If you have the cash, I'd just upgrade the wheel to something better. Make Specialized deal with the warranty and when they fix or replace it, you'll have a wheel that you can sell, put on a in indoor trainer, or keep around as a spare.

There are a ton of great options out there. Hope, Industry 9, and DT Swiss hubs are known to be very reliable. check out Hunt Wheels and Boyd as well.

Do you have this 2019 model? the 2019 model appears to have generic hub. they probably made running changes in production, which is common. unfortunately, there are tons of generic hubs on the OEM market that don't offer replacement parts. with a blown freehub, you have to use the specific freehub made specifically by that manufacturer for that hub. there is no universal standard for freehubs-far from it. once the freehub goes, unless Specialized can find the right part for you, the wheel is really a loss.

if that's right, you're looking for a 700C rim with something like a 21-25mm internal width, a Centerlock rotor (or get the more common 6-bolt option and buy a new rotor, cheap), a 142x12 axle (not boost 148), and an HG freehub (not XD or Microspline).

Since bike shops are so very backed up, you might contact Specialized directly and ask them. maybe the can expedite the process.

 

Wow, thank you all for the quick replies!

If you have the cash, I'd just upgrade the wheel to something better. Make Specialized deal with the warranty and when they fix or replace it, you'll have a wheel that you can sell, put on a in indoor trainer, or keep around as a spare.

There are a ton of great options out there. Hope, Industry 9, and DT Swiss hubs are known to be very reliable. check out Hunt Wheels and Boyd as well.

I like this idea, and probably could afford it. Does the rear wheel come with hub/freehub? But not the disc brake rotor, so I would transfer mine over (or switch to new 6-bolt rotore as you suggested)?

Should I replace both wheels or just the rear one?

Do you have this 2019 model? the 2019 model appears to have generic hub.

Oh sorry I meant to say the SKU before -- I have the 90919-5205, which I cannot find at http://specialized.com, weird and annoying! Here's an example of my bike (out of stock)

Looks like a different model from the one you found (80919-5102), but very similar.

I wish Specialized documented precisely the specs of parts on all their bikes so I could just go and look it up to find exactly the right new rear wheel (or freehub, etc.) to purchase.

they probably made running changes in production, which is common. unfortunately, there are tons of generic hubs on the OEM market that don't offer replacement parts. with a blown freehub, you have to use the specific freehub made specifically by that manufacturer for that hub. there is no universal standard for freehubs-far from it. once the freehub goes, unless Specialized can find the right part for you, the wheel is really a loss.

Ugh, it's too bad freehubs are not better standardized. Running changes in production is especially frustrating

if that's right, you're looking for a 700C rim with something like a 21-25mm internal width, a Centerlock rotor (or get the more common 6-bolt option and buy a new rotor, cheap), a 142x12 axle (not boost 148), and an HG freehub (not XD or Microspline).

Since bike shops are so very backed up, you might contact Specialized directly and ask them. maybe the can expedite the process.

OK I will try asking Specialized if they can suggest a compatible new wheel, or at least confirm the specs I should match -- seems likely to be the specs you found from the above model. Or maybe I'll just bring my current wheel to my LBS and see if they can match that.

Thank you! At least I have a path forward now...

 

Pull the cassette off and inspect what is broken. (Don't need a cassette tool. I'd imagine you will be able to see what's wrong just by taking it off and looking at the bottom). I'm guessing it is a re-branded DT Swiss 3-pawl freehub that is commonly known to fail. If this is the case, specialized will cover it under warranty. But like you said, that could take weeks with how busy the bike industry is.

The previous reply had a good suggestion on buying a new wheel and getting this one fixed as a spare or just selling it. Otherwise it the freehub looks like the one below, you can just buy a new one of those and be up and running in a few days. Just make sure you get the correct one, there are so many different combinations due to all the different bike industry "standards" these days.

 

Pull the cassette off and inspect what is broken. (Don't need a cassette tool. I'd imagine you will be able to see what's wrong just by taking it off and looking at the bottom). I'm guessing it is a re-branded DT Swiss 3-pawl freehub that is commonly known to fail. If this is the case, specialized will cover it under warranty. But like you said, that could take weeks with how busy the bike industry is.

I have managed to pull the rear gears (is that the "cassette"?) off, but the freehub is still attached and I cannot figure out how to remove it YouTube videos seem to suggest a 10, 13 or 15 mm sized hex wrench should fit and rotate (hard) to unthread it, but my freehub seems not to be attached like that.

I have not yet managed to remove the rotor (on the other side of the wheel), and ordered some Park Tools that I think will match and let me remove that.

Anyway, I do really want to take the existing freehub apart to understand how it failed.

The previous reply had a good suggestion on buying a new wheel and getting this one fixed as a spare or just selling it. Otherwise it the freehub looks like the one below, you can just buy a new one of those and be up and running in a few days. Just make sure you get the correct one, there are so many different combinations due to all the different bike industry "standards" these days.

Thanks for the pointer! Yeah, matching the actual specs of my current freehub is incredibly tricky! I emailed Specialized to see if they could even tell me what those specs are, how to find (upgraded) replacement freehub, etc., but I am not hopeful on this route given what @mack_turtle described about freehubs not being very standardized / changed during production.

It is also very disturbing to me that I cannot even locate the exact bike that I have (the SKU) on the Specialized web site. They really should at least make the rough specs of the components available.

 

Another update! I went to LBS and bought a wheel matching those specs, transferred my rotor over, re-attached the cassette gears, and mounted on the bike, and it all seems like it will work!

I still need to take bike on test-drive to confirm, but I think I am back in business, and will go biking tomorrow for real.

Thanks @mack_turtle and @RBoardman.

I will keep trying (at lower priority) to remove the broken freehub off my old wheel and replace it to have a spare/backup.

 

"disc specific" assumes you're going to want some sort of brake on the bike and the rim in question does not have a thick, flat, even surface to use a rim brake on it. that rim is only useful in applications where a disc brake is used. installing it on a bike with rim brakes would cause lousy braking and might even be dangerous.

 

Ahh, that makes sense.

Thank you for all your help! Bike is working great again!