What wheels/rims are recommended for ebikes?

[destro23]

Hi guys i'm building up a ratrod ebike with a stretch cruiser frame. The front Fork i've gotten Monark II can take tires up to 2.55" wide my question is...

what rims are good/strong ebike recommended?
and what rim width should i be looking at?

I want a slightly wider black rim.

Can you guys recommend a good front rim? i'm prob going to get a golden motor magic pie v5 because of built in controller and less wires.

thanks guys!!

 

[MadRhino]

You don't say much, about speed and riding conditions, nor weight and wheel size or budget.

I suppose, with you choice of bike and motor, that it will cruise in town at moderate speed. I would recommend a DX32 if you don't want to spend much and care about the weight. Best in 24" IMO, good for tires up to 3.0".

Chopper rims are another solution. You can see a lot of them at Classic Cycle .de

 

[destro23]

sorry about 200 to 225 lbs depending on who's riding. its going to be all paved street riding with some potholes(good ol new jersey). I'm going to be mostly cruising around beach towns and doing some bar hopping here and there. wheel size 26" and tires can't go wider then 2.55".

attached is a mock up of the bike with 26" rims and tires i took off a friends bike just to see how it looks.

What slightly wider rims is everyone buying?

This is my very first bike build so my knowledge on this is limited. sorry if i'm not asking the right questions. basically whats a good wheel/rim that i can put on this with disc breaks.

 

[MadRhino]

Disc brakes need a disc hub, and any rim. "Slightly wider" is subjective. There is no rim that everyone is buying. Some are popular and easy to find at a reasonable price, hence my recommendation of a DX32. It is strong enough to be commonly used for BMX and Trial. It is made by Alexrims in 4 sizes with 36h, lightweight double wall, 32mm bead width, 39mm outside. Recommended tire width 1.5 to 3.0. It is popular enough to be found locally, or not so far from your place.

If you want wider, or different, check the link: http://www.classic-cycle.de/en/Rims-Wheels-Parts/Rims/26-inch/?cur=1

 

[Drunkskunk]

Looks like a fun project. The Alex DX32 is one of the widest "common" rims that could be considered something "everybody uses". Anything wider than that is likely a specialty item, and you aren't likely to find many high end name brand rims in sizes between the Alex and a Surly 65mm, which would be far too wide. What's available comes from specialty shops like MadRhino linked.

You said the widest tire you could fit is 2.55". What is that based on?
Normally, my go-to tire for something like this would be a Maxxis Hookworm 2.5", but on a wide rim, that may be too wide.

 

[destro23]

Thanks for the replies guys! The reason I can't go bigger then 2.55 is because of the monark II springer fork. A 3 inch tire rubs for sure with this fork. I'm looking up dx32 wheels now, no one local to me seems to carry any 26" disc wheel. Also is there any place online I can order a complete wheel? Again I'm at beginner level but will quickly learn.

Unrelated what do you guys think I should go with color scheme? Brown seat brown tires? ( they don't make the tires that are on the bike in the pic anymore; the Electra brownwall tires) cream tires? Black seat?

Thanks for the replies

 

[MadRhino]

The fork has disc brake mount?

You won't find a ready built 26" wheel with a DX32, the rim is not common in that size. You'd have better luck in BMX or Trial sizes. My guess is that you will have to order a custom wheel build, or learn to do it yourself. You could buy the rim and hub, then have them laced locally.

The same link I gave you, is a good site to see a variety of tires for cruisers and choppers. Coloured tires still exist, white walls and retro too..