Suggest me a strong 26" rim ~40mm width

[Bush mechanic]

I've built two wheels in the past using Alex DX32 rims which have held up great, sadly this doesn't seem to be sold anymore. Also have two motors in the DM24 which has also been fine, but is a bit narrower.

I run schwalbe big apples and fat Frank's 26 x 2.35 but for my next build I'd like the option of going up to 3" on my rear motor, largely for the increased cushioning for my two kids who I carry on the rear of my yuba mundo (they are 25kg and 35kg respectively!)

I'm thinking a rim around 40 mm width, and strong as possible, to use with 14g spokes.

@Chalo , would you maybe be able to suggest a good rim in this width?

 

[Bush mechanic]

I feel that a 3" tyre is going to want close to 40mm inside...open to suggestions based on experience though.

MTX looks good , but looks like the 36h version is still only 33 mm od

 

[Chalo]

SE Bikes J35S is what I would suggest as the closest current substitute for Alex DX32. It's 40mm wide, heavy enough, and well made. Like the DX32, it supports rim brakes.

SE Bikes J35S Rim

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[Bush mechanic]

Thanks chalo, would you say 40 mm outside / 35 inside is ok for a 3" wide tyre?

 

[Chalo]

Thanks chalo, would you say 40 mm outside / 35 inside is ok for a 3" wide tyre?

I'd say it's near ideal. 3" will work fine with rims from about 24mm to about 60mm inside width, but 35-40mm inside will give a good balance of lateral stability and sidewall cush, while recessing the rim enough to avoid gouging it on rocks or debris.

 

[Bush mechanic]

Thanks chalo, appreciate the info! I'm thinking this width would still let me run the 2.35 schwalbe ones if I want later.

 

[Tplayer42]

Ryde andra 40.

 

[Chalo]

Ryde andra 40.

That's a most excellent strong rim that can tolerate very high spoke tension, but it's nowhere near 40mm wide. It's about 31mm outside width.

 

[mexican_amigo]

What about the velocity Dually rim? The inner width is 39mm

 

[Chalo]

What about the velocity Dually rim? The inner width is 39mm

That's a nice rim. I have them on my very fanciest bike. But they're a little tender, not tolerating extreme spoke tension or really any kinds of direct impacts. They don't have usable sidewalls for braking where that's a factor. And they're mighty expensive.

But man they're nice.

 

[amberwolf]

That's a nice rim. I have them on my very fanciest bike. But they're a little tender, not tolerating extreme spoke tension or really any kinds of direct impacts. They don't have usable sidewalls for braking where that's a factor. And they're mighty expensive.

But man they're nice.

Sounds like our definitions of "nice" are different...what makes it "nice" to you?

(to me, if it was strong it would be nice, and if it's not strong, it's not nice)

 

[offGridDownUnder]

Schwalbe offers these opinions about (inner) rim width to tire size:
https://www.schwalbe.com/files/schw...n_2020/Reifen_Felgenkombinationen_2020_EN.pdf
I would like "good", "Bombproof" rims in 20" & 26" at 30mm inside - 3" is the widest I can put in the rear fork of my trike, and 2" is the narrowest I would like to run as I want the suspension effect.
Any recommendations?

 

[Chalo]

Sounds like our definitions of "nice" are different...what makes it "nice" to you?

(to me, if it was strong it would be nice, and if it's not strong, it's not nice)

It's very strong. It's very round, flat, and uniform (so consistent spoke tension is easy to establish). Finish quality is excellent. But you have to keep enough air in the tire that it won't bottom out. And it only comes in 32 hole the last time I checked.

There's a big difference between a structurally strong rim, and one that can smash on the ground because you ran out of tire.

 

[amberwolf]

There's a big difference between a structurally strong rim, and one that can smash on the ground because you ran out of tire.

Ah, ok. That's not a problem I usually have...but when I do I don't expect the rim to survive that unscathed.

This type of problem is why you sent me those ex-zero rims (which I've finally got spokes for to lace up into a pair of Ultramotors), because about 5-6 years ago one I already had on the SB Cruiser trike got it's edge bent inward on a sharp-edged pothole (similar to what did in an identical rim on CrazyBike2 years before); I can avoid most of these holes, but every so often a situation arises in traffic in which I can't, and can't slow down for it either, and even the moped tires and thick tubes aren't enough to prevent rim damage in some of those situations (even when nothing else fails).

It's very strong. It's very round, flat, and uniform (so consistent spoke tension is easy to establish). Finish quality is excellent. But you have to keep enough air in the tire that it won't bottom out. And it only comes in 32 hole the last time I checked.

They sound like an excellent rim for my future use, since they come in 29" too (for the largest diameter I can get for easier rolling over things like road damage, without suspension, vs the 20" stuff I'm using now). I'm not sure if the 32 hole would be a problem or not, since I'd have to build custom hubs anyway, and the motors wouldn't be in the wheels.

 

[glennb]

Velocity used to drill any requested hole pattern. Or sell undrilled. Perhaps that was a long time ago though, when they were based in Australia.

