KneesUp
Guru
My bike rolls along quite happily on it's current wheels, but I'm aware that they are neither particularly light nor in the first flush of youth. In fact the front rim is an Araya one which I suspect is at least 20 years old (and the fact that it isn't too worn shows how much the previous owner used the bike).
So, every now and again I look around for 26" wheels with decent hubs and leightweight rims. I'm not especially heavy, and I don't ride off-road properly - just fairly smooth bridleways and towpaths and so on, so I think the 36 hole chunky rims I have now are probably overkill, and it'd be nice to lose some weight off the bike. I could always have two sets of wheels if I want chunky ones too.
However, there seems to be a total dearth of 26" rims for rim brakes - there are various makes of heavy duty 36 holers, and that seems to be it. Has this always been the case (I grew up with 700c bikes) or is it a recent thing? I'm sure I remember my MTB riding mates having all sorts of fancy wheels when we were teenagers. One, I recall, had rims with a ceramic coating to give more grip to the brake blocks - is there a secret manufacturer I've yet to discover, or is 26" just too unfashionable now?
So, every now and again I look around for 26" wheels with decent hubs and leightweight rims. I'm not especially heavy, and I don't ride off-road properly - just fairly smooth bridleways and towpaths and so on, so I think the 36 hole chunky rims I have now are probably overkill, and it'd be nice to lose some weight off the bike. I could always have two sets of wheels if I want chunky ones too.
However, there seems to be a total dearth of 26" rims for rim brakes - there are various makes of heavy duty 36 holers, and that seems to be it. Has this always been the case (I grew up with 700c bikes) or is it a recent thing? I'm sure I remember my MTB riding mates having all sorts of fancy wheels when we were teenagers. One, I recall, had rims with a ceramic coating to give more grip to the brake blocks - is there a secret manufacturer I've yet to discover, or is 26" just too unfashionable now?
