What wheels should I get?
 

Another ridiculous novice question from me. :) So the wheels of my 1977 Raleigh Super Course have flat spots, and i need to replace them. I have been having a bit of trouble shopping for new ones. I would prefer to get something online as i am sure i could do better than the $165+tax the LBS quoted me. Either way, I would like to just get something close to the quality of the original wheels that came with the bike. Eventually I want to learn how to build my own wheel, so i will be keeping the hubs around for that. Ill save that for a future thread ;).

So here are the specs i am thinking i want/need. 700c, ISO 622, aluminium alloy, stainless steel spokes, hubs that can fit my existing 5 speed free wheel. Also, I would like to have a narrow wheel like the original Weinmann A124 set that are currently damaged, but thats not a deal breaker, if you guys think something else would be an improvement over that design. I dont have calipers, so i am not 100% sure how wide it is anyway looks to be 20mm using a ruler.

best i found would be these, but i dont think i know the best places to look:
http://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Master-W...ds=700c+wheels

Also, are these TOO narrow. Why wouldn't thins information be listed? These are exactly the kind of troubles i have been having looking for some wheels.

Finally, before i noticed the flat spots, i ordered some michelin lithion 700x25mm tires to match the original (or at least the latest before i got a hold of it) tires from the bike. They were marked 25-622 (700c). upon receiving them they seem pretty big, the originals measure 55mm from bead to bead when flattened out, and these new ones measure about 70mm. is this normal? I am thinking about exchanging them for 700x23, but only if it makes a difference.

Its tough trying to match original parts, size and look! I have a ton of respect for all the beautiful bikes i see on this forum all day.

These should work out just fine.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sun-CR18-700...ht_3545wt_1161

You'll have to replace your 610 Weinmann caliper with a longer reach 750 if you want to go to 700c.
(You won't realize any improvement in performance over the 27" variety with Paselas though.)

My first choice on this bike would be a pair of Weinmann Concave rims - if you can find them. Otherwise the Sun CR18's as M.A. suggested, or Sun M13-ii's.

None of the above.

The "best" way to match the look of vintage wheels on a vintage bike? Pick up a set of vintage wheels.

Your bike is 40 years old, why not pick up a set of nice, USED wheels. In over 500 bikes rehabbed, and dozens of wheelsets replaced, I have yet to have bought a new wheel. Sure, its going to happen eventually, but I have a couple of year supply on hand right now.

Used 27 inch wheels can be found in the $20 to $40 range, used usually include "extras" like skewers, tires, tubes, rim strips, freewheel or cassette. Used 700s a tad higher, more like $50+/-. Note, I have found a lot of wheels for less.

Last wheelset I picked up was about a month ago, a nice set of 27 inch wheels, came off a Cannondale touring bike. Came with nice Michelin tires. Seller also included FOUR brand new Michelin tires. $30 for the lot. Did I scoop them? No, they sat on Craigs List for several days.

Some of my wheels have come in the form of a complete bike. The bike may have had frame issues or whatever.

I picked up a set of 27 Weinmann concaves, as recommended by Auchen above. They came on a bike, with frame issues. Bought the bike for $30. Besides the wheels, it had good bars and stem, good seat post, good vintage Apex crankset (I needed it for another build), good FD, etc.

Use some of the savings and buy a digital caliper. Harbor Freight has their nicer $30 version on sale for $10.99 right now. Be sure to go to slickdeals, and download a coupon for a free item as well.

I would stick with 27" also. And used wheels can be a bargain. Just make sure they are straight.

Another option is to get a pair of 27" rims and transfer the spokes over one by one from your old wheel to your new rim. Its a good way to get into wheel building. Just loosen all the spokes up first. Then lay the new rim against the old rim. Line up the valve hole and start transferring over the spokes. Put the "new" wheels in the bike and tighten up the spokes using the brake pads as your trueing stand. Make sure the rims are centered between the fork blades and stays. I did this recently with a pair of vintage rims I purchased on ebay. About $40 shipped for vintage Weinmann rims. Unfortunately the rims were not perfect, from sitting around a bike shop for 40 years, but much better than my flat spotted original steel rims. Took an afternoon to accomplish the task. A good 4 hours of labor. Been riding them for a couple hundred miles and they haven't needed any trueing.

Is this a work of art or something you ride? Sometimes a bike is both. I tend not to respect the concept of period correctness. I lean towards whatever works. Michael Angelo's suggestion is a very good one. Those wheels will probably be more durable than the originals. Or maybe just the same. They look good and reasonable. And they look similar enough to the originals, too.

wkr101's suggestion is a good one, but you seem to have run out of patience. You need patience and time for wrk101's suggestion. I usually consider his suggestions to be spot on, but you sound frustrated. Consider Michael Angelo's suggestion.

