Silly MTB wheels question

[CNY rider]

Apologies in advance for this one. I haven't dealt with 26 inch wheels and MTB equipment in decades so I am clueless.
I have an old Gary Fisher MTB tandem with 26 inch wheels running 7 speed Shimano.
I would like to have an extra wheel set.
Everything I see advertised in 26 inch MTB wheels has some sort of rotor specification.
Can these wheels still be used as regular rim brake wheels on my tandem?

Thanks.

[cinema]

it depends on the rim, if it has a braking surface and if the hub spacing is the same. standard is 100 front/135 rear

[Ken Robb]

I bought a Marin Rift Zone in 2001 that had wheels that worked with disc or rim brakes so there were holes in the hubs to mount rotors but it also had machined braking surfaces on the rims for V-Brakes. Since disc brakes are all the rage now except on the very low-end bikes I think you will need to look to the used market to find quality wheels with braking surfaces for rim brakes. You might be able to find some new rims with braking surfaces and have them built on nice XT or XTR hubs without breaking the bank.

[Ken Robb]

Hmmm, I think a bike with 7 speed hubs might be 130 or 135mm rear spacing because I have seen bikes from the late 1980s-early 1990s with both.

[Jake January]

http://www.wheelbuilder.com/velocity-cliff-hanger-mtb-rim.html:fight:
They also have a 30mm rim which is good for fatty tires.

[jeduardo]

Just a suggestion...
I'd try posting a WTB in the classifieds, because I am quite sure that several "old school MTB" Paceliners still have a, rim brake specific, 26er wheelset stashed away (I may?).

[Fatty]

Centerlock disc , come with little rubber boots that cover up the spline mounting point for the rotor.

http://www.velomine.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=122_361_363&products_id=3677

[Gummee]

I don't have any wheels, but I *do* have a pair of NOS 517 rims stashed

Bought em 'cause my now ex- had a tendency to not ride smoothly. She didn't ride enough to trash the wheels on the bike and now she's an ex-

M

[peanutgallery]

What's the spacing of the rear on that frame? 130 or 135?

You can certainly build up a set proper but I don't know about squeezing a wider hub in a tandem. Maybe its just me but I think you'll be better off with the correct hub. Road if its a 130 and mtb if its a 135

[toytech]

If it is a tandem it likely has 140mm spaced rears around the 7 speed era, later 145 or even wider

[Ken Robb]

I don't have any wheels, but I *do* have a pair of NOS 517 rims stashed

Bought em 'cause my now ex- had a tendency to not ride smoothly. She didn't ride enough to trash the wheels on the bike and now she's an ex-

M
I'm enjoying 32 hole 517/XT wheels now.

[pdmtong]

Apologies in advance for this one. I haven't dealt with 26 inch wheels and MTB equipment in decades so I am clueless.
I have an old Gary Fisher MTB tandem with 26 inch wheels running 7 speed Shimano.
I would like to have an extra wheel set.
Everything I see advertised in 26 inch MTB wheels has some sort of rotor specification.
Can these wheels still be used as regular rim brake wheels on my tandem?

Thanks.

My wife and I gave "each other" a GF gemini in 1993 as our wedding present to each other. 7sp deore. pedersen SE brakes. the black spackled one next gen after the red one.

you need a 26" rim brake wheelset. a disc wheel does not have a brake track. those araya 20 were bomber. I think mavic 517 too light weight. buy some king or hope hubs and build out a wheelset using DH rims?

we toasted that deore rear hub on a steep. king or hope only way to go if you really load it up.

[jzisk]

I built a set of 26 using Stans ZTR 350's that were un-machined... and have lasted forever. I used Stans Arch 29 disc-specific rims with rim brakes-- also a non-machined surface that is actually thicker (due to not having been machined) than their rim brake version. I have tried another Stans (do not recall the model-- Arch EX or a newer...) that had a surface which was too small for the brake pads, so I abandoned them. Rim shape, thickness and height are the issues.

[CNY rider]

My wife and I gave "each other" a GF gemini in 1993 as our wedding present to each other. 7sp deore. pedersen SE brakes. the black spackled one next gen after the red one.

you need a 26" rim brake wheelset. a disc wheel does not have a brake track. those araya 20 were bomber. I think mavic 517 too light weight. buy some king or hope hubs and build out a wheelset using DH rims?

we toasted that deore rear hub on a steep. king or hope only way to go if you really load it up.

That's awesome! We have the red one.:beer:
I can't begin to describe how much fun I've had with the kids on it this year. We even went to a mountain biking tandem rally a few weeks ago.
I have been running a smooth profile tire on the dirt roads around here but want to keep a separate set of mounted knobby tires for trail riding.
Thank you and everyone who has posted for the information and suggestions.

[SpeedyChix]

What spacing do you need for the rear? I've got a couple of sets here that I'm pretty sure are 7-speed. If you're interested I'll pull them out to get you info. Yours for cost of shipping if they'll be useful.

edit: maybe these are 8 non hyper glide? They are splined cassette.

[jh_on_the_cape]

Every 7 speed I have seen has been a thread on freewheel. 8 speed and up is a splined freehub. So unless you want to change the drivetrain, stick with 7 speed. Should be very cheap used, but check the dropout spacing.
Also, go for more spokes on a tandem if you are both normal adult size.

[CNY rider]

It's a Shimano Deore XT M732 rear hub, takes a 7 speed cassette.
Spacing is 135.

Did a little research, looks like they were very common MTB hubs 25 or so years ago.

Bombproof!

[pdmtong]

It's a Shimano Deore XT M732 rear hub, takes a 7 speed cassette.
Spacing is 135.

Did a little research, looks like they were very common MTB hubs 25 or so years ago.

Bombproof!

they were standard, and for your needs should be fine. my wife and I blew ours up trying to make a section. so, like I said, moderate load ok, but ongoing heavy load will cause those pawls to start snapping off. good idea to get a second set of wheels. makes life easier.

if you really like riding off road, start looking for a used ventana. full suspension and discs make for a very nice dirt ride.

[Ken Robb]

It's a Shimano Deore XT M732 rear hub, takes a 7 speed cassette.
Spacing is 135.

Did a little research, looks like they were very common MTB hubs 25 or so years ago.

Bombproof!
I have one of these with 36 hole 700mm rims on my Riv Allrounder shifted by SunTour PowerRatchet bar-ends. Works great.