Originally Posted by
BobbyG
Thanks, I never knew that. It certainly doesn't inspire confidence. I have a couple of bike mechanics I trust, I will ask them. If the wheel is sound, I will do nothing and enjoy it (after fitting a new inner tube.
By the way I realize now "559" is the size.
Also thanks all for the suggestions and suggestions to come...
559mm is the tire bead diameter. It’s for 26” tires. If you do the math, 559mm isn’t 26”, it’s actually 22”. The
26” refers to the outside diameter of the tire when mounted. But, to be even more confusing, the whole system isn’t actually 26” unless the tire is 2” tall. Bicycle tires and wheels are a truly confusing system.
As for the wheel, the reason a unwelded joint works is because the rim is held in place by the tension of the spokes. The spoke are trying to pull the round rim in on itself and the rim resists that. Under tension, the joint won’t fail even if it looks slightly separated.