glutz

This is my first post, so if it should be posted elsewhere, let me know.
I am restoring a Peugeot Cadre Allege that I picked up off of Facebook for $50. This is my first project, and the question is: Should I restore the wheels, or just replace them? If restore, since all the wheel components look sound, do I just clean them? Should I replace the spokes and re-thread the entire wheel?
Your advice is appreciated.
GML

TPL

Re-thread NOT

Rebuild / relace YES

Narhay

If the rims and spokes are in good shape then they'll likely just need a good cleaning, truing and new balls and grease in the hubs. If there is damage or rust then that is another consideration.

dedhed

If it has steel rims go alloy.

CliffordK

It depends on condition, parts, and the ultimate goal.

What do you want to do with the bike?

If the wheels are in reasonably good condition, then just clean up and use. It used to be common to replace rims and reuse hubs, but less common today.

Upload some photos of the bike to your album:

https://www.bikeforums.net/g/user/550717

wrk101

Its not a collectors bike. Do what works for you. If they are in OK shape, clean up and use. If they have issues, find a replacement set. Me, my replacement wheels come from either donor bikes or bike co ops. Anymore, I have so many wheels so I tend to be donating wheels to co ops, rather than buying them. Donated a couple pairs this week, I have two more sets to donate.

New spokes and nipples (to rebuild an existing wheel) tend to cost more than a good used wheel. I've rebuilt some wheels, but its never really been financially prudent. Now there are some collectable wheels out there that can be worth the expense.

randyjawa 

First, are the rims in good shape? This means not rusted, badly worn or showing any flat spots. How about the spokes? Are they stainless steel of plated? If plated, are they badly oxidized or even showing rust? Next, try to turn a wee bit every single nipple. A seized nipple can prove a frustration to deal with.

How are the hubs? Are they alloy or plated steel? I would not be inclined to rebuild a wheel set fitted with plated steel hubs. How about the bearing condition? Grab the axle(s) and feel for roughness. Roughness can be a product of a couple of things. Improperly adjusted (too tight). Old hardened grease. Or damaged cups, or cones or balls or any combination of the three. Sloppy, is usually only a condition of improperly adjusted.

Finally, how are your wheel building and/or maintaining skills? If you don't know how to build and/or maintain wheels, then just buy a new set.

Frkl

A hand built, used wheel can last a lot longer than a machine made new one that costs more. So, the wheels on there might work well for you. Or, try to find a used pair with a good braking surface and that are reasonably in true. Plan to also by a spoke wrench.

Don't buy a wheel off of Amazon and congradulate yourself for saving money over buying from a local shop. Bike stores sell mass produced, machine made wheels, too of course, but in my experience they at least give it a couple of turns in a truing stand before offering it for sale.

But the best and most satisfying thing if you are catching the bike restoration bug-- build yourself a set of wheels. It is not as hard as it seems, amazingly therapeutic, and very rewarding.

repechage

I have been rebuilding a bunch of wheels lately, things to look at.

tires off, rim strip if applicable off-
inspect the average spoke length for engagement of the nipples.
note if too long or short.
both are different problems.
mark outliers, too short or too much longer- often a history of spoke replacement if found.
on the rear wheel the spokes should be engaged equally also- drive side spokes are best to be 1-2mm shorter than the other on the rear wheel.

take the front, check the true and roundness.
hops? Dents? Some can be corrected after the wheel is apart.

decide on a strategy.
often I make that final determination after loosening all the front wheel spokes 1 full turn, 1/2 turn at a time. If some are stuck ...
I take the wheel apart fully- usually replace the nipples for sure. Often takes a day of Kroil to free up the recalcitrant.
check the spoke lengths to be all the same.
clean and polish all
then rebuild. Note the lacing pattern by photo document before you started work.
I suggest start with the front as wheel dish is easier to control.

front wheels also have spokes that fared better and can be reused. Assuming stainless steel spokes. If the spoke heads have an E stamped in... oh dear. There are Two types of Robergel nipples. Best to just go with another brand,
there are replacements out there but you will be on a search equal to looking for truffles in the forest.

if you buy new spokes reference the length the wheel used, compensate from that to order. I like the nipples to be fully filled. Even OEM wheels are not often correct.

obuckler

my Raleigh super course came with Robergel E stamp spokes. It was alway a noodly wheelset. Finally broke a spoke. There’s a guy out there who had some for sale but after I decided not to use them he said it’s probably better as the newer spokes available now all had better metallurgy.

and what was on the bike wasn’t my usual choice of 1.8/1.6 (15/16) gauge but more like 1.8/1.5.

if I needed to work on a wheel with Robergels in bad shape I would go new.

shmithys

If your wheel is badly damaged then check local adverts - maybe someone is selling such a wheel in good condition at a low price.

markk900

Based on what you said, this being a first project etc, you need to decide what you want. If you want to learn about bike restoration then the one you bought is a great bike to practice a bunch of stuff on, so approach it with that in mind: try the cleaning and regreasing first; if you aren't happy then try relacing and learn about that, and if that doesn't work for you then buy new wheels. Each step is a learning process. If on the other hand you bought the bike because you really really wanted that bike and you want to "restore it", then I would suggest a lot of research and question asking before you do anything irreversible.

Cadre Allege just means light tubing, so I suspect you have picked up a Peugeot UO8 or AO8, which are fantastic bikes but are not especially valuable. You can learn a ton just by doing a thorough cleanup and lubrication of all of the components (see this site, Sheldon Brown, "mytenspeeds" and YouTube for plenty of instructions). Your success with that first step will help you determine how far you really want to go with things like wheels and other components.

Fredo76

If the rims are not dinged and the spokes are in decent shape, just true the wheels. If a rim is dinged or has a flat spot, you can put another rim on by transferring the spokes one by one from one rim to the other. Lacing a wheel from scratch can be a learning experience, but probably not time-efficient nor cost-efficient for this level of quality. Steel wool is good for spiffing up dingy spokes.