Aluminum vs Steel

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pistolpetehulth

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Jan 17, 2013
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Richmond, VA
Is there a huge difference in aluminum and steel wheels? I'm working on my first build, it's a huffy cruiser and the wheels look like they are from the 50s. I'd like to get a hub adapter from piratecycles1.com or custommotoredbikes.com for the wheels. But first I need a good set of not so expensive wheels with a coaster brake.

So what are the pros and cons of steel and aluminum wheels?.bf.
 
maniac57

maniac57

Old, Fat, and still faster than you
Oct 8, 2011
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I run alloy rims for the weight. I am 250 lbs and ride daily so they are strong enough.
Steel wheels can be just as tough but are usually heavier.
Also, decent alloy rims can be had cheap anyplace that sells used bikes. Thrift stores, goodwill, etc.
I find bikes all the time for $10-25 bucks with alloy rims in perfectly good shape.
Rim brakes also work better on alloy than steel without the rusting when humidity is high.
I have several rear wheels so I can swap instead of changing sprockets.
 
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ProDigit

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Mar 27, 2013
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Miami, FL
Older bikes still use steel wheels.
For todays comfort, alloy wheels are recommended; as most roads are smooth.
But hit a sidewalk with an alloy wheel, and you'll end up replacing it.
With a steel wheel it'll be hard to dent it.

Another benefit for alloy (aluminum), is that they don't rust. Most steel rims rust only superficial, because they're treated with a polished chrome-like layer.
So even if they would rust, they generally would rust very little.
 
BarelyAWake

BarelyAWake

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Jul 21, 2009
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Jus' some encounters I've had w/different rim types;

Stock, single wall alloy rim after minor accident (15mph sandy turn);


70yo steel rims, ripped out five spokes (brake cable snag), only minor warping, rode home & easily fixed;


Double wall alloys, 25-30mph flip crash, no damage whatsoever to rims even though front was driven into the ground hard;


Single wall alloy rims cannot be trusted even w/o being motorized, steel rims are strong but can flex under high speed turn loads (leading to odd handling & feel), rigid & strong beyond belief - modern double wall alloy rims are really the best for our application in my opinion...
 
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scotto-

scotto-

Custom 4-Stroke Bike Builder
Jun 3, 2010
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Ridin' inSane Diego, CA.
BarelyAWake said:
Jus' some encounters I've had w/different rim types;

Single wall alloy rims cannot be trusted even w/o being motorized, steel rims are strong but can flex under high speed turn loads (leading to odd handling & feel), rigid & strong beyond belief - modern double wall alloy rims are really the best for our application in my opinion...
Click to expand...
Unless they look like this......



Incedently, that is a bomb-proof wheel build that slammed into a thick concrete wall powered by 20+ HP that sheared the hub clean in half. That rim was stronger than steel.
 
biknut

biknut

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Sep 28, 2010
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Dallas
pistolpetehulth said:
Is there a huge difference in aluminum and steel wheels? I'm working on my first build, it's a huffy cruiser and the wheels look like they are from the 50s. I'd like to get a hub adapter from piratecycles1.com or custommotoredbikes.com for the wheels. But first I need a good set of not so expensive wheels with a coaster brake.

So what are the pros and cons of steel and aluminum wheels?.bf.
Click to expand...
I haven't had much trouble with cheapy single wall alloy front wheels, it's the rear you need to upgrade the most.

Alloy are the way to go, but make sure they're at least double wall. Typical single wall alloy rims that come on low end beach cruisers won't last long. Expect to pay about $110-$150 for a good low cost double wall wheel.
 
L

Legwon

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Mar 2, 2013
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i ALWAYS run steel rims. i run city driving. curbs, sidewalks, speedbumps, etc etc. (and no, the roads around here are not smooth for the most part... at least not on the side of the roads anyhow) even with steel they still end up warped... and thats WITHOUT an engine!!
 
maniac57

maniac57

Old, Fat, and still faster than you
Oct 8, 2011
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The single best way to keep your rims straight is to keep an eye on the spoke tension. I run low-end alloy rims off any old parts bike and have no problems with rims bending or breaking spokes. I am 250 lbs and my handle is Maniac, so you KNOW I don't baby my stuff.
Like so much of this hobby (obsession) it's all about how you take care of your bike.
I can get these great results because I know how to maintain every part of my build while using lower priced parts to the best advantage. I also don't ride brutally, just hard. I watch for sharp edge holes and curbs and minimise the impacts on the bike while riding. Learning how to ride smooth and how to unload the weight at the moment of impact will make your rims last longer just as well as buying top dollar parts.
Even better, it's free.
But I would still ride the same on steel rims. I'd just have to work on them more.
Alloy is the way to go unless you want the look of old time steel wheels.
Denting steel is not an issue for me because I ride to avoid those impacts.
That said, if you want to be able to pound out big dents and still get home, steel works better.

If you hit a curb hard enough to bend an alloy rim beyond repair, you need to be more careful.
 
Goat Herder

Goat Herder

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Apr 28, 2008
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I liked good Aluminum alloy wheel sets because they can flex and return to shape from many instances where steel one would bend and be bent. I can make ether wheel work fine for what I do.
 
BarelyAWake

BarelyAWake

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Jul 21, 2009
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pistolpetehulth said:
This guy is nice and the price is right but it has only 14g spokes.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wheel-Rear-26x1-75-Alloy-Black-Coaster-Brake-Shimano-Black-36-Black-BK-/200719343647?pt=Cycling_Parts_Accessories&hash=ite m2ebbce201f
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...14g spokes & they make no mention of the "Alloy Cruiser" rim being double wall, which means it very likely isn't - $74.23 is an awful lot of money to ask for a coaster brake wheel like that...

