Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Classic & Vintage
Reload this Page >

Are there any chrome steel rims worth saving?

Notices
Classic & Vintage This forum is to discuss the many aspects of classic and vintage bicycles, including musclebikes, lightweights, middleweights, hi-wheelers, bone-shakers, safety bikes and much more.

Are there any chrome steel rims worth saving?

Old 07-18-21, 08:31 PM
  #1  
bark_eater 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Eastern Shore, MD
Posts: 2,149

Bikes: Road ready: 1993 Koga Miyata City Liner Touring Hybrid, 1989 Centurion Sport DLX, "I Blame GP" Bridgestone CB-1. Projects: Yea, I got a problem....

Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 752 Post(s)
Liked 732 Times in 419 Posts
Are there any chrome steel rims worth saving?

I've got a bunch of random wheels that I'm sorting through, and am thinking of scrapping all ones with the chrome steel rims. I was wondering if any of them would be worth saving? The 2 wheels I was messing around with today were one Araya rim with a rusted Shimano front hub with wing nuts and a Rigida Super Chromix with a dimpled brake track and a steel made in West Germany rear hub. I've got a bunch more, mostly orphans and a couple few bikes with matching sets.

Last edited by bark_eater; 07-18-21 at 08:51 PM.
bark_eater is offline  
Old 07-18-21, 09:00 PM
  #2  
randyjawa 
Senior Member
 
randyjawa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada - burrrrr!
Posts: 11,672

Bikes: 1958 Rabeneick 120D, 1968 Legnano Gran Premio, 196? Torpado Professional, 2000 Marinoni Piuma

Mentioned: 210 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1370 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,743 Times in 934 Posts
Yes, but only to someone who needs chrome rims to complete a restoration.

From a use and ride quality point of view, no. Steel rims are heavy and negatively impact the lively feel on any bicycle. In wet weather, they are not worth beans in the slow down department. And they do have a tendency to rust. On the plus side, they are easy to get flat spots out simply by bending the offending area back to its original state.

I, too, have a bunch of chrome rims, some in near perfect condition, some badly oxidized. I am planning to half bury and over lap them around my wife's vegetable garden. I will paint them a cherry color and hope that she likes the look. Why would I do such a thing? The rabbits are eating the tops off of the beats and other root vegetables.
__________________
"98% of the bikes I buy are projects".
randyjawa is offline  
Likes For randyjawa:
Old 07-18-21, 09:12 PM
  #3  
sdn40
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Green Bay, WI
Posts: 645

Bikes: 88 Cannondale Criterium

Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 291 Post(s)
Liked 146 Times in 91 Posts
Originally Posted by randyjawa
Yes, but only to someone who needs chrome rims to complete a restoration.

From a use and ride quality point of view, no. Steel rims are heavy and negatively impact the lively feel on any bicycle. In wet weather, they are not worth beans in the slow down department. And they do have a tendency to rust. On the plus side, they are easy to get flat spots out simply by bending the offending area back to its original state.

I, too, have a bunch of chrome rims, some in near perfect condition, some badly oxidized. I am planning to half bury and over lap them around my wife's vegetable garden. I will paint them a cherry color and hope that she likes the look. Why would I do such a thing? The rabbits are eating the tops off of the beats and other root vegetables.
I half buried the rabbits and painted them a cherry color. No more problems
sdn40 is online now  
Old 07-19-21, 06:34 AM
  #4  
thumpism 
Bikes are okay, I guess.
 
thumpism's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Posts: 9,128

Bikes: Waterford Paramount Touring, Giant CFM-2, Raleigh Sports 3-speeds in M23 & L23, Schwinn Cimarron oddball build, Marin Palisades Trail dropbar conversion, Nishiki Cresta GT

Mentioned: 69 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2647 Post(s)
Liked 2,445 Times in 1,557 Posts
A buddy of mine built armillary spheres with his old rims. You need different sizes so they'll nest.


