Wanted: 700 wheels suitable for a tandem

Hi- I'm looking for a pair of wheels for a tandem, the spec I have in mind is-

Shimano rear standard road width 8 speed hub 36 spokes with a slightly wider than normal 23c rim and ground braking surfaces

front wheel in 36 spokes again slightly wider rim and with ground braking surfaces

must be straight and true, although trueing can be done but not dents, clangs etc please.

I may consider normal width rims, I haven't ruled them out altogether. I'm hoping 36 spoked wheels are out of fashion...

Reasonable price

Can collect from a fair area in London, otherwise its a Postie job which could be a few quid..

Anything out there please? Pm if you have, or suggestions etc etc

Cheers,

El D

Ive seen a lot of tandems with 40 spoke wheels. Be sure you get some strong enough. Also most of them ive seen have hub brakes, to assist in slowing the bike down big hills without the rim getting overheated like with ordinary calipers.

Im no tandem expert though, id just be very careful of the choice. Remember they are getting put through double the stress.

I've got some Deore hub/Mavic A319 36H wheels doing nothing but 135mm. Don't know how you might respace em or coldset the frame?

but I'm just soooo silf like and svelt !!! ;-))))))))

why do you need 700 wheels for a tandem - mine has two wheels. mine also runs on rim brakes... it is a 1950's Holdsworth racer - it stops fine - but probably haven't done any epic hills yet. i also run 36 spokes - usually ride it with two 10ish stone riders - so far haven't had anything bad happen...

that's my 2 cents.

I'm sure she's my Guardian Angel you know, the last time she surfaced was when I said about lights on my MTB for riding the canal towpath, and she thought it was a bad idea with kids around- see, she looks after me!

My tandem is a lot younger than yours GA, and I need all the stopping power I can get without chrome rims hampering me, as well as strength in the wheels too, apart from that standardisation comes into it with my other wheels, I can swap bits about.

A critical factor for me is that Shimano hubs (and Campag ones too) have splined freewheel hubs which you can't strip a thread on, where the screw on versions you certainly can and you're completely rolloxed when it happens, and that I do need to avoid as its bound to be in the middle of nowhere- did happen to a couple of club mates on the Paris Brest in St Nowhere.

I always have a reason for doing things my way!

Thank you for interest my GA!

36 spokes is overkill. Get some 36h Open Pros (and nothing heavier), but only lace them with 18 spokes. A pair of side-pull Weinmanns for stopping duties, and you'll be fine.

hmm I wouldn't touch side pull Weinmann's with a 30' barge pole! I last used them in 1972 and they were crap then, the only saving grace was every other racer was on them too, so it didn't matter.

Now I have got away with Shamals on a racing tandem and descended at 40+...... but for tootling about I want the safer options, a bust spoke on a ride is very unfunny with minimal spoked wheels.

sorry for the tread-jack but... is the consensus that well built 36 spokes will be fine for a tandem? (I'm about 12st and my GF is 9ish).

and...

@ El_Diablo - did you find any? have you put them on? if so how are they holding up? - Thanks

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-Sun-Sun-Rhyno-700c-Silver-Alloy-Rim-790.htm

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-Sun-Sun-Rhyno-700c-Black-Alloy-Rim-with-ABT-Side-Wall-and-Wear-Indicators-36-Hole-10298.htm

I'd run those. 40 or 36 hole options available.

not ridden it in anger, and my partners are silph-like, I got Deore LX on Mavic 917's I think, bomb proof!

If worried about weight then go for the 40's, but 36 do fine, I have ridden Shamal's on a tandem with a child (son or daughter)on the back at over 40 mph downhill, and won the "Old Crock's ten tt between the three of us- their first race ie "Dad is it always like this with trophies and people clapping ????." Oh how I wish it was!

Now rebuilding No. 1 tandem (other one is No. 2), tandem building is 2 steps forward and three back...... :-(((

V brakes with the adaptors @ £15 each do work well with drop brakes though on a road frame .

Thanks for the info guys.

@ El_Diablo - I've heard/googled v brake adaptors before, but the problem I have is the frame and forks aren't drilled. Are there v brake adaptors which bolt onto the frame?

It has some seriously knackered origninal 1950s cantilevers. Although I recon I could get them working I'm worried about the stopping power.

Do you recon the best bet is;
a) to get holes drilled + adaptors[I][/I]; or
b) braze-on v-brake bolts?

Again thanks for the info

V brakes fit directly on the cantilever bosses brazed onto frame, so if you have canti's you just undo the allen bolts, Bob's yer uncle etc.

SJS etc do 57mm etc dual pivot side pull brakes which are the business,the brakes can be mounted in the reverse position but beware the front brake needs to be hellishly long, and its got to reach lots further than if sitting on the front as usual.

I found there's two types of V brake adapaters, ones good, ones crap, and all I know is the good ones are 15 squid each!!

• they're a pulley wheel in line with the brake cable from leverto brakes, and sit in the hinged cable guide of the brakes (all shiny alu so look ok ish), the cabe dose a double wrap around the pulley wheel, its just a question of getting the cable lead to sit in the right place on the pulley wheel.
  
  

Obviously braking power is a major factor on a tandem, I run a handlebar changer with cable as a drag brake to a dual pivot brake on the rear,just helps on long downhill stretches- a bit like throwing the anchor out!

PS V brakes with MTB levers don't need adapters, its only required on drop bar brake levers.

Thanks for all of that - really helpful.... now I just need to start saving and sorting out the rest of the bits.

oh and is this what you're talking about?
/attachments/11372

1 Attachment

i have some 36 araya touring rims (quite wide) all black.

i decided on open pro's instead so i want what i paid for them £45

unless you want prebuilt wheels

Hugo- YES! The good one has a pin hole in the side of the wheel to thread the cable through before it goes onto the groove of the wheel.

To note- On the V's you also need to have the majority of the packing on the brake blocks on the wheel side, not as you'd do for an MTB ie evenly spaced, as you need to cater for narrower rims. It took me a little while to figure that one out... :-(((( Poke & hope technology at work!