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I'd like to purchase a second wheel set for my bike: to have one wheel set for road, and one for cross/light MTB, and swap them easily depending on the kind of ride I plan. My bike uses 6 bolts disk brakes, but my local shop only has additional wheels with the right specs with center locks supports for the brake rotors.

Given I have to purchase additional discs anyway, is there any counter indication to have one wheel set with 6 bolts rotors, and the other wheel set with center locks rotors? Or better to order the 6 bolts version of the wheel set?

Thanks!

Rеnаud
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    If you want interchangeable discs, you could use a 6 bolt disc on centre lock hubs by way of an adapter (Shimano offer one). just FYI – Swifty Jan 04 '21 at 17:38

2 Answers2

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This is perfectly fine. I have a similar situation with my gravel/rain bike. I'm lucky enough that the rotors on the two completely different hub brands match up well enough to not require shims or adjustment. You may want to purchase some shims in case the the rotors on the two wheelsets need to be aligned.

Paul H
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    The shop might even help set the wheels up in this manner as part of the sale, worth asking. do you have any issues indexing the gears between wheelsets? – Swifty Jan 04 '21 at 17:40
  • @Swifty I had no trouble (gears or brakes) when I put the back wheel of my MTB on my tourer, both 9-speed Shimano 700C/29". – Chris H Jan 04 '21 at 19:57
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My bike uses 6 bolts disk brakes, but my local shop only has additional wheels with the right specs with center locks supports for the brake rotors.

I hate it when people assume today that wheels are some component that is sold as-is.

In reality, a wheel consists of a hub, spokes, nipples and rim. You are free to select each and every one of those components.

Given I have to purchase additional discs anyway, is there any counter indication to have one wheel set with 6 bolts rotors, and the other wheel set with center locks rotors? Or better to order the 6 bolts version of the wheel set?

If you have exactly the same hub models on both wheelsets, you can be sure that the discs are always at the same position, thus avoiding the need to re-center brake calipers when changing wheels.

A center lock hub is never the exact same model as a 6 bolt hub.

juhist
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    Not everyone's LBS can do wheelbuilding. – Armand Jan 04 '21 at 18:37
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    @Armand not to mention the early 2021 bicycle parts supply chain is in total disarray and there's no guarantee that it won't be months or longer until the parts for a bespoke wheelset arrive – Paul H Jan 04 '21 at 19:14
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    Manufacturing tolerances mean that the second to last paragraph isn’t necessarily true. I am currently riding a friend’s wheel with the exact same hub as my own wheel (cracked rim), and the rotor alignment is off. – MaplePanda Jan 04 '21 at 20:25
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    You might be free as in free choice but there is nothing else free in the cost of bespoke wheels vs a built up wheelset. Do you also hate it when people assume today that a bike is component that is sold as-is, after all, is a bike not a collection of parts that you can buy and have assembled? – mattnz Jan 04 '21 at 21:45