In my experience, the best steel rims came on older Panasonic bicycles; the Tourist 5 and 10, the Sport, etc.
thumpism is offline  
Old 07-19-21, 06:42 AM
  #5  
repechage
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 20,320
Mentioned: 129 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3449 Post(s)
Liked 2,800 Times in 1,974 Posts
Dunlop special lightweight steel rims
terrific for a pre hook bead rim
repechage is offline  
Likes For repechage:
Old 07-19-21, 07:34 AM
  #6  
RustyJames 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Beaverton, OR
Posts: 1,443

Bikes: You had me at rusty and Italian!!

Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 559 Post(s)
Liked 1,032 Times in 534 Posts
In my very limited experience, the only steel rims with any value are the original types for REALLY old (pre WW II) bikes or the type for rod/stirrup brake bikes.

Using a comparable - old steel wheels for cars (except English wire wheels) aren’t worth much but some magnesium wheels can fetch HUGE dollars.
RustyJames is offline  
Old 07-19-21, 07:42 AM
  #7  
nlerner
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 17,127
Mentioned: 480 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3788 Post(s)
Liked 6,573 Times in 2,580 Posts
Originally Posted by repechage
Dunlop special lightweight steel rims
terrific for a pre hook bead rim
Particularly in EA1/597mm size.
nlerner is offline  
Likes For nlerner:
Old 07-19-21, 07:59 AM
  #8  
Dylansbob 
2k miles from the midwest
 
Dylansbob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Washington
Posts: 1,990

Bikes: ~'75 Colin Laing, '80s Schwinn SuperSport 650b, ex-Backroads ti project...

Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 525 Post(s)
Liked 931 Times in 446 Posts
Didn't Schwinn do a double-walled 27" steel rim for some of their fillet brazed line? I'm pretty sure I had a set. Again, mostly worth saving to complete someone's restoration as opposed to a "rider"
Dylansbob is offline  
Old 07-20-21, 01:18 AM
  #9  
dddd
Ride, Wrench, Swap, Race
 
dddd's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Northern California
Posts: 9,170

Bikes: Cheltenham-Pedersen racer, Boulder F/S Paris-Roubaix, Varsity racer, '52 Christophe, '62 Continental, '92 Merckx, '75 Limongi, '76 Presto, '72 Gitane SC, '71 Schwinn SS, etc.

Mentioned: 132 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1554 Post(s)
Liked 1,273 Times in 845 Posts
Ukai and Araya made some of the finest steel 27" rims, with nice, smooth sidewalls even near the rim joint. I never throw those out.
dddd is offline  
Old 07-20-21, 07:30 AM
  #10  
Velo Mule
Senior Member
 
Velo Mule's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Long Island, NY
Posts: 2,096

Bikes: Trek 800 x 2, Schwinn Heavy Duti, Schwinn Traveler, Schwinn Le Tour Luxe, Schwinn Continental, Cannondale M400 and Lambert, Schwinn Super Sport

Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 801 Post(s)
Liked 1,000 Times in 654 Posts
Schwinn rims are worth saving if they are in good enough condition. As I say that, I have to say that I swapped wheels to aluminum rims on my Continental, resulting in a more enjoyable (and safer in the rain) bike.

For collectors, the original Schwinn steel rims in good condition are desirable and they are strong as well. They have a pattern down the center of the rim where a knurled wheel advanced the rim during the forming process.

