A wheel with a hole in the middle
June 12, 2011 8:13 PM Subscribe
Bikefilter: Where can i get a 27x1&1/4 rear wheel into which I can install a 3-speed internal hub? And is there a specific name for this type of wheel?
All the 27" wheels I can find have center lumens too small to fit an internal hub, and anyways the spokes are dished to accomodate the casette.
Moreover, all the internal hub wheels or "cruiser" wheels have a gearbox or a coaster brake already built in. I have a gearbox, and caliper brakes, but i just want the wheel itself: the spokes, the rim, and a threaded hole in the center for the gearbox.
Does such a thing exist? What should I search for?
All the 27" wheels I can find have center lumens too small to fit an internal hub, and anyways the spokes are dished to accomodate the casette.
Moreover, all the internal hub wheels or "cruiser" wheels have a gearbox or a coaster brake already built in. I have a gearbox, and caliper brakes, but i just want the wheel itself: the spokes, the rim, and a threaded hole in the center for the gearbox.
Does such a thing exist? What should I search for?
Not sure I'm understanding this question correctly, but it sounds like you've got the planetary gearing salvaged out of an old Sturmey-Archer hub or something and want to install it in a wheel.
I've never heard of a hub that can accommodate the workings of a planetary gear without already having the workings of a planetary gear in it.
So what you should be looking for, probably, is a wheel with a hub to match the one that your gearing would fit that spent a lot of time on the beach so the gears have been ground down. And then prepare to spend a lot of time tinkering.
Or contact Harris Cyclery and throw yourself on their mercy.
Otherwise, you've got an intact planetary-geared hub, and you need it built up into a wheel. Any shop can do that, although 27" rims are uncommon these days (Harris Cyclery does have them, and most shops could order them). 700C rims will work (you would need to adjust your brake pads a bit
posted by adamrice at 8:19 PM on June 12, 2011
I've never heard of a hub that can accommodate the workings of a planetary gear without already having the workings of a planetary gear in it.
So what you should be looking for, probably, is a wheel with a hub to match the one that your gearing would fit that spent a lot of time on the beach so the gears have been ground down. And then prepare to spend a lot of time tinkering.
Or contact Harris Cyclery and throw yourself on their mercy.
Otherwise, you've got an intact planetary-geared hub, and you need it built up into a wheel. Any shop can do that, although 27" rims are uncommon these days (Harris Cyclery does have them, and most shops could order them). 700C rims will work (you would need to adjust your brake pads a bit
posted by adamrice at 8:19 PM on June 12, 2011
Could you post a picture of your hub? I've never seen a hub with threads on the outside, that was meant to be screwed into a pre-built wheel. Most hubs look like this. See the little holes around the rim? You're meant to hook the spokes directly through those holes and screw them into the rim at the other end. This is generally advertised as a "hand-built wheel" and will cost you a few hundred, easily.
posted by d. z. wang at 8:38 PM on June 12, 2011
posted by d. z. wang at 8:38 PM on June 12, 2011
"Lumens"? "Threaded hole in the center for the gearbox"? These things are not clear to me.
FWIW, I built up a three speed Sturmey Archer AW hub to a 27" rim a few years back, and it's one of my main rides. But it's not clear to me what you're asking.
posted by 2N2222 at 8:40 PM on June 12, 2011
FWIW, I built up a three speed Sturmey Archer AW hub to a 27" rim a few years back, and it's one of my main rides. But it's not clear to me what you're asking.
posted by 2N2222 at 8:40 PM on June 12, 2011
A few months ago, I bought a Sturmey Archer 3-speed fixed internal hub and decided to build a bike around the concept of an updated, sporty Raleigh 3-speed. A month after buying the hub, I picked up a '74 Raleigh Supercourse on Craiglist, that had 27x1 1/4" wheels.
I took the rear wheel, cut the spokes off, put the hub and cassette in my parts bin, bought 36 new DT Swiss spokes, then built myself a wheel with the new internal hub laced to the old rim.
Is that kind of what you're talking about?