Mach1 rims from France might be worth a look if there’s nothing suitable from Sun, Alex, or Ryde. The range was small, but I remember seeing some of the rims in their lineup being heavyweights.

 

[Chalo]

Velocity used to drill any requested hole pattern. Or sell undrilled. Perhaps that was a long time ago though, when they were based in Australia.

In those days, I bought a (minimum) run of ten 72 hole Velocity rims. I think I still have six of them. They're narrower than anything I would go out of my way for these days.

Mach1 rims from France might be worth a look if there’s nothing suitable from Sun, Alex, or Ryde. The range was small, but I remember seeing some of the rims in their lineup being heavyweights.

I got a killer deal on a few Mach1 Kargo 29" rims. I've only built one set of wheels for myself with them, but I really like them.

 

[glennb]

72h. Wow. For a big wheel unicycle I’d understand that spoke count. Still, nothing stopping you from lacing them to 24, 36, and 48h hubs.

Good range of color options was another benefit from velocity. Any rim, any color, any spoke count. It’s disappointing if they no longer offer these options.

The Mach’s looked to be filling a niche, I was impressed by their selections, and the prices.

P.s. nice looking welds on the orange frame, or the chunkiest brass brazing I’ve ever seen.

 

[Chalo]

P.s. nice looking welds on the orange frame, or the chunkiest brass brazing I’ve ever seen.

That's an old Schwinn Sports Tourer frame in 66cm. It was one of three models (including Super Sport and Superior) that were fillet brazed from chromoly tubing in the Chicago plant.

When it came into the community bike shop where I work, I decided to donate my old New Orleans bike (a Schwinn Varsity converted to single speed) and build up a new New Orleans bike.

I have another Sports Tourer in nicer shape that I set up as a gentleman bike. It has some beefy Ryde Stratos rims that I bought cheaply and laced to vintage sealed bearing hubs.

 

[glennb]

They look like some solid joints. I like the look. My mate who brazes frames uses much less material, and sands even more of it away.

 

[nicobie]

Whenever I braze which is rare anymore I always like to leave plenty of extra material.

 

[Bush mechanic]

@Chalo , sorry to resurrect this one, this is the price you pay for being the resident expert

I've got another bike I'm building for a family member and wanting a fairly quick and easy solution for this one (also in a 26" rim). For this one I'll just grab what Grin currently have in stock - is the Weinmann DM30 double wall an OK choice for a mid powered hub motor commuter? Rider is about 100kg so not lightweight.

 

[Chalo]

is the Weinmann DM30 double wall an OK choice for a mid powered hub motor commuter? Rider is about 100kg so not lightweight.

Yes, that's a good all-rounder rim for an e-bike, and cheap. I just yesterday got one to replace a single walled rim on a project I'm doing. Main Street Pedicabs use it now as a default rim for their trikes. DM30 is a dimensional clone of the old Alex DM24, just without eyelets and not quite as uniformly perfect as the Alex version. But unlike the Alex rim, you can still get Weinmann DM30.

 

[Bush mechanic]

Nice, thank you! The image on Grin;s website looks like it has eyelets, but it will be a stock photo, regardless if they are running them on pedicabs it sounds like they have the ability to reliably carry heavy weight.

I must say I can't help but feel that most modern rim systems are a lot stronger than we given them credit for, I've had many cheap bikes including wheels I;ve salvaged with no-name aluminium rims that I have ridden over the worst conditions, never so much as tightened the spokes on until the rim was wobbling to the point I've had to disconnect rim brakes on the ride home, and to this day I have still never had a spoke or a rim fail in a spectacular way. I realise this isn't advisable and I've been lucky but even cheap wheels are pretty amazing really.

 

[Chalo]

Nice, thank you! The image on Grin;s website looks like it has eyelets, but it will be a stock photo, regardless if they are running them on pedicabs it sounds like they have the ability to reliably carry heavy weight.

Here's hoping your DM30 comes with eyelets. They can be ordered either way from the manufacturer, but Weinmann's USA distributor (J&B Importers) always brings them in without eyelets. It's a good sturdy rim either way. Years ago I built a close friend's cargo/passenger bike with those rims at both ends, and it's been faultless.



It's a minority of rims that fail by breaking or cracking. Mostly they get so bent that the spokes that need to get tightened can't be made any tighter, and the spokes that need to get looser are already slack. At that point you can only give last rites and rebuild on a new rim, or discard the wheel. (Or for an emergency on-road repair, pound the wheel straighter against the ground, and do up the spokes however much you can.)

 

[Bush mechanic]

pound the wheel straighter against the ground, and do up the spokes however much you can.)

Has indeed been my method once or twice, stuck many k's from home!!

Out of interest what are your thoughts on the Park TM1 spoke tension meter? I am thinking of getting one for future builds and maintenance. The three hubs I have laced from new have all held up really well but it's been done based on feeling, and I want to do a few more builds soon.

Great looking bike by the way, glad to hear those rims are a success. I feel happy every time I see a steel fork with chipped paint that has some stories to tell.