Originally Posted by
North Coast Joe
The steel rims are 26 x 1 3/8 and currently hold 35mm Michelin Touring tires.
I own a Hercules 3-Speed, same exact wheel size, and I coverted it to alloy rims maybe 20 years ago. Your local bike shop can get Ukai alloy rims in 26 x 1-3/8 from QBP in MN for a reasonable price.
In addition to better braking (very true) I noticed faster acceleration and of course, lighter weight (there's a correlation there!).
Rick / OCRR