Late 80s Schwinn wheelset short-spoked from the factory?
02-05-16, 07:37 AM
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Late 80s Schwinn wheelset short-spoked from the factory?
I recently picked up this 1987 Schwinn Le Tour, as near as I can tell it's almost completely stock with very low miles.
I'd ridden it a few times getting fit and function dialed in when I noticed a slight hop in the rear wheel. I went to true the wheel I noticed the spokes are all showing threads like below (front is the same way):
Picture below showing the nipple end:
https://drandalls.files.wordpress.co...05_8-18-08.jpg
The spokes are under tension and I've ridden about 150 miles on them with no issues. But it's almost like they have spokes for a 700c sized rim?
What I'm wondering is if this is how the bike came or if something happened along the way? The hubs appear to be stock, they are marked Maillard and match what I've seen online. The rims don't have any markings on the outside but from looking at pictures online they also appear to be the stock rims.
Is any way to salvage these wheels?
I'd ridden it a few times getting fit and function dialed in when I noticed a slight hop in the rear wheel. I went to true the wheel I noticed the spokes are all showing threads like below (front is the same way):
Picture below showing the nipple end:
https://drandalls.files.wordpress.co...05_8-18-08.jpg
The spokes are under tension and I've ridden about 150 miles on them with no issues. But it's almost like they have spokes for a 700c sized rim?
What I'm wondering is if this is how the bike came or if something happened along the way? The hubs appear to be stock, they are marked Maillard and match what I've seen online. The rims don't have any markings on the outside but from looking at pictures online they also appear to be the stock rims.
Is any way to salvage these wheels?
02-05-16, 07:49 AM
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I have a few wheels that are "short spoked" like that. They all have thousands of miles on them with no problems. One of them is currently on my cyclocross bike after having served other duties over the years. Not only does it have lot's of miles, it's currently getting the crap kicked out of it. As with the others, no problems.
My advice- ride it as is, smile a lot, and don't look at the spokes.
My advice- ride it as is, smile a lot, and don't look at the spokes.
02-05-16, 08:34 AM
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With that many spokes I wouldn't worry about it much.
I do have a wheelset that had one side on the rear like that, and I did break a few spokes at the nipple. (One at a time) But it was a 24 spoke wheel, and a 200#er probably shouldn't be riding it anyway. After the 4th, I relaced the rest with longer spokes and have had no breaks since.
I do have a wheelset that had one side on the rear like that, and I did break a few spokes at the nipple. (One at a time) But it was a 24 spoke wheel, and a 200#er probably shouldn't be riding it anyway. After the 4th, I relaced the rest with longer spokes and have had no breaks since.
02-06-16, 10:48 AM
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In the pic from the nipple end it appears that there is decent thread engagement in the nipple, so the spokes probably just have longer threading than usual. If the engagement shown in the pic is typical, I wouldn't worry.
