When did it get so difficult to buy a 26" rim brake wheel?

[GarethF]

Nobody has one in stock locally. My old wheel has a broken spoke, for what the nearest LBS would charge to replace it I'd be a good way towards a whole new wheel. Judging by the selection available online I'm inclined to get a decent wheel built up, maybe from Spa. Any other recommendations?
G

[BobSweet]

Can I recommend Baldwins on ebay: http://www.ebaystores.co.uk/Baldwins-Cycles

Bob

[Brucey]

Any other recommendations?

yes; learn to fit spokes yourself.

FWIW if you have broken a single spoke then once stress-relieved etc then the wheel (assuming it isn't a total POS) is liable to be just as reliable as a new one of medium quality.

cheers

[peetee]

20 years ago 26” wheels were on just about every mountain bike and, by association, nearly every bike that was sold. Now a lot of those sales and for road bikes and many mountain bikes have 29 or 27.5” wheels. Additionally the variety of wheels required to cover customers needs includes disc or rim brakes, cassette or freewheel fitment, solid or QR axle, silver or black finish, budget or bling. I think it just represents a sector of the market where a lot of LBS’s don’t see a profit that is commensurate with the shop space required.

[hamster]

Maybe change bike shop? My local chap will build up a wheel from scratch for £30...far less for a spoke and true up.

[simonhill]

Not in stock, but surely able to order within a day or two?

This is the way nowadays.

[MarcusT]

Rose Bikes out of Germany has a good selection

[francovendee]

Nobody has one in stock locally. My old wheel has a broken spoke, for what the nearest LBS would charge to replace it I'd be a good way towards a whole new wheel. Judging by the selection available online I'm inclined to get a decent wheel built up, maybe from Spa. Any other recommendations?
G

I'm also surprised that there are less choices for ready built 26" wheels. Not so long ago there was lots of choice.
The ones available are also more expensive and I don't think it's for reasons of better quality.
Maybe it's the rim brake version that has become less popular.
I've read that the 26" wheel was used worldwide and those on long distance tours chose them party because of increased strength and spares, or a new wheel, could be found in remote areas.
I'm think of buying a wheel set to have in readiness.
I wonder how hard it would be to swap a rim if I had to. It looks fiendishly confusing.

[peetee]

There are UK bicycle parts suppliers that provide a very comprehensive choice of aftermarket wheels, from budget to Tiagra/Deore quality, to the trade. To the reasons I state in my previous post you can add a prohibitive postal charge for one-off purchases and good coverage by the likes of EBay to the list of profit-sapping reasons your LBS won’t provide them. I used to offer a wheel replacement or repair service in my workshop and stocked about 8 or 9 different wheels but even then I didn’t always have the right one Or even one that ‘would do’. It was often cheaper, quicker or more practical to replace the hub, spokes or rim than order a new wheel.

Swapping a rim is relatively simple. Simply strap the new rim alongside the old, slacken off the spokes a bit at a time in turn until they are loose then relocate them in the adjacent holes in the new rim. No swapping, interlacing or head-scratching involved!

[carpetcleaner]

It is still easy to get them online. I bought one about 4 weeks ago from Merlin cycles. It is harder to get an off the shelf one with high end hubs like XT, but over the years I've found that expensive hubs are not really worth it as cheaper ones are excellent.

[Brucey]

'choice' is nice to have until it is time to buy spare parts. Currently I don't envy the lot of the LBS; they are expected to stock every wheel for every bike made in the last 30 years (or more). Even when they do have something that fits and works, customers are liable to only begrudgingly accept it if it in any way departs from the appearance of the original. I have repaired quite a lot of OEM wheels for folk and this is the main reason why. However it usually isn't economic to do this at shop labour rates. A 'solution' which is (depressingly) often seen is to replace both wheels, even though only one is broken. Even this often works out cheaper than rebuilding a single wheel at shop rates, by the time you factor in the life expectancy of a rim that might be half-worn, if this is re-used.

cheers

[Cyril Haearn]

Buying a pair, -1
Front wheels often last much longer than back wheels

[simonhill]

My lbs builds a wheel for free if I buy all the components from them.

This made it worth me having a new wheel, rather than just replacing the rim.

The old rim had a bit of life left in it, but not enough for peace of mind on a long tour. So I ended up with a new wheel and a worn but usable spare.

[pete75]

Nobody has one in stock locally. My old wheel has a broken spoke, for what the nearest LBS would charge to replace it I'd be a good way towards a whole new wheel. Judging by the selection available online I'm inclined to get a decent wheel built up, maybe from Spa. Any other recommendations?
G

Lots here https://www.taylor-wheels.com/bike-whee ... emsart=294

[hemo]

I'm with Brucey if only one or two spokes learn how to replace a spoke, it's not as hard as you may think.