djrx

Hi,
I need a replacement front wheel for my Motobecane (Bikesdirect.com). I accidentally left the front wheel at the bike trail weeks ago and no one has turned it in. I took it to my LBS and the guy told me to contact the manufacturer for a replacement. I emailed BD and they do not have a replacement for me. Their support is terrible and I would not be making another purchase from them.

It is a Thru Axel 15x100/ 700c wheel (please refer to link below). Please provide a link to any recommendations. I would prefer to buy a used wheel from Ebay.

Here are the details for the wheel I need. Thank you.

"F/HUB JY-D951-15 Front Alloy Disc Hub ( 6 BOLTS ) , 32H, THRUAxle: 15x100mm, Anodized Black, F.HUB THRUAxle F22-15 FRONT 15mm ,ANODIZED BLACK L:M14xP1.5x129mm
R/HUB JY-D342TSE-HL-X12-11S Rear Disc hub ( 6 BOLTS ), 32H, THRUAxle:12x142mm, D:45.9mm, Anodized Black"

bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/disc-brake-roadbikes/centurypro-discbrake-roadbike-xx.htm

GrainBrain

Weird a road bike with a 15mm thru axle? Either way these wheels are plentiful and cheap anywhere. Instead of searching for "700c" try searching for "29er".

Here's one:
https://www.cambriabike.com/products...xoCbdsQAvD_BwE

SilverRubicon

You're not going to find the same wheel with the exact components but replacements should be plentiful.

ksryder

A good LBS would help you find a wheel that works. If this was a "we don't want to work on Bikesdirect bikes" situation I'd suggest finding a new LBS.

mstateglfr 

The shop wouldnt sell you a new wheel? Thats absurd. Why ever go there again?
BD may not have wheels sitting around- the bikes are shipped fully assembled in boxes and those boxes are then shipped out to customers. I would be surprised to hear they have no spares, but perhaps they used to and are out of stock.

Based on specs, that is about the most generic 29er front wheel ever made. There will be thousands of replacement wheels on ebay, craigslist, etc. The quality will depend on cost and if the wheel was handbuilt to proper tension or if it was just slapped together by a machine with only 1 round of relief.
secret- i would bet your lost wheel was the latter and not the former.

ChinookTx

Are you in Canada? I have this (I think) exact same wheel. Shipping would probably be killing the deal though.

djrx

[QUOTE=GrainBrain;20985658]Weird a road bike with a 15mm thru axle? Either way these wheels are plentiful and cheap anywhere. Instead of searching for "700c" try searching for "29er".

Here's one: /QUOTE]

This is interesting. I'm very new to cycling so I had no idea I could easily interchange between 700c and 29er. I just watched a YouTube video comparing the two. The link to the wheel you referenced above is a SRAM compatible wheel. Will it also work with my Shimano setup? Thanks

djrx

So I gave the LBS the specs for the missing wheel and he researched it. I called the guy back 4 days later and he tells me to contact the manufacturer for a replacement. This same LS assembled my bike for me.

djrx

Yep, the LBS told me to contact BD for a replacement wheel. He supposedly couldn't find the same specs. I called another bike shop an hour away from me and the total cost for a replacement wheel is $245+ tax. I will be searching for a 29er wheel instead. Thanks.

GrainBrain

It's really ludicrous that your bike shop didn't have one in stock, then quoted you $240? Well, I could see the high price if they only stock higher end gear, whatever. I'm thinking around $80-$110 would be more reasonable.

"29er" is kind of marketing/slang for large tires on the ubiquitous 700c rim. I use the term all the time, as I have a 29er myself. For the front it doesn't matter who makes what, read reviews to get a good feel for the quality. I just found that wheel within a few minutes of googling and it seems hard to find something used for cheaper.

You probably could easily find something used, your front wheel is the near defacto standard for most mid-range and higher mtbs made in the last decade.

100mm x 15mm thru axle, 6 bolt disc. Probably look for a 17mm to 21mm internal rim width.

djrx

Thanks for your help. I emailed the seller for that wheel you linked to verify the fit before purchasing.

CentralCoastCA

I have a Moto Century Titanium purchased 2017 and I think the specs say 15mm but when I checked it seems to be 12mm.

dwmckee

A lot of the inexpensive wheels shops sell now days are a set of front and rear wheels together. Possibly the shop did not want to break up a set as one wheel is harder to sell? Some wheels come with replaceable axle ends that will work for 15 MM or 12MM axles. You need to find a decent shop to work with. There also is quite a shortage of parts and your local shop may not have been able to order what you need right now.

rosefarts

Bikes direct actually sells replacement wheelsets. So you could get an upgrade set and ditch the current rear wheel.

How savvy are you mechanically? I build lots of wheels myself. It's not hard and I find it to be relaxing. Doing your own build will open up a new realm of finding a replacement easily.

unterhausen

I assume the OP has a new wheel by now. There was a short period of time where they hadn't decided that an extra 3mm was waaaaay too big for a road bike and there was commonality between road/gravel and mountain bikes. Because gravel bikes have become so popular in the interim, I have a sneaking suspicion they will go back to 15mm for gravel, but 110mm spacing this time. "Gravel super-boost"

No, I'm not bitter about rapidly changing "standards," not at all.