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I have acquired an old (appears to be a 1950's Hurcules Balmoral) bike that needs a bit of restoring before it's ready to ride again. It has 26 x 1 1/4 tyres - I'd like to stick new wheels in it as the old ones are really rusty and I'm not sure how long they'd last even if I strip the hubs and get rid of the rust with emery cloth. Will a standard cheap alloy 26in wheel fit? The rear hub has 130mm spacing - is that normal MTB spacing?
Is there anywhere (pref on the web) that sells NOS vintage bike parts?
mtb is a slightly different size - suspect brakes will not meet rims.
Spare 26 x 1 1/4 wheels (steel only?) should be available. You'd be surprised how well yours might service/clean up (try wire wool rather than emery paper).
Not being funy but do you really want to spend any money on it? You could easily spend a fair bit...and end up with a flexy old bike, not in much better state than it would be if you overhauled it. Use it as a servicing/learning experience.
If the rims still look pitted and naff after cleaning the rust off ( I would try something a bit less abrasive than wire wool first) try paining them with silver pain then wiping it off - the paint will stay in the rust pits but not on the chrome. sounds totally naff but looks Ok and far cheaper than new wheels.
The bike was my Grandad's - my Uncle tinkered with it in the 60's so I'm not too bothered about spending a bit on it (sub £100) and treating it like a family heirloom. I'm thinking of making it a pseudo-cruiser; singlespeed with some new curved bars and a cheap brooks saddle if I can ebay one.
I'll give the wheels a go as they are then and see what happens.
By the way 130mm isn't standard mtb spacing - that's a road hub spacing.
Though if it's a steel frame you might be able to open it up to get a 135mm mtb hub in....
Aluminium foil on the rust. Just ball up a piece of ally cooking foil and run the chrome with it - best thing ive found for de-rusting chrome.
Keep it original dude!
Thanks to my Uncle, it's not original enough to keep original! It has a natty hand painted and now slightly rusted frame.