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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Denver, CO
    Posts
    606

    2nd Pair of Wheels (Road) For Gravel Bike

    I am thinking of selling my road bike and then using that money to buy a 2nd set of wheels for my Pivot Vault gravel bike. For those that have a 2nd set of wheels, do you find yourself actually using them that much? Having never had 2 sets of wheels for the same bike I have a number of dumb questions...do I need to basically duplicate my current wheel set/cassette (Reynolds ATRx disc with SRAM XG-1275 10/52) just with road tires? Or can do you have the freedom to switch up the wheel set and cassette? I don't want to deal with adjusting the rear derailleur (XX1 electronic) or brakes every time I want to swap out...just want to pop on the road wheels and ride.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Bozeman
    Posts
    354
    I did this just fine for a season using completely different wheelsets (deep carbon road wheels and cheap aluminum gravel wheels, different hub brands). I was running an 11-30 cassette on the road set and and an 11-34 on the gravel set. Didn't have to adjust the derailleur on swap (not electronic, don't know anything about that). It never gave me any issues.

    That said, I don't think it's automatic that it works as well as mine did - I think the spacing on some hubs/cassettes might be different enough that some derailleur adjustment is needed. I got lucky though. I think it's possible to shim a cassette to make it sit in the right place, but that's above my crappy garage mechanic pay grade.

    I wasn't thrilled with the whole setup in the end, though. I was putting gravel tires on a road bike, and finding I didn't have the tire clearance I wanted and I wanted a clutched derailleur for gravel too. I ended up buying a separate gravel bike. Might not be an issue going from gravel to road instead of road to gravel, though.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Posts
    2,440
    I got an extra set of wheels mounted w/ 32c road tires for my Warbird and use them alot. The lower weight and rolling resistance is noticeable and makes road rides more funner. What’s not funner is realigning the brake calipers every time I swapped wheels. So now I’ve got a new gravel wheelset ordered w/ the same hubs and discs as the road wheelset.


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  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    2,184
    Disc brakes are easy to micro-adjust with spacers. Cassette not so much. Get the same hub brand and you should have zero issues. I run something similar on my gravel bike.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    PA
    Posts
    2,648
    IME having done this, I swap infrequently and for relatively long periods of time. Run 32c slicks for winter + mellower dirt roads on stock Giant alloy wheels and 40c aggressive gravel tires on Stans Crest carbon mtb wheelset. Both with same cassette, but different rotors. Generally only have to adjust the brakes slightly. Works but not something I'd personally be willing to do daily/weekly.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    BC to CO
    Posts
    4,865
    Setting up the discs and cassettes to be aligned the same is fairly easy.
    One of my clients has 3 set of wheels for 1 race bike, and all 3 wheels have different hubs/spacing.
    You need to find the wheel set with the disc that is the furthest to outside, and match the others to that spacing. (because you cant make the disc or cassette closer to the centerline)
    If its a 6 bolt hub that you need to space out you can use the safety plates behind the bolts for shims.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    If you need to shim Center Lock rotors the best product is from Boyd Cycling. They have 0.25mm split ring shims that fir perfectly over Center Lock splines.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    You can always go 2004 getto style with aluminum can (0.097 mm) or steel beer can from Sapporo (0.21 mm) and cut your own shims.

    For cassette spacing there is always the standard 1mm Shimano 10 speed spacer, or the 1.85 spacer, and if you need a smaller size there is always bottom bracket spacers that will work, 0.25mm, 0.33mm, 0.5mm, lots of options.

    It sounds like a pain to get both wheel sets spaced exactly the same, but you will utilize the both sets of wheels if it plug and play, and you don't have to make any adjustments when switching wheels.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Elmore, VT
    Posts
    1,211
    I have two sets of wheels for my hardtail, 29 and 27.5+ with different hubs. I just swap the rotors and cassette and realign the brakes so its like a 20 minute job or so. No issues at all, really, but I'm not doing it that often either. I use the 27.5+ just for bikepacking a few times a season.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Among Greatness All Around
    Posts
    6,628
    I have a set of road wheels that I am thinking of running 25's on and swapping onto my gravel/touring bike. They both have the same number of gears on the cassette on each, but the gear ratio is slightly different. I put the rear on to test and it is slightly different where the rim brake pads land, so may have to adjust those each time. I have not put any miles on the road wheels (on this bike) so can't say that the shifting will be smooth and also work. If it doesn't then probably not worth the time unless I am going to run the wheels for an extended period. But I have a road bike that I'd probably just ride instead. Not sure what issues would be encountered with disc brakes as I have not run disc brakes yet on any bike personally.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    The Pacific Northwet
    Posts
    337
    I have a 2018 Devinci Hatchet. I run three sets of wheels and swap them out all the time with no problems. They all have different hubs, but the same cassette and same size rotors. For reference they are the stock Mavic All-road with Compass 32c, Stan's Avion with Hutchison 28c and XTR with Maxxis rambler/ ravanger. The XTR's have a modified ultegra cassette and spacer on the front to make it all work.

    I find this is a great way to go. I'm a dirty old man and don't really need to get long and low on the road to be more aero, so I'm happy to sit up behind my 70mm stem on the road. I do have a 100mm dropper that makes single track bombing on my local trails a blast. would recommend.
    Quote Originally Posted by hortence View Post
    When I did twice the work for half the control, I was a whiny little bitch

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Strong and Free
    Posts
    548
    These Syntace shims look like a good option for adjusting 6 bolt rotors, but I can't find any place that has them in stock and will ship to me in Canada for a reasonable price. Anybody have a few extras they could mail to me for $beer? Otherwise I will probably try individual washers for each bolt.

    Having 2 (or more) wheelsets for different types of riding sounds like a good idea, but in reality the hassle of adjusting brakes (and mine seem to be extra finicky to adjust) each time means that I don't actually swaps wheels very often. I need to spend some time upfront shimming the rotors to match.

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