Sun M13's. Polished and cheap http://www.velomine.com/index.php?ma...oducts_id=2114

This is, by far, the best advice in my opinion also. You might also let forum members know what part of the country you're located in - one of us might be local and willing to help out.

The challenge in finding suitable vintage wheels in good shape is that rims are essentially consumable -- the sidewalls wear out from braking if the flat spots don't kill it first. Also, shipping costs for wheels and rims tend to be prohibitive.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. First, I want to clear up any possible confusion. The original wheels/rims of the bike are in fact 700c, it is imprinted on the rim. And yes it is also equipped with Weinmann 610 calipers, so wouldn't going with 27" wheels require changing out of the calipers? The brake pads with the current set up line up perfectly.

Also, as tom mentioned i am, in fact, starting to run out of time and grow impatient. I really wanted the bike in working order within the next 2 weeks. As I have a semester of school starting in about 3 weeks, and need it ready for commuting. Wouldn't be the end of the world if it took longer, but that was the whole point of getting this project going (avoiding public transportation spending). On the subject of impatients, i have been cruising craigslist for the past two weeks, but I dont think i really know how to nail down a deal this way. It seems like people never put enough info in their postings to figure out if the wheel will be a proper fit or not. I wouldn't mind some advice on the methodology there. For example, thanks for the idea of looking for complete bikes to part out. I dont know why i didn't think of that. Back to the time issue though, I would really like to get this going asap. But if anyone is willing to help me out for the fun of it. I am in Chicago, il., plenty of CL listings in the area i suppose, if you know what you are doing.

So i would really like to try building my own wheel, especially after being spitefully motivated by the mechanic at my LBS telling me that "it would not be possible, not to try it". I really would like to build one up and then bring it in there and rub it in his face... But due to time, i think the best approach is to get wheels that work for now, and then rebuild the originals as a project over time. I have found a site selling NOS parts of the original Weinmann concave rims, for 40$ each. Seems reasonable to me, and i can reuse the original hubs and spokes, get new nipples, and build then back to vintage brand new, again.

Overall the bike is somewhere in between art and ride. I need a ride, but i really love how the bikes look when they are all restored to the vintage look. So i am trying to do it justice there too. Over time i might work on bringing it back to 100% vintage, but for now i need it to work.

Unless there is something to look into on CL that i am missing. These sun CR18 or M13 II look like great workable options, especially within budget too. I really appreciate having the piece of mind knowing that ordering these will fit... I am open to hearing more suggestions in the mean time, i am planning on pulling the trigger one way or another this week.

Thanks!

You say the wheels have flat spots. This could mean the rim itself is deformed and needs to be replaced, or it could be that the wheel is out of round and can be retensioned. Wheel building can be intimidating at first, but after a while it is just a little more cmplicated than lacing up a pair of boots.

This is garage and yard sale season. It's amazing what you can find there and in the trash.

I didn't realize it, but if your SC is a '77 it already had Weinmann A124 Concaves and if you can snag NOS like-rims for $40@, I'd jump on that.
Not that there is anything wrong with the Sun replacement rims. They look semi-authentic and have even nicer braking surfaces than the originals.

Either way, building your own is the way to go. There are good resources on the web to guide you and you don't need a lot of special tools for your first build - just use the bike to true it up after assembly and you'll be on your way.

Wheel building is easier than it looks, and though you might have to disassemble your first attempt and start over to get things right, you cannot get better by delaying your first foray into wheel building.

cream, take a look at Harris Cyclery: http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/wheels.html

Brad

Oh yeah, the rims are dead, they both have flat spots and the spokes in those sections are really loose. Its not a tensioning thing. The person that had the bike before me must have been testing the air pressure in the tires by riding directly into curbs...

I really like the idea of building them up myself, I really want to do it. Only problem is that i have time and money on my mind as well. I can get complete wheels for about 30$ (that i will probably have to tweak and retrue anyway), or i can get everything i need to build them, buy my calculations that should be:

$80+ - rims (2x40), not sure what shipping will be.
$55 - Tensiometer
$10 - Nipples
$30 - wheel dish

I have the spoke wrench and lube.

So i am at about $175 or more to rebuild.

Huh, thats the first time i totalled it all up like that. maybe its not that bad of an idea to just rebuild them, cause I also get the added bonus of getting a couple new tools out of it!

Nothing easy about this decision....

A tensionometer is not necessary. You should be able to do it by feel. Go into a good bike shop and feel the tension on some good wheels. Are there any bike coops in your neighborhood? If so they can provide a great deal of help, and possibly tools.

