SandyR

Hi all, topic should say new rim
Been lurking for a while but this is my first post. I have a Raleigh Sports which I found after a lot of searching. It is a later model (1979 larger frame and coffee colored) which I plan to use as a regular rider around the neighborhood. My question is regarding the rear wheel. The front has been previously changed to a Sun alloy rim and I would like to do the same with the rear. I have seen a couple of references to placing the new rim next to the old one and switching the spokes over. I haven't been able to find a detailed description of this method. If anyone knows of such a thread I would appreciate it if you could point me to it.
I've never built a wheel but do all (or most) of my own work. I won't be offended if you tell me this is a bad idea.
Many thanks,
Sandy

wahoonc

Hi Sandy,

If you are using a Sun CR-18 rim it is dead easy. You take the new rim and line it up with the old rim and tape it to it. Then you loosen up the spokes on the old rim and switch them over one at a time to the corresponding hole on the new rim. I rebuild my wheels frequently using old hubs, I typically upgrade the spokes to stainless steel, the original spokes on the Raleigh are galvanized, no reason not to reuse them however.

Aaron

SandyR

Thanks Aaron. I think I'll give it a try. I'm going to try and find a spare 3spd rear wheel to use while I do the job. Although I have other bikes this one has become my favorite.
Sandy

SandyR

Well I bought a second 3spd today to get a spare rear wheel. It's a Glider sold by Eaton's of Canada and appears to be a Raleigh frame. Hub is dated 1972. I'm thinking fix now rather than part out. And so it begins.
Sandy

wahoonc

HeeHee... I have over 30 bikes with just over half being British, Raleigh for the most part. Of the 30 about 2/3rds are IGH with the bulk of those being Sturmey Archer 3/4/5 speeds.

Aaron

eschlwc

am i missing something? different brands of rims, even in the same size (27" or 700c), usually have a different erd, which demands different spoke length, and thus new spokes. it's quite difficult to shop for rims by erd if you're loking for a particular thin rim design, but maybe you'll have better luck wih the sun 18.

prathmann

Yes, you do have to pay attention to the ERD (effective rim diameter) if you want to reuse the existing spokes when replacing the old rim. I found the data in the Spocalc Excel spreadsheet to make this easy by listing the ERDs for many common rims so you can quickly find the ones that are within a mm or two of your current rims. (Also check how far the spokes in your current wheel extend into the nipples - if they go all the way through you could use a new rim with a slightly larger ERD, conversely if the spoke ends are deeply recessed a smaller ERD would work well.)
https://sheldonbrown.com/rinard/spocalc.htm

wahoonc

Common vintage knowledge that the Sun-Ringle CR-18 is the same (or very close) ERD as the stock Westrick pattern rims used by Raleigh. If you have Endrick or Westwood pattern rims all bets are off. I happen to have a copy of a Raleigh wheel building book that lists spokes lengths for all their different combinations. I typically use the Sun CR-18 as my go to replacement rims on my Raleigh bikes, makes life sweet.

Aaron

Jawihan

Hi Sandy, Thanks for starting this thread. I also need to replace rims on an old Superbe (never laced a wheel before) The front wheel has the generator hub.
Aaron, thanks for the information. Where is the cheapest place to order stainless steel spokes?. I remember somewhere on BF a mention of an email address where you could contact that had the best price, but of course I can't find it now.
Also, if I post what the old rims are, could you consult your catalog for the suggested spoke lengths.
James

peazweag

Sandy another tip,before you switch rims.on the old rim take off the rim strip and spray the ends of the nipples with penetrating oil makes disassembly eaisier and will reduce the chance of breaking a spoke.

wahoonc

James,
Can do, I am on the road at the moment, but will see what I can dig up for you this evening. If you have a Superbe you most likely have the Westrick rims. You can pull a spoke and get the dimension or I will post them for you. I am getting ready to build about 4 wheels for the Superbe and the Colt at my house.

Aaron

Chicago Al 

This is the one step I did not take with our gorgeous Ladies' Sport, 'Fern,' before selling it. I wish I had done so, though I doubt it would have been profitable, just to have the experience of doing it (I did open up the IGH, only to find it clean as a whistle), and it would have made the bike nicer for the new owner.

old's'cool

Here's the website with $0.25 stainless spokes including nipples, custom length. I can see keeping an old wheel together as long as possible, but at that price, if I were going to be building up a wheel from scratch, I'd never consider re-using old spokes.

https://www.danscomp.com/products-PAR...14G_Spoke.html

Jawihan

Thanks Geoff, Any idea of the shipping cost to us here in Ontario for the spokes? Where have you found the best price with shipping for the CR-18 rims?
Thanks Aaron, the only name on these rims are Sturmey Archer England R230 26x1 3/8. In measuring the old spokes, do you measure from where the bend begins to the end or?. Also, would it be wise to order the CR-18 rims first and measure the ERD b4 ordering the spokes?
Thanks
James

wahoonc

James,

Do you have a picture of the rims? Do they have a raised centre? The names I listed are not brands but styles of rims. When measuring a spoke you measure from the bend to the end. A millimeter or so one way or the other isn't usually a problem. The ERD on the CR-18 rims I have had has been pretty consistent.

Aaron

gna

Use spoke washers with new spokes on old flanges. New spokes have larger radius bends for thicker aluminum hub flanges. Old SA hubs have thinner steel flanges.

I've rebuilt Raleigh Pattern rims with the Sun CR-18s. Dead easy, as Aaaron says. Lines them up, taped the rims together, loosened the spokes, transferred over.

old's'cool

Don't know, I get almost all my US purchases shipped to my workplace in Michigan, then bring them across on a declaration coming back from a trip down there. Call them up and ask; US parcel post is probably pretty reasonable. I just purchased a freewheel on Ebay that shipped here for 8 bux via USPS.

Jawihan

Aaron, yes, they do have raised centers, so they must be Westrick. I shall measure the spokes on the old wheels to determine the length needed. Any suggestions on where the best deal is on the Sun CR-18 rims?
Thanks
James

wahoonc

I usually buy mine from either my LBS or Longleaf Bicycles. I have seen them at Niagara Cycles, but they were out of stock the last time I was ready to order.

Aaron