Basically, yeah, buy a 27x1 1/4" wheel from wherever. Or if you're already riding a bike with such wheels (which is why I'm assuming you're asking for that size), take the wheel off your bike. Make sure the rim is somewhat true (most of those old steel ones are fairly heavy but bombproof). Cut the spokes. Go to a shop with your rim and your hub. Pay for some spokes. Pay a wrench to build the wheel for you.
posted by bl1nk at 8:43 PM on June 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
I took the rear wheel, cut the spokes off, put the hub and cassette in my parts bin, bought 36 new DT Swiss spokes, then built myself a wheel with the new internal hub laced to the old rim.
Is that kind of what you're talking about?
Basically, yeah, buy a 27x1 1/4" wheel from wherever. Or if you're already riding a bike with such wheels (which is why I'm assuming you're asking for that size), take the wheel off your bike. Make sure the rim is somewhat true (most of those old steel ones are fairly heavy but bombproof). Cut the spokes. Go to a shop with your rim and your hub. Pay for some spokes. Pay a wrench to build the wheel for you.
posted by bl1nk at 8:43 PM on June 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Ok. So my hub is a Shimamano Nexus Inter 3 SG sg3R40. It's installed in a 26" thin-rimmed wheel that came with a Nirve Wilshire I bought online. I don't have a camera, I can see that the spokes are attached to metal rings that are very clearly screwed onto threads on the hub. This is not reflected in any of the pictures of this model of hub I've found on the internet.
So now I'm really confused. Perhaps the bike I bought has some kind of unique setup?
posted by Jon_Evil at 8:55 PM on June 12, 2011
So now I'm really confused. Perhaps the bike I bought has some kind of unique setup?
posted by Jon_Evil at 8:55 PM on June 12, 2011
Best answer: Looking at a breakaway diagram for this, I'd say that the "metal rings" are part of the hub and the fact that you can unscrew some of the internals is for maintenance, not really for switching it to another wheel. (Those metal rings also probably have the shell of the hub between them. It's really not like internal hubs are meant to be swapped between wheels)
posted by RustyBrooks at 9:04 PM on June 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by RustyBrooks at 9:04 PM on June 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
That Nirve Wilshire has 700C rims, not 26".
Whatever, if you want a 27 x 1 1/4 wheel from that, you need a 27 x 1 1/4 rim. They're not as common as they used to be, but you can still get them. Get an aluminium one, not steel. Un-spoke the existing wheel, buy some spokes of the correct length and build a new wheel using the hub and new rim. If you don't know how to do that (it's not a beginner's job) you'll need to find a shop to do it for you. This is the only way to swap the hub to a differently sized wheel.
posted by normy at 8:38 AM on June 13, 2011
Whatever, if you want a 27 x 1 1/4 wheel from that, you need a 27 x 1 1/4 rim. They're not as common as they used to be, but you can still get them. Get an aluminium one, not steel. Un-spoke the existing wheel, buy some spokes of the correct length and build a new wheel using the hub and new rim. If you don't know how to do that (it's not a beginner's job) you'll need to find a shop to do it for you. This is the only way to swap the hub to a differently sized wheel.
posted by normy at 8:38 AM on June 13, 2011
RustyBrooks has it. To get what you want you're going to need to de-lace the wheel from your current rim and then lace up a new wheel. You're going to need a new rim and spokes. Leave this in the hands of a local bike mechanic, trust me.
posted by johnnybeggs at 8:58 AM on June 13, 2011
posted by johnnybeggs at 8:58 AM on June 13, 2011
Also note that the difference in diameter between a 700C wheel and a 27" wheel is 8mm. You can use this 700C wheel on a bike that originally came with 27" wheels. All you need to do is move your brake pads down 4mm. You won't notice the difference otherwise.
posted by ssg at 9:39 AM on June 13, 2011
posted by ssg at 9:39 AM on June 13, 2011
This is still not that clear. The specs for your bike say 700C wheels. Going to 27" won't make any practical difference, except limiting the tire choices you'll have. Is there a specific reason you want 27" wheels?
posted by 2N2222 at 10:24 AM on June 13, 2011
posted by 2N2222 at 10:24 AM on June 13, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by RustyBrooks at 8:18 PM on June 12, 2011 [1 favorite]