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I've got a "classic" road bike with 27" tires and a cassette.

I'm very open to suggestions, but my idea was to get a 700c back wheel , use with my existing 700 trainer tire and perhaps transfer the cassette over. I know about the drop length of the rear brakes. This bike will only ever be on a turbo.

What should I do here? Am I mistaken to think that riding any old road bike on a trainer is a bade idea? Do you think I can port this cassette to a modern 700c wheel?

rear cassette side one rear cassette side two road bike

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  • Forgot to add - if I cannot port over the cassette and have to buy a new one, will this "just work" on such an old chain / chain ring?
    – Ben Fitzgerald
    Oct 8, 2021 at 0:50

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This wheel looks like it has a freewheel, not a cassette, so you will not be able to move it over to a bike with a freehub. You can probably find a 700C wheel that takes a freewheel, although the simpler thing to do would be to get a 27" tire for this. Depending on how you plan on using your trainer, you could also use a single-speed wheel (I've done this).

Otherwise, I don't see using this bike as a dedicated trainer bike being a problem.

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  • My concern on getting a regular 27" tire was fast wear and noise. Perhaps I could minimize the noise part by getting a slick tire.
    – Ben Fitzgerald
    Oct 8, 2021 at 1:23
  • I guess my other option is getting a new wheel and cassette ? In this case would the older chain interface with the newer cassette teeth work together okay?
    – Ben Fitzgerald
    Oct 8, 2021 at 1:25
  • You would probably want to splurge on a new chain anyhow, just because A) this chain is probably ancient, B) chains tend to wear in to a cassette (or freewheel) and it's generally a good idea to replace the chain when you replace the freewheel, C) if the new cassette has more speeds, it probably needs a narrower chain.
    – Adam Rice
    Oct 8, 2021 at 1:27
  • Interesting point. I guess if I were to get a new wheel/cassette/chain I'd still be faced with wear on the chainrings! At that point I'm just left with the frame, which isn't nothing...
    – Ben Fitzgerald
    Oct 8, 2021 at 2:08
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    @BenFitzgerald That price was probably for a super high quality fancy pants track-racing set. Try a place that sells entry level fixies. Also you don't need a pair. Many shops sell wheels not as pairs. The problem might be that there are almost no new 5-speed free-wheels available, and there's the matter of the hub spacing.
    – Carel
    Oct 9, 2021 at 20:56

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