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Steel Rims
Millions of miles were done on steel rims, so it is possible to manage with them.
Actually the problem is not the steel, it's the chromium. Once you've worn it off (20k miles, or a lot of heavy braking ) you will find the brakes work fine !
As far as weight is concerned, although many steel rims are unacceptably heavy I think you will find that 'Dunlop Special Lightweight' steel rims are about the same weight as most ali high pressure rims. Some people say they are fragile, but I've got some high mileage examples which have survived unscathed into old age. Of course, if the rims are ordinary Endricks, you can forget about liveliness even if by some miracle you've found light tyres.
These Dunlops are not rare on old bikes where the 26" rims have survived.
As mentioned many times already, if we're talking about 26's the problem is not so much the weight of the rims as the tyres.
Will need to weight, but it feels about that or more.
Went for a ride years ago and there was a downhill section that scared the hell out of me. Used the brakes all the way down. Didn't give the bike any chances to pick up speed 😅