hr2510

Picked up a old Columbia tandem for free. Although a rust bucket,the worst part is the wheels. I don't want to spend lots of $$ on it but would like to get it on the road again. I think they are 26" wheels. Any suggestions where to look for replacement wheels for this old beast?

mpbridges

e-bAY BRO IS YOUR BEST BET

Neccros

try Chucksbikes.com... he has some tandem stuff occasionally

Bill Kapaun

"I think they are 26" wheels."
There's about a 1/2 dozen different size "26 inch wheels"!
Read the size on the tire or measure the wheel to make sure which one you have.

https://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html#iso

Grand Bois

I'd look for a pair of cruiser wheels, preferably with Internal gears and a brake. I've seen them on eBay. It makes no difference what you have now, but cruiser wheels would probably be a close match. They're wider that other 26" wheels.

hr2510

Forgot about ebay Thanks

hr2510

Looks like by the time I get wheels, liners,tires & tubes it would be cheaper to just buy a Huffy cruiser https://tinyurl.com/mfnx6 and strip the wheels fenders handlebars etc and toss the carcass. Then again.... I'm thinking the old bike just ain't worth it. A new 21 speed from Sears would only be about $100 more than it would cost me for wheels for the old one. Maybe I'll hang it over my gate or something.

itsjake

New is nice . . . but then you won't have the satisfaction of bringing that old beast back to life! You'll probably learn a lot more than you would at Sears, and you could be proud of the work you put into it. I'd make it a project!

stokessd

From your picture, that looks like surface rust. not structural. You could sand blast and paint as your cheapest route. Try some steel wool on the hub.

If you start replacing all the rusted parts with new, you could easily be in the cash territory where you could buy a schwinn twin that isn't a rust bucket for the same cash.

Sheldon

hr2510

I just got through with 2 other freebie bikes I picked up along with the tandem. They all had been sitting outside for many years and were so rusted even the handlebars wouldn't turn. I used a whole can of liquid wrench on them just to get them both apart. I cleaned,greased and adjusted everything and got them safe and ride ready. The wifes bike is a X-Mart bike but works & rides OK. Mine is a old Specialized Hardrock. I've got around $30 and a weekends labor total into the two bikes They aren't pretty but ride well and got us back into riding. I would consider the Sears tandem to be a weekend project also cause ya never know what they might have forgot to grease/adjust at the China factory. Here's a pic of the two I just "brought back to life"(The Specialized now has a new seat)