The "BEST" wheels for Motorized bikes

[biketec]

Speaking of solid hubs ... And Im sorry if I'm getting off track here about the mag hub idea, But I have a bunch of rims coming with the HD hub installed on a double wall rim and 12G spokes here in the next few months. Either way you go be it mag or spoke there is no real inexpensive way to NOT use the "rag joint" and when you do go your rout for mounting it needs to be what you want and what looks/works best for your application!

You know whats sad about that picture of the man making them bowls?
After all that hard work someone is bound to **** all over it!

 

[DougC]

I thought that somebody around here bought these aluminum-mag wheels (off eBay) and they cracked.....? That was maybe 2-3 years ago.

I am certain that some years ago (10? 15? 20?) there was a company that tried to sell these things for MTB use (or wheels very much like this) and it was found that they were relatively heavy and couldn't take anywhere near the riding abuse that a regular well-built spoked wheel could.

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I would be more interested if they were steel rather than aluminum. Aluminum tends to fatigue if it flexes very much, and these wheels are very tall and thin.

The reason that street motorcycles and cars use aluminum wheels now is because the wheels are made thick enough that they don't flex enough to suffer fatigue.

The reason that no "higher-end" company makes metal mag wheels now is because it's generally not possible to make them light enough and strong enough at the same time. The only mag wheels for larger-wheel bicycles are made of composites.
~

 

[Flattracker]

Haven't had that problem since I made a new seatpost adapter.

I've had problems with my engine shifting in the past also. Your seatpost adapter sounds interesting. Sounds like something i can use! Can you post a photo?

 

[Flattracker]

The reason that no "higher-end" company makes metal mag wheels now is because it's ge

Modern metallurgy can do some wonderous things these days. Its a simple matter to reformulate the "melt" into something stronger.

Aluminum will readily alloy with most non ferrous metals such as magnisium, titanium, and others.

The addition of other metals has changed the metals original characteristics and address any issues with brittleness. For instance Magnisium is an excellent metal to alloy aluminum with.

T6 aluminum alloy has an excellent strength to weight ratio passing that of steel. The department of defence even uses aluminum alloy armor for some military applications. If the alloy was 'THAT' brittle, it would shatter on impact from just about any round hitting it.

The aluminum wheel alloy is extruded under great pressure while semi molten through a shaped die. These formed pieces are then formed into hoops and the ends welded together to form the shape of the familiar bicycle wheel. Most steel wheels are formed in a similar manner.

The point I'm trying to make is, I believe that the fears of catastrophic failure is over played.

If Teny Wheel Co. has ever had anyone hurt by a so called failure, they wouldn't be in business today, but would have been sued out of existence years ago.

Now take for instance the individual that goes cliff jumping with a manufactures wheel that clearly states in the owners manual NO Cliff jumping.

If that plaintiff tries to recover damages, after doing what was warned against in the owners manual, well that Wheel companies legal department will make that person look like a fool in court for not having the sense enough to use their product as DESIGNED and INTENDED.

Spoked wheels can be as strong as mag wheels thats not in dispute here. What I will dispute is the ease of maintenance, and repair between the two, and the disc brake ready wheels superior hub mounting method over the spoke mounting method.

I'm not a 'mag only' guy, In fact my order for a 7 spd rear wheel with 40, 12 gauge spokes for a touring bike, to put on my daily beater jut came in!

I've accumulated quite a collection of wheels with broken spokes and bent axles. I've broken more spokes and axles in the past five years of motored bike riding than in "ALL" of my 44 years of bicycle riding put together!

Well guys, I dont have spoke problems anymore, or sprocket alignment problems, and I wont be adding to my broken wheel collection. I got tired of buying wheels. All 6 or 7 of my 26" wheels, have perfectly straight rims, all missing spokes and/or axles. Will sell cheap!

 

[Turtle Tedd]

OK...you like/prefer the mag wheels....

 

[retromike3]

spoken word

I might have a few wheels myself(about twenty) and I did build up a disk brake rear hub to bolt the drive sprocket on. Usually the wheel fails because the spoke tension is not equally distributed. I agree that more spokes is usually a better idea. I don't know about those sixty plus spoke wheels and I don't think you could put a donut on one anyway.

