Old wheels what do you do with them

[ferrit worrier]

I've now got a couple of old rims that are of no use, so what do you do with them? I'm one of those who can't throw stuff away, almost a professional keeper of junk. Well it might come in usfull does one strip the spokes out and bin the rest? keep the hub if its any good? or just hang it on a nail in the shed.

[GrahamNR17]

Hang it on a nail in the shed, leave to mature for thirty or more years, then sell it to a collector for "more than a weeks wages"

[JohnW]

This happens about once a year for me. I keep the hubs, clean them out, check the bearings and replace the balls - and cones if necessary, and even the rear spindle if it's deflected, and take it to the wheelbuilder for a new rim. There's still the cost of a new rim and time for building, and often new spokes if you're using a different rim.

I've got Campag Record hubs that are 30 years old, and still fit for the next rim. On one rear, I got new conesand bearing cups from Marcian, new spindle from Spa, new balls from one of them but can't remember which, and it's just about to go back onto a bike with a new rim on it.

With rims nowadays giving not much more than half the mileage of the equivelant rims of 20-30 years ago, throwing away a hub after one pair of rims has died is such a waste of money.

[fausto copy]

or just hang it on a nail in the shed.

...like this you mean?

[Vorpal]

I give all the bike bits that I don't want anymore to re-cycle http://www.re-cycle.org/

[reohn2]

If the rims are worn out cut out the hubs and bin the rims and spokes unless you can get the same rims and do a side by side swap using the same spokes.Things sometimes take up too much room.

[jonbott]

mine are hung up too

[random37]

Wheels with worn-out rims are good to no-one. You'll never use them again, and they could cause an accident. But they can become something else.

Cut them out of the hubs (don't bother with keeping them, either). If they're freewheel hubs, make sure you take the freewheel off FIRST. A good hub can happily see another rim.

[Edwards]

With enough old Rims you could make a planter or straighten them out and use a a form of dribble watering thing (need to close some holes a bit or a lot. Hooks for hanging things.
Spokes preferably stainless could be used instead of canes for supporting some plants.
Or do as I do and just leave them in a shed.
Old Free-hubs Cassettes or Chain-rings could be sent to me for an art thing across a wall in the garden to make it look not so bland.

[ChrisButch]

A colleague at work used to turn them into hanging mobiles for her chldren's bedrooms.

[fausto copy]

I'm actually saving rims to make a pretty arch effect on top of the garden wall. When I've got enough, I'll cut them in half and concrete them into the top of the brick wall.
Hopefully, none of you have got my actual address.

[Wilburtron]

Copy Marcel Duchamp !!!

[JohnW]

If the rims are worn out cut out the hubs and bin the rims and spokes unless you can get the same rims and do a side by side swap using the same spokes.Things sometimes take up too much room.

Listen to this man - he's the voice of experience and common sense - he knows what he's talking about.

I've never built wheels myself, but never throw away a hub after just one rim - what a waste of money.

Mind you, who remembers the Normandy hubs of the late 70s/early 80s? The spindles bent like bananas and the block-side bearing cups collapsed with fatigue after a bag of chips.

But, assuming decent - or even half decent hubs - r2 is the man to note.

[CREPELLO]

Wheels with near worn out rims could be used for a home made trailer. Afterall, the braking surface is never going to be used again.

As has been said, if the hub and spokes are still good, re-rim the thing. And remember that there's a certain amount of lee-way about spoke length. I have longer nipples at hand for shortish spokes and slightly long spokes can be trimmed.

Worn rims can make excellent cloche hoops for the allotment - just cut in half and insert sticks for the spikey bits in the ground.

I wonder if they have any potential as the basis for a home made wind turbine? The blades could easily be attached to the spokes. I would imagine the rigidity of the wheel would make a strong platform for such a device.

[alicej]

Worn rims can make excellent cloche hoops for the allotment - just cut in half and insert sticks for the spikey bits in the ground.

OMG yes they could! Please everyone send me all your worn out rims for my allotment, they'd be perfect!

BTW this site is really good http://www.recyclethis.co.uk/ - you send in a suggestion of something you want to recycle rather than throwing it away, and then people suggest reuses for it.