is advertised as being for hybrid bikes. I got it home but the tyre doesn't fit. Seems to be about half a centimeter bigger than my existing wheels.

Please could somebody explain this to me like I am a five year old? And if you could send a link to a suitable wheel on, say, amazon.co.uk that would be amazing.

Then I will need to work out what sort of axle to get. Is axle even the right word? Spindle? Help me. Please.

[Painkiller]

Maybe a pic of the old wheel and the new wheel would help.
Everything you said was fine but the last line you started talking about getting an axle, so lets start with some terms
A wheel is already built and includes.. rim, hub, spokes, and nipples. and the hub has an axle.. it could be a solid threaded rod that bolts to the rear dropouts or hollow with a quick release skewer that clamps the wheel to the dropouts.
I can only assume since you tried to put the tire on it is a built wheel?
Some tires are tighter than others and may need tire levers to get them on the rim. if you have a small amount of air in the tube to make stuffing the tube around the rim and tire easier that is fine, however when you start to rim the tire by hand and can go no further let the air out of the tube and that will free up some space to use the tire lever to pry the tire the rest of the way on. can you put one side of the tire on all the way around the rim?
Did your bike come with Kenda Kwest tires? If so the wheel you bought should work. only use plastic type levers with an aluminum rim and be careful not to pinch the tube.
but lets figure out about the axle issue so post some pics so we may help you better

[edcracknell]

Thanks Painkiller. I'll take another look tonight but the one thing I do know how to do is fix a puncture. I've never had this much trouble putting a tire on. I think it did go all the way on on one side though.

[Joe_W]

Well, the suitable wheel needs to have the following specs similar to your old one:
- rim width (if you want to use similar tyres)
- OLD (over lock nut distance, the "width" of the hub (more or less), from one lock nut to the other, otherwise wheel will not fit in frame)
- rim diameter
- similar way of attaching gears (so: freewheel or cassette, shimano compatible or not)

It also should be built by someone who knows. Low end wheels need to be retensioned (spoke tension is much too low) and trued and stress relieved and this can be a lot of work. There are custom wheelbuilders out there that are actually not that expensive if you compare the price of the finished wheel with what you would pay for the components.

As painkiller wrote, there are some tyres that are a pain to mount on some rims, so don't worry too much.

[DRBOB601]

Hi Ed,

I, too, have a 2006 Marin Kentfield that I'm just now preparing to fix up. Unfortunately, I can't seem to locate the special quick-release key wrench that is needed to remove the wheels. However, the info I have on my tires (both currently flat, after several years of neglect and lack of maintenance) is Kenda 700 x 35C -- 28 x 1 5/8 x 1 3/8
(K193-005). As far as I can tell, this item on amazon (http://www.amazon.com/700x35-Kwest-Black-Cross-Bicycle/dp/B001C6BJK6/ ) should be a suitable replacement. I was about to order two today...until I realized that I have no way to remove my current wheels unless I can locate my key. Can't seem to find a replacement key available anywhere online.

[xerxes]

Have you got a picture of the wheel skewers, or do you know the make and model of them?

[trevgbb]

look at this;
http://www.schwalbe.co.uk/_webedit/uploaded-files/All%20Files/Technical%20Info.pdf
especially p5 and p6.
The important number is the ETRTO size, this must match both the tyre and rim and you will see there are 3 different sizes listed as 700.(also applies to other wheel sizes)
Do not buy tyres by inch or metric sizes, always use the ETRTO size.
nb, this info does not appear to be on Schwalbe's US site?

[xerxes]

(05-22-2012, 04:49 AM)trevgbb Wrote:  Do not buy tyres by inch or metric sizes, always use the ETRTO size.
nb, this info does not appear to be on Schwalbe's US site?

That's because ETRTO stands for European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation.

http://www.etrto.org/


Some more info on Sheldon's site: http://sheldonbrown.com/rim-sizing.html