Rear Wheels
Browse used BMX rear wheels for sale from riders across the UK. These are 20in wheels on 14mm axles, laced 36 spokes, with either a cassette hub and a 9t or 10t driver or a freecoaster carrying a clutch. It is the wheel that does the work and the one most riders replace first, so listings cover everything from stock completes to sealed-bearing builds.
Cassette, freecoaster or freewheel?
A cassette hub drives immediately, with the freewheeling mechanism inside the hub and a small driver that lets the frame run short chainstays. A freecoaster's clutch lets the wheel roll backwards without turning the cranks, giving a quarter to half a crank revolution of slack, which changes how fakies and half-cabs feel and takes time to get used to. Older bikes use a screw-on freewheel with a 16t or larger sprocket on a 1in thread, which is heavier and only worth buying if you already run that gearing.
Is the wheel left-hand drive or right-hand drive?
Rear wheels are built with the driver on one side, and swapping sides means either a hub that supports both or a full respace and rebuild. Left-hand drive keeps the chain away from the grinding side for riders who grind right, and a bike set up for it needs cranks and a chainring on the same side. Check which side a listing is built for before buying, and ask whether a hub guard is included and for which side.
Should I buy a built rear wheel or just the hub?
A built wheel is the cheaper route when the rim is straight, because lacing and truing costs money on top of parts. Buying a hub alone makes sense when you want a particular driver size or clutch and can reuse a rim, or when a seller is breaking a bike. If both ends of your bike are tired, a matched wheelset generally works out cheaper than two separate wheels.
What wears out on a used BMX rear wheel?
Turn the cranks backwards and listen: a driver that skips under load, or engages with a long dead spot, has rounded pawls or worn springs. Check the driver teeth for hooking where a stretched chain has dragged, look for broken or replaced drive-side spokes, and rock the rim against the axle for bearing play. On a freecoaster, roll the wheel backwards and feel whether the slack is consistent or whether the clutch grabs, since a worn clutch bearing is the expensive fault. Then check the rim for flat spots at the joint and gouged sidewalls if a brake has run on it.
What is a used BMX rear wheel worth?
A sound cassette wheel on a sealed-bearing hub usually goes for around half its new price, and a freecoaster holds more because they cost more new and are in steadier demand. Price a wheel with a dented rim as a hub plus scrap, and one with a slipping driver as a hub minus the cost of a new driver and bearings. New is the better option if you want a specific driver size, as most used wheels come with the 9t everyone rides.