vascoboy

hello all,
i have a 60s japanese steel bike that came from Sears (Cyclone). The original white wall tires show 26x 1 3/8 so everything points to 650A - EA3 wheels, 3 speed IGH shimano rear hub, measured 110mm spacing. My 12 yr old daughter loves the bike, it has a lot of dainty/feminine period detail (white pedals, grips, fender tips, teardrop shape seat saddle bag, etc.). The steel wheels are pretty warped, and so I'm looking to replace the wheelset. Here is where it gets tricky:
My daughter likes coaster brakes, and would like a 3 speed (we live in San Francisco: hills). I know I won't find a pre-built wheelset, and if I ask at the LBS I'll probably get a shoulder shrug, so I'll need to get this built. Any ideas on what might be best rear hub/rim combination (polished alloy rims a plus).
thanks!
christian

nlerner

If you want to build wheels yourself or have a shop that would do it for you, it's easy enough to buy alloy Sun CR18 650A/590mm rims and a 36- or 40-hole coaster brake hub. Add spokes and nipples, and you're in business. Front wheels you can buy pre-built or do the same with the existing hub.

rhm

The rims should probably be Sun CR18, which is available in this size and is available in polished surface. Whether you'll find that combination, I'm not so certain (I think so, though).

What is your rear hub now? You can reuse it, or replace it. Same with the front hub.

brianinc-ville

Is anything wrong with the hubs or spokes? If not, you should be able to replace the rims with Sun CR18s quite easily: just tape the new rim to the old rim, move the spokes over one by one, and follow Sheldon Brown's directions for tensioning and trueing.

Salamandrine 

There's not a lot of choice in EA3 rims these days, but the Sun CR-18 previously mentioned shouldn't be hard to come by.

Unless the original hub was coaster brake, you will have to order a new coaster brake 3 speed hub. The new ones are most likely better than the old Shimano 3 speed hubs, which frankly were unreliable. Make sure you get the right width. For the front hub, either reuse the one that's on there, or use a modern hub. Or go all in and use a dynohub in the front for some lights.

This should be an routine task for any LBS, or at least it was once. Seems odd to me that you'd have trouble with this in SF, but I guess the old SF has moved to Portland... Anyhow, American Cyclery on Stanyan most likely would not shrug at you.

To have a shop do this will exceed the value of the bike, BTW, but that's kind of how it goes with this stuff. You can always do it yourself if you are so inclined. Learning curve for a first set of wheels is fairly steep though.

carbomb

I haven't been in SF in a few years, but last I knew there was a Bike Kitchen in the Mission. It's your standard bike co-op. If you came in with the rims and hubs they can walk you through the process of selecting the proper size spokes and building it all yourself, that's what they're there for. Regular retail LBS places aren't necessarily the best with this stuff and when they can do it, usually it's pricey.

I'd definitely take the bike and your intentions there and talk to someone, even before you order the parts, they'll get you sorted. Bike co-ops have weird hours, so just pay attention to that.

Frankly if you're not hell bent on keeping it period correct I wonder if something a little more standard may fit and work just as well. That's another thing I'm sure they could sort of figure out with you at the co-op.

Salamandrine 

More standard than EA3/650A/590? Like what? I guess you must mean 650B. It's become a weird world if EA3 is considered less standard than 650B.... Anyhow, IMO keep it the same. That size was the standard 3-speed/utility size for decades and is not likely to disappear. What's even weirder is that it's hard to find a bike shop than can build a set of wheels.

I agree a coop is perhaps a good way to go in 2017. I gave a bunch of 3 speed hubs including at least one with a coaster brake to a Mission coop when I left SF (my former hometown). No doubt they are long gone.

carbomb

I thought the size was harder to find rims and tires for. I don't particularly enjoy exotic sizes, etc. because I really like a lot of tire options. Since that's not the case, I misspoke. I was suggesting going to something like 26" or so because I usually assume if someone is here asking for questions on a specific size that's not 26", 700, 27", or 650B then they're having difficulty problem solving something obscure and could probably get by with something more standard with a little adjustment to the braking setup. That isn't the case here.

nfmisso

Hi Christian;

You can find pre-built wheels on Amazon and from Niagara Cycle Works with 3 speed IGH and coaster brakes. Generally, they will most likely need trueing and tensioning before they are fit for use.

Personally, I'd rebuild, using the current hubs, new spokes and new rims.

Salamandrine 

There are actually five different nominally 26" wheel sizes. The common 26" MTB/cruiser size is actually more than an inch smaller. No practical way to make it work on a 3 speed. 26 x 1 3/8 (EA3) is the historically widespread 26" lightweight size. FYI https://www.sheldonbrown.com/26.html

That's prudent, and probably what I would do for this situation as well. New rims and new spokes.

Either build yourself or find a bike shop that will do if for a reasonable amount. I looked a bit and I'm only seeing cheap steel wheels on amazon etc. IMO aluminum rims are worth it for both braking and because SF is hilly. Makes even more difference to a kid to have a lighter bike.

There's plenty of info online on how to build. I built my first set of wheels when I was 14, so really anyone can do it if they concentrate.

JohnDThompson 

650A is not a common size anymore, but Sun CR-18 rims in that diameter are still readily and affordably available in 32, 36, and 40 hole drillings. Tires are also still available; Kenda makes a couple versions (I have both standard and "High Pressure" versions here) that are decent, durable, and affordable. Probably the best 650A tire on the market these days is the Panaracer "Col de la Vie," but you may have to dig a round a bit to find it. It costs more than the Kenda tires mentioned above, but not outrageously more. I think I paid about US $25/ea the last time I bought some.

palincss

If the bike department of every Walmart & Target has tires in that size, it's hard to see how it could be called "obscure." And that is most certainly the case of 650A / 26 x 1 3/8 / ISO 590 https://www.walmart.com/search/?quer...icycle%20tires Trouble is, they're all like what you see in those search results, crappy tires for "3 speeds." If you're looking for highest quality tires, 650B / 26 x 1 1/2 / ISO 584 is a better choice.

vascoboy

The sun cr18s it will be...i wont be putting on original hubs as they're freewheel hubs & my daughter likes coaster brakes.
Very helpful responses