Try searching for 'Alex' or 'Weinmann' brands, they're some of my favorite economically priced double wall alloy rims, even on Amazon you'll find double wall rims for as little as 20-30 bucks, entire wheels for 30-40ish.

pistolpetehulth said:
Awesome thanks to everyone for their input, this forum rocks! So I'm gonna go for the aluminum wheels to decrease weight, prevent rust and hopefully prevent bent rims. Now I'm wondering, do I still need 12 gauge or bigger spokes if I trash the rag joint and use a bolt on hub adaptor?

I'm thinkin these puppies: http://www.chubbyscruisers.com/shop/heavy-duty-wheel-set
Click to expand...
Yea, those are a bit better lol
 
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pistolpetehulth

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Jan 17, 2013
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Richmond, VA
Whoa those are really nice and inexpensive! Right now I'm looking at a pair for $75 and they have some sick colors. Do you recomend a specific hub adapter? Piratecycles.com, sportsman.com, custommotorbicycles.com have you any experience with these guys?
 
biknut

biknut

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Sep 28, 2010
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pistolpetehulth said:
Whoa those are really nice and inexpensive! Right now I'm looking at a pair for $75 and they have some sick colors. Do you recomend a specific hub adapter? Piratecycles.com, sportsman.com, custommotorbicycles.com have you any experience with these guys?
Click to expand...
I've bought Manic Mechanic, and Pirate Cycle adapters. Both are high quality, but since Pirate Cycle are easy to get why not?
 
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ProDigit

New Member
Mar 27, 2013
137
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Miami, FL
BarelyAWake said:
Jus' some encounters I've had w/different rim types;

Stock, single wall alloy rim after minor accident (15mph sandy turn);


70yo steel rims, ripped out five spokes (brake cable snag), only minor warping, rode home & easily fixed;


Double wall alloys, 25-30mph flip crash, no damage whatsoever to rims even though front was driven into the ground hard;


Single wall alloy rims cannot be trusted even w/o being motorized, steel rims are strong but can flex under high speed turn loads (leading to odd handling & feel), rigid & strong beyond belief - modern double wall alloy rims are really the best for our application in my opinion...
Click to expand...
It's not like steel wheels wouldn't have dented. I've dented a few steel rims too,
especially when the tire's flat and I was riding it.
One of the occasions I tried to ride from the street onto the sidewalk and dented my rim.

But it seems that these things are happening more with bikes with thin tires (like city bikes, regular bikes, or racing bikes; and less with thick tires, like beach cruisers and some mountain bikes with bigger tires.
 
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a_dam

a_dam

New Member
Feb 21, 2009
351
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Momence, IL
Like I posted on another thread, I went from old steel 27-inch rims on my 1973 Schwinn Continental to 700c rim on rear.

Steel rim pros:
Nice shiny chrome-I like chrome!
It's often amazing how even very old rusty rims can usually be cleaned up to very good condition.
Very stiff and strong. My old steel rims are double-walled.
Since they are steel, they don't need eyelets and are much easier to clean, take a buffing wheel to, and even paint if you like.
You can use chemicals like Lime-Away or oxalic acid to safely remove rust.

Cons:
My old Schwinn rims don't have a proper bead to seat a tire. This is a major pain, especially at motor-speeds with a friction drive, the tires are "hoppy" and hard to get seated right radially.
Modern extruded alloy rims have tight tolerances and don't have big, lumpy weld seams like my steel rims. Impossible to get wheels really true.
My rims were 27-inch, so tire selection was horrible.


So I got an Alex DM18 700c rim for under 20 bucks. Double-wall, eyelets, about 25mm wide. Got a 38c tire on it. Tire was 10 bucks. I reused the stainless spokes and old hub from another wheel. This was the first wheel I built with a brand-new alloy rim. What a pleasure! This thing was easy to get perfect spoke tension on and had radial and lateral runout about 1/32 inch tops. The wheel needs to be perfect because that tire just barely fits between my chain stays.

I'll probably keep the steel on front.
 
a_dam

a_dam

New Member
Feb 21, 2009
351
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Momence, IL
Pics of the new rim & tire.

Probably nobody else here is running on old 27 x 1 1/4. I have enough of this old Schwinn stuff to last another 60 years. Then I will have to give in and modernize. I'll be 110 years old then, so it won't be easy.

"Alloy rim 1" shows the big fat new tire on back. OK, not big to you guys, but every bit helps. That's a "Vee Rubber" 38c. Ten bucks at Niagara Cycle. It is smooth, good for a friction drive, but has enough tread to last a while. The rubber on these tires seems extra hard. I've put less than 100 miles on it so far, but I can already tell it's gonna last a long time. I think I will order a bunch while I can.

"Frame clearance 1" shows how tight the tire is in the frame. Looks like it's rubbing in the pic, but there's a good few millimeters space.
 

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JustAnotherBozoOnABike

JustAnotherBozoOnABike

New Member
Mar 31, 2013
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RI
biknut said:
I've bought Manic Mechanic, and Pirate Cycle adapters. Both are high quality, but since Pirate Cycle are easy to get why not?
Click to expand...
...NOTHING is easy to get at Pirate Cycles anymore unless you live close enough to actually go to the shop, if you need to reach them by phone or e-mail you may end up with a quality product or you might just end up with a bad case of agita.

peace, bozo
 
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