18" rim in front

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fiatfan

fiatfan

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I´m going to put an 18" rim on my Commando TLS front hub, has anyone who has done this used a rim from Central Wheel? Does it fit ok? I tried to use a cheap rim which was drilled in a standard pattern, but it doesn´t work, the angle of the holes is wrong so the spokes get slightly bent and the nipples get very hard to turn.
 
If the front of your bike is lower, it can become more difficult to turn because of the change in rake which alters the trail, even if it steers faster.
 
I got a nice set of alloy shouldered rims from madass ( on this site) they are 19” you could ask if he makes 18” ..... best price I could find even with the shipping costs etc. .... and great quality , I sent him my hubs and he sent me back a nice set of wheels ...
 
acotrel said:
If the front of your bike is lower, it can become more difficult to turn because of the change in rake which alters the trail, even if it steers faster.
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The actual change is only 1/2", so hardly noticeable for most
 
Craig said:
I got a nice set of alloy shouldered rims from madass ( on this site) they are 19” you could ask if he makes 18” ..... best price I could find even with the shipping costs etc. .... and great quality , I sent him my hubs and he sent me back a nice set of wheels ...
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I like the alloy wheels but on this "not very much standard" bike I´m looking for a chrome rim.
 
acadian said:
The actual change is only 1/2", so hardly noticeable for most
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Try riding around a fairly fast corner with your front brake dragging, so the front is down half an inch. You will probably end up running out of road.
 
fiatfan said:
I´m going to put an 18" rim on my Commando TLS front hub, has anyone who has done this used a rim from Central Wheel? Does it fit ok? I tried to use a cheap rim which was drilled in a standard pattern, but it doesn´t work, the angle of the holes is wrong so the spokes get slightly bent and the nipples get very hard to turn.
Click to expand...
I bought a set of alloy shoulder rims from Central Wheel, and was rather disappointed to find that they have a noticeable bump where the rim is welded. Doesn't seem to have ant effect in practice, but it annoyed me when building the wheel.
 
It will turn in quicker, have less ground clearance, and less self centering “hands off” stability, although still rideable
 
Can anybody verify that whether the TLS brake takes the same rim as the rear drum (MB41)?
 
rvich said:
Double check your lacing pattern just in case the rim is right and you are not!

http://www.oldbritts.com/lacing_info.html
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Usually when I buy aluminium rims, I buy them undrilled. If I am going down in diameter I tape the new rim top the old and drill the new rim by hand, to match the old. You also need a set of thread rollers to shorten the spokes. It is usually better to get somebody to do it, who specialises in it. The last time I did it, I borrowed a set of rollers, they are a bit expensive. A set of shorter spokes might be cheaper, if you can find them. Personally, I would not go down in size on the front wheel. If anything I would do both wheels - 18 inch front and back. But even then the bike becomes heavier to turn in corners - less nimble. I did it years ago to my Triton to get better rubber - I could ride it faster in corners, but I used to get off the bike exhausted after a 5 lap race on a 3 Km circuit. If you usually ride on fairly straight roads, you might not notice the effect so much.
 
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