aluminum vs. steel rims on 27" bikes, gyro forces etc..
 

Swapped some alloy rims someone gave me onto the LeToaster this past week as was interested in if it would make the bike feel any different. This bike with steel rims was very stable when riding hands-off, especially at higher speeds where the heavy steel rims could create more gyro force so I was wondering if the bike would be less stable. I weighed the bare rims on a gram scale and was surprised at how little difference there was in weight. Sure the alloy rims are lighter, but not such a savings in weight that they are going to turn the bike into a feather. It saved less than a half-pound going from steel to alloy rims. the front hub on the new front wheel is small-flange, so that may have saved a small amount of weight too, but it is not noticeable in lifting this bike up after the parts swap. The rear coaster brake is very heavy, so the alloy rim helps make up for that.

Surprisingly, the average steel rim is not any stronger than an alloy rim. I have had problems with steel rims when hitting harsh roads and other obstacles where the rim will become dented our out of shape, the alloy rims seem to have more spring in them so may be harder to repair if damaged, but a bit less likely to be damaged under the same road conditions.

I did not notice the bike was any more difficult to ride hands-off. A lot of stability is designed into the later 70s Schwinn frames and forks. I have ridden some 27" road bikes that are much harder to keep straight with the hands off the bars, so the loss of gyro force with the lighter rims did not affect this chassis.

I swapped the rims out of boredom and curiosity, but for most I would not recommend it unless your old steel rims were damaged or you ended up with the alloy rims for free like I did, and you have fun taking wheels apart and lacing them back up as I do.


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0ce031da27.jpg

There are rims made of steel? Why?

allow rims are much better for braking in wet conditions

Cost, especially in the 70s and earlier.

That shouldn't come as a surprise. Steel rims need to be made with different profiles and much thinner walls than aluminum to keep the weight down, which makes for worse compressive bracing against stuff like dents. (And sometimes less lateral stiffness, resulting in a wheel with less taco resistance.)

I am pretty sure they used to sell steel rims made of high-tensile or chrome-moly steel for road bikes. I sure would like to find a set of those.....

I'm pretty sure you're mistaken. Steel rims have been the low end option for many years. The "state of the art" in cycling tech switched over from wood to aluminum in the 1930s. Once aluminum became cheap after the war, aluminum rims quickly became standard on all but the low end bikes.

I'd have no concerns about steel rims if my bike had disc brakes. My reco is to use steel rims only when the roads are dry and there's no rain.

I know. I just think it’s funny that in the third decade of the 21st century grown adults are still talking about steel rims.

Steel rims can look nice.

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...l#post22858079

Why? So you can have some heavier rims that hardly brake in wet weather?

also more durable and can't be attacked by rust

I grew up with steel rims, notably because everything in my locale was either Schwinn or worse. While Schwinn maintained some respectable quality standards, they were also actively running the business into the ground, and coasted on brand recognition and geographic coverage while neglecting to invest in new technology. Until a little known Taiwanese company called Giant, that was making bikes for Schwinn, realized they could sell a modern bike directly to all of the Schwinn dealers and cut Schwinn out of the game.

Not only did the steel rims rust quickly (winter was road salt season in my locale), but they had virtually zero wet-weather braking, and like the OP says, were easily dented, but at least we could bang them back into shape, which we did. I love restoring old bikes, and my daily driver is a 1985 Schwinn Traveler frame, but steel wheels go straight into the trash unless there's a hope for salvaging the hubs.

In my experience, riding no-hands is a matter of frame alignment.

Bicycle stability is determined by a combination of trail, head angle, wheel size, weight, weight distribution, tire construction & pressure and gyroscopic action. Not surprised that your small weight differential, factored into this equation and then controlled by active correction (you, riding the bike), did not make a noticeable difference.

A place to start:
https://www.renehersecycles.com/bicy...orks-together/

Steel rims brake well in the wet, you just need good quality pads to use with them. There are steel specific pads. I found pads at a local Schwinn shop to put on my Huffy racing bike that work as well in the wet as in dry weather, the bike stops great. In the 70s I remember my Columbia road bike braked poorly in the wet with its steel rims, but it had OEM pads that were probably the cheapest that the manufacturer could get away with putting on the bike. My bike has a coaster brake anyway so it brakes great no matter what the weather or rim material is.

If you can find some of the steel rims with the dimpled brake tracks you'll get a huge aero benefit. Some say 4-5mph depending on who you talk to. I'd get rid of the coaster brake, though. I've heard the braking is not consistent. Very up and down. They can be loopy also.

Please tell me you didn’t just use those three words together in a sentence.

Ah, yes. Memories of riding down the steep hill on 15th Street NE in Seattle in the rain (constant from November to March). One had to apply the brakes periodically to keep them dry enough to slow or stop the bike.

Agree with the others. There's not much good to be said about steel rim wheels. That said, steel rims wheels aren't terrible. They're functional as long as you're mindful of their limitations.

I rebuilt a 1973 Sekine SHR recently with a double butted chrome moly main triangle and steel rim wheels which were OEM on the bike. The bike parts (other than the rims) were pretty good for 1973 (suntour derailleurs, dia compe centerpull brakes, SR swaged alloy crank) and the bike rides nicely. I may swap out the wheels one day for aluminum. I paid $20 for the bike and sunk around $18 worth of parts (plus labor obviously) to get it in good riding shape.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7fdce18027.jpg

...stainless by Dunlop. I have no idea what sort of composition other than "stainless". Hard to find now, most got discarded over the years. They were very shiny.

.
...I sense a disturbance in the gyro force.

"Tell 'im, Ray."

"Steel rims suck."

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZYgCAid1JJo/maxresdefault.jpg

The steel wheels I had as a kid were absolute crap. We still have my wife's late 50's Schwinn with steel wheels and a coaster brake. It has sentimental value for her, but it is not a good bike. It is not as good as a modern BSO, but it started her riding many years ago.

IME even with upgrade pads they do not brake as well as aluminum

bottom line steel rims were always lower end than aluminum, it make not sense to change to them or look for them unless you are doing a period correct restoration

Stainless has chromium in it and it is going to be stronger, harder and more springy than mild steel used in most rims.

According to my riding log I put way over 2000 miles on steel-rimmed bicycles last year, most on the Huffy, but about three hundred on an old Fuji ten-speed I have and many hundreds on this "LeToaster" before I swapped the alloy rims onto it last week.

I have never had any accidents from lack of braking power, but brain-power has as much to do with bicycle riding as brake-power does, and if you do not have it then no matter how good your bike brakes you are doomed. Since I have put many thousands of miles on steel rims and coaster brakes over the last few years with no brake-related problems, it backs up just how brilliant I am.