Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 498
Likes: 444
From: Vermont
Bikes: Marinoni, Paramounts, Raleigh Pros, Colnago, DeRosa, Gios, Masis, Pinarello, R. Sachs, Look, Falcon, D. Moulton, Witcomb, Woodrup, Atala, Motobecane, Bianchis, Fat City, Frejus, Follis, Waterford, Litespeed, d'Autremont, others, mostly '70s-'80s
If it were mine, no question, I would replace damaged spokes and ride it, as long as it built up well. There's always the chance that the rim picked up too much of a bend in the mishap but building it up will tell you if it's still able to be trued without ending up with wonky spoke tension. The aluminum in these rims was soft, and they would often bulge at the spokes when properly tensioned (which was at a force significantly less than that appropriate for modern rims). It is extremely unlikely that the wheel will fail catastrophically as a result of this incident and if it's your own wheelbuilding and tire gluing labor that's at stake, it would seem that you have nothing to lose by trying it. We used to replace rims almost as often as tires, they were so weak. I see no reason not to milk as many miles out of the diminishing stock of them that remain as we can.