Somewhat funny, but I am in Illinois right now visiting family. Picked up a nice set of 700c wheels and tricolor drivetrain, complete with STI, in Indy on the way up. Then in Illinois, I picked up a 1981 Schwinn Super Sport, came with concave rims and Phil Wood hubs! Both sat on CL for at least a week.

Every time I visit Illinois, I come back with bikes, last trip I got five. If you look aggressively, there are some nice deals out there.

I wish I had more time this trip, but it's two days and then head back.

Having picked up quite a few bikes in IL over the years, the further away from Chicago you get, the better the deals!

I just took a look at Chicago CL. Three or four complete bikes that would make great donors, plus a couple of nice wheel sets.

I build wheels and I enjoy doing it.

That said, save yourself the hassle and buy some wheels from Velomine, listed above. They will just work, and they're priced right. Do your first wheelbuild another time when you are not under pressure or in a rush. Take your time with it. It requires care and patience.

These don't look too bad and they are quick release front and rear: http://www.niagaracycle.com/categori...-ss-spokes-36h

I think right here in the city the deal get snapped up pretty quick, lots of bike enthusiasts here. Other problem is that i am not experienced enough to know what I should be looking for. I have a raleigh, so I have been reading all about raleigh's lately and know a lot about them now. But i still have a lot to learn when it comes to Schwinn, bianchi, fuji, Colnago, peugeot, etc, etc, let the list go on. For example for some reason I have always had it in my head that schwinn was a sub par brand. but after browsing this site for a while, I know thats not the case, but there still must be specific makes with in the brand to shoot for right?

I need to figure out a good way to quickly teach myself these things. I really like the idea of buying a bike for about $30, and getting a bunch of great parts out of it (Like a wheel set).

I think i will start checking the bike section of CL daily, just looking at the newest postings and then googling the bikes or parts to get an idea of what they are all about.

Funny thing is that I havent even finished working on this bike and i know I want to start another one right after its done. I have been thinking it would be fun to have a single gear bike too. Thats not a bad plan for the second bike, see how many deals I can score and how cheap i can keep the whole build!

Thanks for saying that, I know I have been a bit all over the place trying to make a decision on this, but that is the way that I am leaning. and on the plus side I will have the extra hubs around to start with whether I get new rims and spokes, or match the rims and reuse the spokes.

I get a lot of satisfaction knowing that I have done something myself, and possibly better than if I bought it pre-done. I am also a bit of a perfectionist. If i build the wheels myself, it might take a while, while i learn to get it right...

@ ironwood, thats good to know, I just have heard/read that tension is everything in wheel building, and I thought the tensiometer was a must have then. Either way, I know if at least one coop here in chicago, there might be more than one. They do have open shop nights, for a small donation. I could always to all the prep lacing at home and then take them into the coop to do my final tensioning and truing...

See, this is the trouble i have been having looking for replacement wheels, all the specifics. Hear me out, but i dont think theses will work. First the 700x25 means 700c, 25mm wide right? I am shooting for about 20mm so that would be too wide. Then for the hub, I think that is a cassette hub and I need one for a 5 speed free wheel. If not for that, the price cant be beat, would have been a no brainer.

personally, i'd go the used route from craigslist in either a wheelset or donor bike. the last 700c set i bought like this were flawless wheels with shimano 600 hubs, for 75 bucks! it's unbeatable. but if you go the build route, get sun m13-ii rims from an ebay seller, dicker on the shipping with a well written note, and buy sapim db spokes from dan's comp at $0.40/ea.

You are quite right about the cassette. You need a freewheel to keep the original drive.
The rim width of all the rims mentioned is not any problem with the 700c x 25 mm tires you bought. Most road bike rims are 19mm-20mm wide and will be fine with anything from 700c x 23 - to 700c x 28 tires.

Spend some time getting knowledge. Randy's site is a good place to start. It's not about brand or often, not even model either. It's all about condition, the grade/quality of components and frame. Realize there are scoopers everywhere, and in a major mkt like Chicago, stuff goes quick

You've learned a lot already. I can tell because you knew right off the bat that those wheels won't work for you. You need a rear wheel that accepts a thread-on freewheel.

I've probably built over 100 wheels myself. I've never even touched a tensiometer, let alone used one. You don't need a dishing tool, either, unless you plan to build many wheels. A truing stand isn't essential, either, but it's nice to have. Just don't get a Minoura truing stand. I had one and didn't like it, and I've seen lots of complaints about them. Your own bike is a decent truing stand. The only tool you really need for building wheels is a spoke wrench.