List Price: $31.00
Sale Price: $23.56
Today's Bonus: 24% Off
If you are buying one of these CR18 rims you probably are upgrading to alloy rims on your 3-speed. You don't have many choices -either this or change the wheel size to something else like 700c or 650b. But you might have brake reach or fender clearance issues if you change to a different rim size.
The CR18 has the exact same ERD as the Raleigh 3-speeds and also many Schwinns that use the Sturmey Archer hub. This means you can re-use your old spokes and just swap rims over. This isn't really very hard either -just tape the new rim to the old one and loosen up the spokes without taking any all the way off. Then swap each spoke one by one over to the new rim. Make sure you have the spoke holes in the right orientation (L & R holes) and the rim "handedness" correct. Google Sheldon Brown's wheelbuilding page and it'll be made clear. If you are ordering new spokes you can measure your old spokes to know what size you need.
The stopping power of the CR18 over a steel wheel is considerably more confidence inspiring in the wet. The wheels will shed a few pounds too -which is rolling weight. The bike will seem lower geared in first because it starts that much easier.
Pros:
* Lightweight.
* Excellent wet braking power.
* Polished to look more like the chrome steel of old 3-speed rims.
* Drilled for Schrader valve so your 3-speed doesn't look funky.
* Well-made rim that trues up nicely.
Cons:
* Getting a 590 tire on this 590 rim isn't so easy. It's a bear -really, really tough actually. Have good tire levers ready (Pedro's, Park, or a Kool-stop tire jack.)
* This rim is narrower than what came on many old 3-speeds. Looks a little funky at first but you will get used to it. If you have a double-ended Raleigh cable you are going to have to figure out something since it won't tighten down far enough on the narrower rim.
* Ugly Sun-Riggle sticker that looks out of place on a vintage rim. Luckily it peels right off without too much fuss.
I bought a pair (40-hole for the rear and 32 hole for the front) for my '54 Raleigh. I liked them so much that I bought another pair for a '71 I am refurbishing.
32-hole rim fits the front wheel of older Raleighs with 32 spokes up front. Some newer Raleighs have 36f/36r so count your spokes!perfect for Raleigh and Schwinn 26" three speed wheel replacements. Mine were 32/40, and they came out gorgeous and improved braking 100%
