D
DougC
Guest
While pondering my options with the Worksman (with a frame that's quite a bit too small overall for me) I concluded that I'd need to make a frame myself, and if I'm free to set the dropout distances than I got to wondering about using actual repro boardtrack racer wheels laced to some moped hubs. Moped hubs would be quite a bit beefier, and the brakes would work better too.
I have already seen that a lot of vintage boardtrack bikes are photographed with either 36 or 40 spokes per wheel. A lot of wire-spoke mopeds use 36 spokes as well , so this wouldn't seem to be impossible. Getting the spokes wouldn't be dificult, there's a half-dozen shops across the US that will make spokes for building custom wheels.
I have also found that Coker still makes, and sells some other brands of tires, in vintage cycle sizes (and colors!):
http://store.coker.com/product.php?productid=17765&cat=0&page=1
but the problem is I haven't been able to find anywhere that makes repro rims. Coker lists some 28 x 3 rims for about $800 but they're machined and are for "removable centers" which seems to mean that those are car/truck rims, not cycle rims at all.
I asked on a couple motorcycle newsgroups but so far nobody knows anything about sources for restoring vintage cycles. I haven't found any online forum with much traffic in the matter.
Anybody know anything? I'm thinking it's not going to be economical compared to using bicycle parts, but I'm still curious....
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I have already seen that a lot of vintage boardtrack bikes are photographed with either 36 or 40 spokes per wheel. A lot of wire-spoke mopeds use 36 spokes as well , so this wouldn't seem to be impossible. Getting the spokes wouldn't be dificult, there's a half-dozen shops across the US that will make spokes for building custom wheels.
I have also found that Coker still makes, and sells some other brands of tires, in vintage cycle sizes (and colors!):
http://store.coker.com/product.php?productid=17765&cat=0&page=1
but the problem is I haven't been able to find anywhere that makes repro rims. Coker lists some 28 x 3 rims for about $800 but they're machined and are for "removable centers" which seems to mean that those are car/truck rims, not cycle rims at all.
I asked on a couple motorcycle newsgroups but so far nobody knows anything about sources for restoring vintage cycles. I haven't found any online forum with much traffic in the matter.
Anybody know anything? I'm thinking it's not going to be economical compared to using bicycle parts, but I'm still curious....
~