New Wheels for Steve?

Steve has some wheels and he thinks they are a bit old and they need bearings, so he wants to know if he should repair them or get new ones, we give him our honest opinion. He also mentions Bio pace chain rings and we agree they are good!

Question: I have weinmann 2115 wheels laced to KK hubs. (I know-OLD). Anyway, one of the grease caps on the front wheel cracked and several bearings were lost. Question is, worth trying to find bearings and fix the dinosaur, or go with a new wheel. Its a 1980’s Lotus 3000R that is ridden daily (18 miles round trip). Owned since new, recently put biopace chainrings on to ease these ageing knees. guess what, they do work.

Hi Steve,
You are correct on both things you say in your question. The Biopace chain rings do work, they look strange, but can help with smooth pedaling, if you are climbing out of the saddle they don’t do too much, but when turning a big gear on the flat you definitely notice a difference.

As to your wheels, you might be better off getting new ones. Can you replace the bearing surfaces as well as the bearings themselves? If you can or if they are not damaged then it is worth while replacing them as long as the rims and spokes are still in good condition. If the wheels are quite (very) old then it maybe a good idea to replace them as after a few years the rims become thin from braking and can split which can be dangerous and is the last thing you want to happen when you are far away from home. Feel the sidewall of the rim, is it thin and can you feel any grooves, if so it is time to replace the rims or the whole wheel set.

Before you replace your wheels check what width the rear end of the frame is as you might have difficulty getting a narrow rear hub to fit. Also how many gears do you have? And can you still get a wheel that has the same gear spacing? If not you might end up having to change everything, gear shifters, gear derailleur’s, cassette or freewheel and chain and then we are talking about getting a new bike, one thing leads to another, especially with old bikes. All very expensive compared to a few bearings!