Wheelsets

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MahatmaAndhi

Well-Known Member
Location
Peterborough, UK
Hi all,

Another daft question perhaps: What kind of wheel can you fit on a 20" folding bike? The ones on mine have seen better days. But there's loads of BMX parts around.
They're the same size in diameter, but I suspect there's more to that than meets the eye. How would the cassette work with a BMX wheel, or would it simply not work at all?

Thanks.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
Has to be a specific hub at least. Rims are fine, but it's all in the hub.
 
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MahatmaAndhi

MahatmaAndhi

Well-Known Member
Location
Peterborough, UK
It sounds like this could be complicated/expensive or both.
I'd need someone to build a BMX rim and spokes on a MTB hub to ensure my cassette would fit. Would that be right? I guess the hub and rim would both require a matching amount of spokes too.
 

berlinonaut

Veteran
Location
Berlin Germany
Another daft question perhaps: What kind of wheel can you fit on a 20" folding bike?

The same hubs you can fit on any other bike. What is important is the OLD (Over the Locknut Dimension) - basically the witdh of the hub which has to fit the width of the fork and the rear frame. Normal front hubs have 100mm OLD but some (not all) folders use 74mm. The rear frame has usually 132-135mm OLD. On some folders (like i.e. the Brompton) a smaller OLD is necessary (the Brompton uses 112mm). And there are more variations available for "normal" bikes as well: some MTBs use 142mm today, some older touring bikes 125mm. So what fits depends from the exact bike you want to put the hubs in.
 
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MahatmaAndhi

MahatmaAndhi

Well-Known Member
Location
Peterborough, UK
Thanks for the explanations. I'll wait for my swish measuring calipers to arrive before I look in to this further.
My original idea which made me ask the question was how my bike would look with old BMX mags on it.
 

chriscross1966

Über Member
Location
Swindon
SMCBike probably make deep section carbon rims and possibly aero trispoke wheels in the size you want. Be sat down with a drink when you look the prices up though.... I could have bought a brand new Brompton for what the wheels on my H11 cost.... and not one of the cheap ones either
 
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