Worksman Wheels My Way

[sportscarpat]

I recently started a second motor bike build and needed a set of wheels. I had a nice set of Husky industrial wheels on my first build so I decided to try something even stronger. I chanced across a thread on the Rat Rod bike forum of someone who had toured the Worksman factory and took a bunch of pictures. In one of the pictures was a stack of what appeared to be their heavy duty rims but these were aluminum. Same classic shape, but lighter.

I wanted them in black but they were only available in silver so ordered a set and as soon as I got them home I took them completely apart. I took the rims to an annodizing shop, had the silver chemically stripped off, then had the rims annodized in a hard black finish. I also did a little custom work to my rear sprocket and had this annodized as well. Here are how the parts came out.

Then the fun part, putting them all back together. The spokes are so large the bike shop didn't have a spoke tool large enough to fit the 11 gauge stainless spokes, so I used a small 3/16" wrench. It was interesting to note that the front was a three cross pattern while the rear was a four cross. Here is how they look now with some Felt Quick Bricks mounted up. Can't wait to put them on my bike.

 

[bairdco]

i think they use a three cross because of the giant drum hub. which, looks like an atom hub, but i wouldn't know without a close up. could probably still do a fourX, but people are lazy.

those look good. i like the way the aluminum rims retain the rounded clincher style. i figured they'd be straight sided, like most alloys.

 

[sportscarpat]

I put them back together the same way I received them. It was weird because I didn't look at both of them that close when I tore them down. The front went right back together. I did the rear the same way and all the spokes were too long. Good thing I took pictures first. I double checked and sure enough the rears were four cross. Laced them up a second time and the spokes were the perfect length. These are going on my boardtracker.

 

[The 26incher]

Damn, those wheels look NICE!

 

[azbill]

sweet wheels
nice job

 

[tyrslider]

Sweet wheels, I too like the rims! Love black anodize!

11 ga and 12 ga spokes aren't available in many sizes as they are standardized for utility purposes (inbetween m/c and bicycle sizes). They probably have 2 sizes (for 26") and on the rear they did 4 cross to take up extra length. Basket weave is good for that too! 4 cross is strong for our purposes, maybe slightly less resistance to trueness but stronger torsionally and resistant to radial runout.