02 · Wheelsets, hubs and spokes

Bicycle wheels matched by ISO size, axle and brake, not by the inch on the sticker.

Complete wheelsets for 700c road and city bikes, 650b, and 16, 20 and 24 in kids' bikes, plus hubs, spokes and brass nipples. Wheelsets start at $140 a pair. Spokes are cut to a length we calculate, sold per set of 36.

Pair of 700c road bike wheels leaning against a plaster wall

ISO 203 to 622Wheelsets from $140 a pairQR or thru-axle

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Whole wheels, or the parts to build and fix them.

Wheelsets

A wheel has to match the bike three ways at once. ISO bead-seat diameter, so the tyre you already own still fits and the brake reaches the rim. Axle standard, quick release or thru-axle, at the right spacing. And brake type: a rim-brake wheel needs a machined braking track, a disc wheel needs a 6-bolt or Center Lock hub mount. Miss any one of the three and the wheel will not go in, or will go in and not stop.

Road and city wheelsets are 700c, ISO 622, with aluminium rims and double-wall construction as standard. For kids we stock 16, 20 and 24 in front and rear wheels, and a 20 inch kids bike wheel in ISO 406 is by far the commonest ask. Rear kids' wheels come with a coaster hub or a thread-on freewheel to match what is already on the bike. We sell single wheels when only one is damaged; you do not have to buy the pair.

Sizes700c, 650b, 24, 20, 16 in
AxleQR or thru-axle
Brakerim, 6-bolt, Center Lock
Kids' rear hubscoaster or freewheel

Per pair or single wheel; indicative from $140 a pair, confirmed in our reply

Bare bicycle hub with a bundle of spokes and brass nipples — Hub shell, spokes cut to length, brass nipples. The parts of a rebuild.

What we need for a spoke length

Rim ERDmm
Flange diameter, each sidemm
Centre to flange, each sidemm
Spoke count and crosse.g. 32 × 3

If you only have the rim and hub model names, send those. We look up the published figures and tell you which ones we had to assume.

Hubs, spokes and nipples

For rebuilds and repairs. A snapped spoke on the drive side is the usual reason someone writes in, and the answer is almost never “the same length as the one next to it”. Drive and non-drive sides on a rear wheel take different lengths, often 2 mm apart. We calculate spoke length from the rim's ERD and the hub's flange diameter and offset, then round to the nearest length we can cut.

Spokes are stainless, sold cut to length in sets of 36, enough for a full wheel plus spares on 32-hole builds. Nipples are brass by default. We do not push alloy nipples on a commuter wheel; they save a few grams and corrode in a wet Texas winter. Hubs are quoted by axle, spacing, hole count and freehub or brake mount, so tell us all four.

Spokesstainless, per set of 36
Nipplesbrass by default
Length fromERD + flange figures
Hubs byaxle, holes, mount

Per hub, or spokes per set of 36 cut to length

ISO bead-seat diameter

Read the small number. It is the only size that is always right.

Inch sizes are trade names. Two “20 inch” wheels can differ by 45 mm. The ISO number on the tyre sidewall, written like 37-406, is the bead-seat diameter in mm, and it is what we match against.

ISO bead-seat diameters we stock wheels, tyres or tubes for
ISO (mm)	Trade name	Where you find it	Watch for
203	12 in	Balance and first pedal bikes, roughly ages 2 to 4	Some 12 in tyres are 194; read the sidewall
254	14 in	Kids' bikes, roughly ages 3 to 5	Less common; stock is thinner
305	16 in	Kids' bikes, roughly ages 4 to 6, folding bikes	Some folders use 349, not 305
406	20 in	Most 20 in kids' bikes, BMX, many folders	The default; a few kids' bikes run 451
451	20 in (1 1/8)	Some kids' road bikes, older folders	Will not take a 406 tyre. Ever.
507	24 in	Kids' bikes, roughly ages 8 to 11	Older 24 in city bikes may be 540
559	26 in	Older mountain bikes, many cruisers	Old English 26 in roadsters are 590
584	650b / 27.5 in	Gravel, some city and touring bikes	Not interchangeable with 700c on rim brakes
622	700c / 28 in / 29 in	Road, city, hybrid, 29er	Old 27 in road wheels are 630

Age ranges are a rough guide only; inseam decides kids' wheel size. See the kids' bikes page for the inseam guidance.

Axle and brake

The other two checks a wheel has to pass.

Measure between the inside faces of the dropouts, or read the axle end. A thru-axle is a fat bolt through a closed hole; a quick release is a thin skewer through slots.

Common axle spacing
Bike	Front	Rear
Road, rim brake	100 mm QR	130 mm QR
Road, disc	12 × 100 TA	12 × 142 TA
City, hybrid	100 mm QR	135 mm QR
Kids' 16–20 in	100 mm nutted	110–120 mm nutted

How a wheel quote runs

One reading, one photo, then a price.

Read the tyre sidewall. The pair of numbers like 28-622 or 47-406. Send both.
Photograph the hub and dropout. Shows us axle type, brake mount, cassette or freewheel, and spacing if you hold a ruler across it.
We reply within one business day. The wheel or parts, each check listed beside it, an indicative price held for seven days. Want a tyre or tube with it? We add those from tyres and tubes in the same reply.
You confirm by email or phone. We ship. No payment is taken on this site.

Wheel questions

What people ask about wheels at the counter.

Can I put 700c wheels on a bike that came with 650b?

On a disc-brake frame with clearance, sometimes. On rim brakes, no: the brake pads sit 19 mm out of reach. We check the frame's tyre clearance before saying yes.

Is it cheaper to rebuild or replace?

One or two broken spokes: replace the spokes. A cracked rim on a mid-range wheel: a new wheel usually costs less than a rim, spokes and the labour to build it. We quote both when it is close.

Who is this not for?

We do not build custom carbon race wheels, and we do not source e-bike hub motors or fat-bike wheels. We supply spokes and parts; we do not true or build wheels in-house.

Send the sidewall numbers and a hub photo.

That is enough for most wheel quotes. Reply within one business day, Mon to Fri. Or call +1 (565) 555-2353.

Send your bike's details