I've got to imagine that if you had a Bike Boom bike like a Peugeot or Raleigh that came with steel rims originally, that to keep it original you may want the original rims. The French rims with the pattern on the side for better braking are distinctive looking and has a sound and feel that may bring you back to to a time 45 years ago. They still don't stop as well as aluminum rims in the rain. Either don' t ride in the rain with your vintage steel rims or get a pair of aluminum rims from a slightly more modern bike and put the original wheels in a safe place.
Velo Mule is offline  
Likes For Velo Mule:
Old 07-20-21, 07:38 AM
  #11  
cudak888 
www.theheadbadge.com
 
cudak888's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Southern Florida
Posts: 28,496

Bikes: https://www.theheadbadge.com

Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2401 Post(s)
Liked 4,350 Times in 2,075 Posts
Originally Posted by nlerner
Particularly in EA1/597mm size.
Don't forget the EA3 Raleigh rims with matte chrome centers. They're not really valuable, but pretty difficult to come by.

-Kurt
__________________













Last edited by cudak888; 07-20-21 at 11:10 AM.
cudak888 is offline  
Likes For cudak888:
Old 07-20-21, 08:08 AM
  #12  
Deal4Fuji
minimalist cyclist
 
Deal4Fuji's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 1,747

Bikes: yes please

Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1112 Post(s)
Liked 1,626 Times in 935 Posts
Originally Posted by Velo Mule
For collectors, the original Schwinn steel rims in good condition are desirable and they are strong as well. They have a pattern down the center of the rim where a knurled wheel advanced the rim during the forming process.

I've got to imagine that if you had a Bike Boom bike like a Peugeot or Raleigh that came with steel rims originally, that to keep it original you may want the original rims. The French rims with the pattern on the side for better braking are distinctive looking and has a sound and feel that may bring you back to to a time 45 years ago. They still don't stop as well as aluminum rims in the rain. Either don' t ride in the rain with your vintage steel rims or get a pair of aluminum rims from a slightly more modern bike and put the original wheels in a safe place.
Schwinn steel rimes with the pattern you describe from the '75 Continental and Sturmey Archer steel rims on the recently completed '73 Grand Prix. Both these bike boom bikes almost 100% original and a lot of fun to ride (in dry weather)

Deal4Fuji is offline  
Old 07-20-21, 09:07 AM
  #13  
SirMike1983 
On the road
 
SirMike1983's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: New England
Posts: 2,157

Bikes: Old Schwinns and old Raleighs

Mentioned: 35 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 369 Post(s)
Liked 823 Times in 315 Posts
There are many different chrome steel rims worth saving. A good set of Rigida or Araya rims are worth saving, as are a good set of Schwinn or Raleigh rims. The old Dunlops are also worth saving in condition. Then there are the unusual old ones like the pre-war Lobdell rims. With Schwinn rims, extra care should be taken to differentiate a chrome steel rim and a stainless rim. The same is true of 1950s Raleigh rims with matte center - set those aside as unusually good rims.

I would not throw any away if they are in good condition. I'd keep the better-made ones and donate the cheapos to a bike co-op, charity or bike shop. The only ones I would recycle bin/trash bin are cheap, no-name rims in bad shape.
__________________
Classic American and British Roadsters, Utility Bikes, and Sporting Bikes (1935-1979):
https://bikeshedva.blogspot.com/

Last edited by SirMike1983; 07-20-21 at 09:11 AM.
SirMike1983 is offline  
Old 07-20-21, 10:48 AM
  #14  
rhm
multimodal commuter
 
rhm's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: NJ, NYC, LI
Posts: 19,852

Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...

Mentioned: 584 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1908 Post(s)
Liked 574 Times in 339 Posts
Dunlop Special Lightweight rims, as has already been mentioned, are definitely worth saving. They were made from the late 30's until the early 60's, usually in either 32 or 40 H drillings. The chrome is excellent, and they really are lightweight --similar to aluminum. I understand they were also made in stainless steel, though I have never encountered that.
__________________
www.rhmsaddles.com.
rhm is offline  
Old 07-20-21, 11:09 AM
  #15  
bark_eater 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Eastern Shore, MD
Posts: 2,149

Bikes: Road ready: 1993 Koga Miyata City Liner Touring Hybrid, 1989 Centurion Sport DLX, "I Blame GP" Bridgestone CB-1. Projects: Yea, I got a problem....

Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 752 Post(s)
Liked 732 Times in 419 Posts
Thanks everyone. I'll hold on to the "name brand" ones for now, and will make sure to check what rims are on the old 23" "ladies" Raleigh Superb I'm holding on to for my dotter age..
bark_eater is offline  
Old 07-20-21, 11:14 AM
  #16  
cudak888 
www.theheadbadge.com
 
cudak888's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Southern Florida
Posts: 28,496

Bikes: https://www.theheadbadge.com

Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2401 Post(s)
Liked 4,350 Times in 2,075 Posts
Originally Posted by Velo Mule
Schwinn rims are worth saving if they are in good enough condition. As I say that, I have to say that I swapped wheels to aluminum rims on my Continental, resulting in a more enjoyable (and safer in the rain) bike.
The Schwinn rims are often liked by collectors, but they're rough as a cob. The knurled center attracts rust like flies to a garbage heap, and the braking surfaces are more uneven than the Philadelphia Turnpike.

Most Japanes steel rims from the same era - while prone just as well to poor performance on the chromed steel surface - will have a more consistent braking surface.

-Kurt
__________________












cudak888 is offline  
Old 07-20-21, 01:38 PM
  #17  
ThermionicScott 
working on my sandal tan
 
ThermionicScott's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: CID
Posts: 22,625

Bikes: 1991 Bianchi Eros, 1964 Armstrong, 1988 Diamondback Ascent, 1988 Bianchi Premio, 1987 Bianchi Sport SX, 1980s Raleigh mixte (hers), All-City Space Horse (hers)

Mentioned: 98 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3868 Post(s)
Liked 2,560 Times in 1,574 Posts
Originally Posted by bark_eater
Thanks everyone. I'll hold on to the "name brand" ones for now, and will make sure to check what rims are on the old 23" "ladies" Raleigh Superb I'm holding on to for my dotter age..
If anyone you love will be riding this bike, consider using an aluminum rim on the front. It can be polished to look sort of like chrome and they'll have a chance of stopping if it rains. The rear wheel isn't as critical.
__________________
Originally Posted by chandltp
There's no such thing as too far.. just lack of time
Originally Posted by noglider
People in this forum are not typical.
RUSA #7498
ThermionicScott is offline  
Likes For ThermionicScott:
Old 07-20-21, 03:56 PM
  #18  
Murray Missile 
Senior Member
 
Murray Missile's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: 700 Ft. above sea level.
Posts: 3,205

Bikes: More than there were awhile ago.

Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 620 Post(s)
Liked 1,205 Times in 575 Posts
Originally Posted by ThermionicScott
If anyone you love will be riding this bike, consider using an aluminum rim on the front. It can be polished to look sort of like chrome and they'll have a chance of stopping if it rains. The rear wheel isn't as critical.
Sun "M13 II" rims look very much like chrome steel rims from a short distance and can be had in 27" or 700c. I have two sets of wheels with them in each size and another set of 700c rims waiting to be laced to hubs for the right bike.

__________________
".....distasteful and easily triggered."
Murray Missile is offline  
Likes For Murray Missile:
Old 07-20-21, 04:35 PM
  #19  
bark_eater 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Eastern Shore, MD
Posts: 2,149

Bikes: Road ready: 1993 Koga Miyata City Liner Touring Hybrid, 1989 Centurion Sport DLX, "I Blame GP" Bridgestone CB-1. Projects: Yea, I got a problem....

Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 752 Post(s)
Liked 732 Times in 419 Posts
Originally Posted by ThermionicScott
If anyone you love will be riding this bike...
.
That exactly why I have a surplus of chrome rims. That and I grab every junk wheel with a 3 speed hub I come across.
bark_eater is offline  
Old 07-21-21, 02:57 PM
  #20  
rustymetal
Newbie
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 74
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18 Post(s)
Liked 7 Times in 6 Posts
For me, I only toss the newer chinese junk, any name brand rim is likely worth keeping or selling. Even if its of no use to you, there's likely someone out there looking for a good used wheel.
I just sold a set of minty clean 26"x1 3/8" wheels with a Shimano 3 speed hub off of a 70's Murray on CL for $60,
Schwinn collectors are always looking for good used rims as well.
Myself, I have several older Peugeot bikes that have 27" steel rims, as well has a half dozen English bikes.
Clean older English wheels are getting harder to find these days.

I've ridden all my life on mostly nothing but steel rims, I never once gave a second thought to stopping in the rain, but then again, I don't make a habit of taking my older bikes out in the rain. I'd rather have a nice shiny chrome original wheelset than a cheap single wall alloy rim that so many bikes came with back in the day.
rustymetal is offline  
Old 05-09-22, 03:04 PM
  #21  
trucklet
good cheap fun
 
trucklet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2022
Location: Lansing, MI
Posts: 49

Bikes: Too many

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Liked 47 Times in 17 Posts
Bumping this thread to chime in, the only steel rims I've seen that've impressed me are these Dolomiti ones with a real nice braking surface on this customer's Bottecchia.



trucklet is offline  
Old 05-09-22, 03:21 PM
  #22  
The Golden Boy 
Extraordinary Magnitude
 
The Golden Boy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Waukesha WI
Posts: 13,640

Bikes: 1978 Trek TX700; 1978/79 Trek 736; 1984 Specialized Stumpjumper Sport; 1984 Schwinn Voyageur SP; 1985 Trek 620; 1985 Trek 720; 1986 Trek 400 Elance; 1987 Schwinn High Sierra; 1990 Miyata 1000LT

Mentioned: 84 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2597 Post(s)
Liked 1,677 Times in 926 Posts
I recall a guy here who refused to believe that aluminum rims were functionally “better” in any way- and threw them out- irrespective of what they were.
__________________
*Recipient of the 2006 Time Magazine "Person Of The Year" Award*

Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!

"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
The Golden Boy is offline  
Old 05-09-22, 03:24 PM
  #23  
CliffordK
Senior Member
 
CliffordK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,600
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18319 Post(s)
Liked 4,487 Times in 3,337 Posts
If you're working on some of the cheaper Schwinn and Murray bikes, then I wouldn't get too worried about the exact wheels. Throw on a set that more or less match front and rear and call it good.

I think it is a bit odd to see those vintage bikes with new aluminum rims.
CliffordK is online now  
Old 05-09-22, 03:44 PM
  #24  
clubman 
Phyllo-buster
 
clubman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 8,829

Bikes: roadsters, club bikes, fixed and classic

Mentioned: 133 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2287 Post(s)
Liked 2,028 Times in 1,244 Posts
Originally Posted by rhm
Dunlop Special Lightweight rims, as has already been mentioned, are definitely worth saving. They were made from the late 30's until the early 60's, usually in either 32 or 40 H drillings. The chrome is excellent, and they really are lightweight --similar to aluminum. I understand they were also made in stainless steel, though I have never encountered that.
I've got one stainless Special Lightweight and one stainless Endrick. I think both are 36 holes.
clubman is offline  
Old 05-09-22, 05:27 PM
  #25  
thumpism 
Bikes are okay, I guess.
 
thumpism's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Posts: 9,128

Bikes: Waterford Paramount Touring, Giant CFM-2, Raleigh Sports 3-speeds in M23 & L23, Schwinn Cimarron oddball build, Marin Palisades Trail dropbar conversion, Nishiki Cresta GT

Mentioned: 69 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2647 Post(s)
Liked 2,445 Times in 1,557 Posts
Some Panasonic bikes, I'm thinking of the Tourist 5 and Tourist 10 here, came with terrific 27" 36H steel rims, by far the straightest and smoothest steelies you're likely to find. Strong, too.
thumpism is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.