Cycling UK Forum

I'm restoring my father's Healing Roadster (made sometime in the 30s-50s in Melbourne here in Aus). The wheels are completely useless though, i would like to stick with 28 x 1-1/2 inch for historical purposes but can't find a source for new wheels (and most second hand ones are rusty with bent spokes etc). Any help would be appreciated.

i got mine from here. the postal cost from germany to UK was 9 euro for 2 rims. he takes paypal and can hold a phone conversation in english.

http://www.zweiradnetz.de/index.php?pag ... t&Itemid=1

oh, and welcome and please may we see some pictures?

@hgf,
thanks for the info. I spent an age a few weeks ago looking for 28" rims, and got as far as finding that:
a) they only seem to be made by Rigida these days (and these particular ones are the fancy design with which Pashley's equip the Guv'nor, I think); so hoorah for Rigida for that, but:
b) Rigida's only listed UK importers seem to supply only a very limited range of their products - not including 28" rims or wheels - which seems to me rather to restrict Rigida's market prospects here, so it seems a bit of a hobbled commercial relationship. One assumes they know what they're doing, but I certainly don't.

@ldr,
I'm fairly new on here myself, but still echo hgf's welcome . . . and please can the pix show us some sun 'cos it's jolly unpleasantly wintry here in (your) antipodes at pres so we need something to cheer us!

You're right, the UK importer is hopeless. However, that German shop that Hubbers pointed you at will mail order them to you from there

SJSCycles have some Westwood 28" rims (£25 each) (listed under the ISO/ETRTO 635mm size).
Only suitable for hub brakes and old style stirrup/rod brakes.

Before you order, check on the number of spokes in each rim. Modern ones tend to be 36 hole, which is ok for later hubs, but the chances are that your bike will have the typical UK format of 32 front/40 rear.
If that is the case, then it may be a case of scanning the small ads and/or biting the re-plating bullet. Expect around 50-60 quid per rim for a reasonable quality job.
It may well be worth joining the VCC for their magazines. Small ads are free and the stuff for sale is generally not overpriced, being sold by fellow enthusiasts.
Welcome to the world of proper grown-up sized wheels - the ride quality is worth every penny
Steve

Cycles of Yesteryear - Surbiton (south London):

28"x 1 1/2 Complete Westwood front wheel (CP) £35.00

28"x 1 1/2 complete Westwood Rear Wheel for single speed (CP) £35.00

28"x 1 1/2 Westwood 3 speed AW Hub complete with sprocket, cable, trigger Toggle chain & Anchorage £90.00


Pretty good value. Don't be tempted by their cheap tyres - mine decomposed in two years.

http://www.cyclesofyesteryear.com/cycleshop/sparepart.htm

Mark Berry wrote:Pretty good value.

they're good value only if the rim's smooth, round and well chromed.
i've seen some presumably of non european manufacture that aren't any of the above, and if these are they, they're simply cheap, not value

sorry for the wait in posting these, the sunshine coast where i live has not been living up to its' name lately, major flooding in every direction. Since i first posted i have removed the Williams cranks and dated them at 1955, BB is an english Brampton. I'll get into it more once i've finished restoring my 1969 Dawes Shadow.



this should be chrome, once i have removed it i will get it rechromed along with the cranks.




I don't have a pic atm which shows it, but the chain stays are actually bolted on just above the dropouts, and with the seatpost bolt.

oh and the bars were originally drop bars mounted upside down, my dad put on these ones around 1957, which is also the date on the pedals. In 1962 he was flying down a hill on this bike when a car pulled out in front of him, he woke up 2 days later.

I won't know for sure if the wheels can be saved til i remove the 56 years of grease and rust (30 years in a shed in sub tropical queensland doesn't help either) but i may yet end up using 27 x 1-1/4, something i'm familiar with and trust.

still haven't finished restoring my Dawes but i was able to sandblast the front hub/rim, nothing on the rim but the hub is marked BAYLISS MADE IN ENGLAND. Sadly it's not a beautiful high flange alloy item like i've seen on the net, just an ordinary steel one.

ldrcycles wrote: the chain stays are actually bolted on just above the dropouts, and with the seatpost bolt.

if you mean seat stays - that's quite normal on bikes that had a full oil bath chaincase.
they wouldn't have got the chaincase fitted on if the seat stays didn't remove

maybe just one frame design came from the factory - whether this was to be fitted or not?

possibly you need one of these for the restoration, maybe not?



in any event rather than make it 27" wheels, i'd advise you to go for the 28"s. the ride quality has to be experienced to be believed ime

yes seat stays, my mistake. Could have been, my dad doesn't remember this bike ever having a chaincase, but maybe they were designed with chaincase fitting in mind. They did make plenty of bikes around that time with the seat stays welded in the normal way. Thanks for the tip about 28" wheels, i'll definitely try to get some now and see what it feels like.

try Cyclelife the Raleigh shops