26 in. tire dilemma

[ibr]

So I'm working on a bike where the rims are rusted beyond saving. The brake hub is fine, an old suntour from when they were made in Japan, and the front is a schwinn hub made in france. Both are in good condition but the spokes and rims aren't.

Obviously I have two options:

1. replace the rims and spokes, keep the hubs, and pay to have someone true the wheels after finding a new set of spoke and rims

2. Buy all new tires, and wheels.


Two questions:

1. Is it even possible to replace rims? Or is it more trouble than it's worth?

2. If I bought a set, could anyone reccomend one that would allow me to run some nice big cruiser tires? Maybe 3 inch if possible, but if not 2.125 would be fine.


Thanks!

 

[expjawa]

You can buy just rims. You can get fancy alloy hoops in all sorts of different sections, and I'm sure you can get steel ones too. I guess it depends on how important it is to you that you keep the original hubs. You could buy rims & spokes and learn to lace and true them yourself - it really isn't complicated. I learned myself for the build off.

Regarding buying wheels, you can buy those pretty readily, just watch what sort of hubs they come with. Many are cheap because of cheap parts. I have had good luck with Electra wheels myself, I've bought a few sets. But machine-built wheels don't seem to hold up as well as hand-built ones generally.

 

[ibr]

You can buy just rims. You can get fancy alloy hoops in all sorts of different sections, and I'm sure you can get steel ones too. I guess it depends on how important it is to you that you keep the original hubs. You could buy rims & spokes and learn to lace and true them yourself - it really isn't complicated. I learned myself for the build off.

Regarding buying wheels, you can buy those pretty readily, just watch what sort of hubs they come with. Many are cheap because of cheap parts. I have had good luck with Electra wheels myself, I've bought a few sets. But machine-built wheels don't seem to hold up as well as hand-built ones generally.

What do I need to know about buying hoops? Will knowing 26" x 1.25" suffice?

 

[expjawa]

Most of the 26" rims sold are either real cheap replacement parts or intended for mountain bike use. 26" mtb wheels are the same size as most cruiser bikes. They are typically sized by what tire they're intended to be used with, so a 26 x 1.5 rim does not measure 26" in diameter, nor is it 1.5" wide.

However, there is a great deal of leeway in what tire width can actually be mounted up for a given rim width. I don't really see any issue using rim designated as 1.5" or 1.75" with tires that are 2.125". Keep in mind that a wider rim will make the tire inflate up wider in width, but smaller in diameter. A narrowed rim will do the opposite.