Originally Posted by
Ex Pres
My guess is that you should be able to find alloy rims that match the ERD of the steel rims.
The reason you'd want to match ERD (effective rim diameter) is so you could reuse the hub and spokes with the same lacing pattern. And I know some would say not to do this (reuse spokes), but you're trying to hold down cost. I would spring for new nipples, though. Have you laced wheels? If not, there are some good guides on the web. Everyone starts with their first wheel.
I haven't, although it's on my list of things to do. I'm hoping to go to a wheel building workshop this year as my LBS is branching out into a more diverse offering. I would have already had a go at building a wheel, but not confident at all about getting the right spoke size etc. Maybe the ERD replacement rims would be a safe place to start. Although being 27" wheels, I wonder how realistic that really is? Thanks for your reply.