The latest road bike wheels I built up were thirty two spoke wheels(I guess that is a conservative number now.) I remember building forty-eight spoke wheels for a few mountain bikes and although they were a bit heavy they were never known to fail.

the lightest wheel I have now is a sew-up with a old Mavic rim and a Campy hub with carbon fiber spokes.

Back when I had a shop I always recommended that if you were going to get your thirteen year old a bike it would be a BMX bike with TUFF wheels Because although they were heavy they were pretty bomb proof. Tuff wheels were a bit different than mags because they had the ability to flex under load. I am unsure about the what would happen to a large mag. I also wonder how much vibration gets transferred to the rider/frame.

just a thought.

Mike Frye-the bike guy

 

[happycheapskate]

Check this out, for disc hubs! ready to mount!

http://firebellycycles.com/

http://firebellycycles.com/Images/sprocket adapter Close up/sprocketAdapterCloseUp1.jpg

http://firebellycycles.com/Images/sprocket thumbnails/sprocket1Thumb.jpg
$25 fits the sprocket adapter for 6bolt hubs and has a built in large and smaller (44/38 etc) cog!

 

[chopperjoe]

All spoke problems have been solved, never break another spoke! Driving the rear wheel solved. Sprocket /Chain alignment PERFECTthe first time!

Almost ZERO chain vibration! No more rubber disks to wear out. Check out whats on my dual suspension 'Rural Assault Vehicle! Take a look.

http://www.motoredbikes.com/showthread.php?t=24547

Sorry about the crappy pictures. Nothing too special about the bike except its dual suspension.

I'm overjoyed with the wheels, and my new drive system! I've wore out many bearings, and taco'ed many a rim motorbiking.

THESE Teny wheels will get you off of your spokes. Get your drive chain off your spokes! Never replace, or adjust another spoke!

Quit warping rims! After four motored bike builds, and a few trips (130 mile trip on way in eight hours)and wheels later, believe me It'll be hard for any wheelmaker to top these Teny wheels for gasoline powered bicycles.

Guys, spoked wheels just can not top these bad boys!

Nice,just peel off them cheezy stickers.

 

[Huntington]

"Back when I had a shop I always recommended that if you were going to get your thirteen year old a bike it would be a BMX bike with TUFF wheels Because although they were heavy they were pretty bomb proof. Tuff wheels were a bit different than mags because they had the ability to flex under load. I am unsure about the what would happen to a large mag. I also wonder how much vibration gets transferred to the rider/frame."


I was thinking about the same problem, I have been looking into mag wheels for awhile but abandoned the idea when I stumbled upon some questionable data. Apparently truing is a problem for most mag wheels, a riders weight and distance traveled effects the wheel. (I think they said about 175lbs rider is ideal) One rider said he had to true his wheel every few weeks. That was not even a motorbike.

A well known problem with the wheels.. not very pot hole friendly. That is why they are not used on downhill bicycles, no give.

I also read something about having to use special brake pads, something about the coating, ceramic I think. And the stopping power of mag wheels is not very good when dirty.

Keep in mind, this is just stuff I read, may or may not be true but it's not a chance I'm willing to take. If the point of this post was to provide info about alternative mounting methods for the sprocket. The message might of gotten lost in the ranting..

But like most, I agree the rubber sprocket mounting thingy is just stupid. I bought a CNC 36 tooth sprocket a while ago on ebay. Had the 5 hole disc pattern pre-drilled. Supper easy, cheap, effective upgrade.

 

[Huntington]

"Now take for instance the individual that goes cliff jumping with a manufactures wheel that clearly states in the owners manual NO Cliff jumping.

If that plaintiff tries to recover damages, after doing what was warned against in the owners manual, well that Wheel companies legal department will make that person look like a fool in court for not having the sense enough to use their product as DESIGNED and INTENDED."


So umm.. by your own account if your mags break and you get hurt, you cant sue because you didnt have the sense enough to use the product as DESIGNED and INTENDED?