JoeBat3

I have a Miyata 912 (1984), and I was clipped by a car on my way to work this morning and bent my front rim. I have access to a new 700c front wheel but the only problem is that it is a bit wider than my back wheel, is this a big issue? Keep in mind I am a recreational rider (commuting, and exercise). Also, my neighbor said that fibered packing tape will work in lieu of rim tape, confirm or deny.

I don't have access to a bike shop until tomorrow afternoon, and I need to commute to work by 7:00 A.M.

Any input from experienced riders would be helpful!!

JohnDThompson 

The width of the rim should not be a major concern, provided it fits through the frame and allows the tire to seat properly.

More pertinent would be spoke length. Different rims may use different spoke lengths so a drop-in rim replacement is not a forgone conclusion.

N.B. re-reading your post suggests you may be using the terms "rim" and "wheel" interchangeably. Do you have a replacement wheel (comprised of hub, spokes, and rim) available, or just a rim with no hub or spokes?

And yes, fiber packing tape can be used as a rim strip but it is not the ideal material for that purpose.

mikeybikes

I've been running on a wheel with duct tape for rim tape for about 1500 miles. I say duct tape if you don't have the real stuff.

JoeBat3

Sorry for the confusion, but what happened is I bent my rim, but a friend offered me his complete wheel (hub and spokes included, also freshly trued). I believe it is a AlexRim D19, no idea as to the quality of it, but hey beggars can't be choosers, right?

But thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it. Being a new rider (~7 months) I feel like I have so many noob questions. But anyways, I just put the tire on the new wheel, it is a bit wider, but the tire fits on and holds air

Duct tape, ftw.

stonefree

I've used a strip cut from and old tube more than once and It works well but it does add a miniscule amount of weight. Now I also dremel the ends of the spokes slightly just in case.

zukahn1 

This shouldn't be a big issue unless there is a big difference of more than 1/4 inch or so as for a front 700c wheel if it has a tube that holds air and decent tire spins and fits on your bike you should be just fine. I have road mismatched rims tires on older road biks for years with no problem. As for rim tape 1nch cheap black electrical tape 1$ a roll found in nearly any store works just .

dabac

But you may need to use double/triple layers depending on what tire pressure you like to run. For narrow road tires, I wouldn't even try it.

treebound 

I hope he checked his brake alignment on the front wheel as I believe the Miyata came with a 27" wheel. I guess we'll find out once he gets to work. I might be wrong on what the bike came with originally.

Ex Pres 

If you need to improvise a rim strip I've found medical tape works much better than the other tapes mentioned. It comes in multiple widths, too.

As far as a wider rim in the front, it's not really an issue -
but I'm anal enough that I had to change it out on one old bike I bought that came that way.

zukahn1 

Well since he said the tire and tube off the old rim fit and hold air I'm guessing his old wheel was a 700c.

treebound 

Ah, I missed that part, he was good to go then. Yea for friends with parts in times of need.

JoeBat3

Thanks for the input everyone, it is greatly appreciated. It's funny, once I started riding, I feel almost compelled to learn more about the machine and all the details that go along with it.

But to clear up any confusion, my original rims were Campagnolo Omega Strata Hardox, 700c, and the new front wheel (Alex D19) works great. I believe it runs smoother, actually. I think this is probably because it is brand new, with new hub and what not. In fact I made it work a bit early and had time to enjoy a cup of coffee before the day started, which is always a good thing

But my new gear brings up a new more questions, most importantly is it normal for new spokes to slightly creak? Now when I say creak I mean in the quietest way possible, but I can still hear it and it is bothersome.

dabac

That is a somewhat debated subject. A poorly built wheel can have residual wind-up in the spokes, which gets released as the bumps and loads of riding temporarily flexes the rim and unloads the spokes. This is more frequently described as "pinging" though.

Wheels that are borderline too flexy for their actual use may have the spokes sliding ever so little against each other where they cross, which can generate a little noise.

A theory of mine (which admittedly is only supported by marginal data) is that some hubs will undergo a phase when the spokes are bedding in in the hub flanges, which may be accompanied by a certain noise.

If you want to get experimental you can try applying a little lube where the spokes cross and at the flanges and see what happens.