Sturmey Archer and 48 spokes
- Thread starter DDbike
- Start date
greaser_monkey_87
New Member
I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure you can't add holes to a hub. You can drill the holes larger for thicker spokes, but you can't add holes. You also can't lace up a 48 spoke wheel with only 36 spokes, as they wouldn't be spaced properly. If you really want to use a 48 spoke wheel, you need 48 spoke hubs. If you really want to use those sturmey hubs, you're stuck with a 36 spoke wheel. The spoke holes on a rim are spaced for trueness and concentricity. Use a different number of spokes, you're likely to end up with your hubs off-center, a wheel that is nearly impossible to true, a very weak wheel, or all of the above.
No way to really put good hubs on a 48 spoke .... I want to go 50 mph on my Onex ... but need good hubs for that.
Love to save the 48 spoke rim and put decent hubs on them ....
... but the price for good hub for 48h .... forces me back a 36 spoke with a sturmey archer ....
surly makes a good 48h ... but no drum brake ... and the price is too I high ....
this wheel business of beefing up .... is quite a task
Love to save the 48 spoke rim and put decent hubs on them ....
... but the price for good hub for 48h .... forces me back a 36 spoke with a sturmey archer ....
surly makes a good 48h ... but no drum brake ... and the price is too I high ....
this wheel business of beefing up .... is quite a task
greaser_monkey_87
New Member
I'm assuming you're talking about 29" wheels, I can't help you with that. Why the obsession to go 50? My bike only goes about 30, and I'm fine with that. Any faster would probably be a little scary. Anyway, you can go decently fast with 26" wheels and higher gearing, a few mild performance mods will get you into the 40's if you really need to go that much faster. Going faster with single speed gearing is always going to mean less acceleration and less hill climbing, no matter what you do to the engine. Have you ridden a motorbike yet? I definitely would not be worried about going faster until you get some riding experience and know how to handle the bike. I'm not trying to criticize, I'm just saying it's not wise or safe to become a speed demon before you've even learned how to cruise comfortably. My advice, build a bike and start off simple, then just ride it for awhile.
Citi-sporter
Active Member
The main reason you can't do either is that older Sturmey gear hubs are pretty hard steel and would be pretty difficult to either enlarge or add extra holes. Also the extra holes will need to be at the proper distance from each other, which would take a new un-drilled hub flange.
greaser_monkey_87
New Member
DD, I'm 6 ft 2 as well, and I weigh close to 300 lbs. I have no problems with 26" wheels. If you haven't actually ridden a motorbike yet, you don't really know how you'll feel on 26" wheels until you try them. Pedaling a 26" bike is a lot different than riding a 26" motorbike. And it's not the wheel height as much as the frame height that matters. As it happens, the height of a standard cruiser frame works just fine for me. If you need to sit higher, raise the seatpost and get handlebars with more rise. I honestly think you're overthinking things a lot for someone who has yet to even ride a motorbike. I'm actually planning to switch to 24" wheels soon.
The_Aleman
Active Member
IMO, the best way to accomplish marrying Sturmey Archer hubs to 48-hole rims would be to get 32-hole Sturmey hubs and drill a new hole between each existing hole.
Here's a link I found a couple years ago when I was going to lace a 32H Rohloff to a 48H rim:
http://www.rideyourbike.com/48spokerohloff.shtml
http://www.rideyourbike.com/lace48rohloff.shtml
You'll need to recalculate spoke lengths for your own setup, but if you use the same crow's foot lace pattern, you will see that 1/3 of the spokes need to be about 20MM shorter than the others.
Here's a link I found a couple years ago when I was going to lace a 32H Rohloff to a 48H rim:
http://www.rideyourbike.com/48spokerohloff.shtml
http://www.rideyourbike.com/lace48rohloff.shtml
You'll need to recalculate spoke lengths for your own setup, but if you use the same crow's foot lace pattern, you will see that 1/3 of the spokes need to be about 20MM shorter than the others.
Your probably right ... I do own a 26 inch motorbike "Wildfire" ... it feels short to me .... though ....
You sir,
have just cracked the onex wide open with the 32h idea. ...... now I can build me a great rear wheel ....
...never thought of that .....
... with this idea I can cut and thread my original spokes and all have is the cost of the rear multi and single speed brake hub ....
...fantastic !!!!!!!!!!
...thank you so much ...
greaser_monkey_87
New Member
Looks like you've found a solution. That's great. I may also suggest as far as 26" bikes go, if they feel too short, you can raise the seatpost up an inch or two and that should help. That Wildfire bike, is that what the bike was actually called, or did you name it that? I ask because there was a run of factory built motorized bicycles, sold by grubee I think, and they were called Wildfire. So I'm wondering if that's what you have. Pretty neat if you do.
here she is ... she had not been run for 4 yrs ... bought it off Craigs list for $400 ....
...I thought just having one around to learn tinker with would help me in my build process ... loose play in the choke lever ... does not run well yet .... I drained out the old gas .... gonna put in a new plug first ....
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greaser_monkey_87
New Member
Those are the factory produced bikes. I wonder, did you know that when you bought it? Very cool and fairly rare, those bikes. They only made a few hundred or something I think.
I had some inkling ... but I doubt I can appreciate it fully ... at this time ....