Bite the bullet and do the right thing - find a good working 3 speed hub and build it into a nice modern alloy rim. Any old 20" 3 speed wheel you might luck into is going to have a crap steel rim, the welds were horrible and grab the brakes like crazy. Plus check around BMX sites and you might find some sweet anodized colors, and you'll end up with an awesome hand built one-of-a-kind wheel.
Go straight to the Harris Cyclery website and noodle around until you find the 3-speed stuff, all the info you can possibly use.
While you're at it get a larger 23 tooth sprocket to snap on the old hub, most of those old hubs are geared for flat picturesque townes of old England or some crap, not P'burgh.
I built some modern alloy rims onto an old Sears/Puch 3 speed a couple of years ago, and I just love the stuff out of it.
WTB (or info about) -- 20" 3-speed Sturmey Archer rear wheel
I just got sniped out on Ebay after spending forever looking for one of these old stingray wheels in good shape, and the light bulb went off to maybe post in here to look around.
I am trying to build up a sweet ass chopper bike from a collection of parts I have in my shop and the one and only part I cannot find (to my satisfaction) is a 3 speed wheel for the back.
It has one of those top-tube gear shift levers the kids used to impale themselves on that were banned back in the day, and I need a rear wheel so I can still roll like that.
The wheels on the bike are hosed but I have a dope 60 spoke front wheel (obviously don't expect to find a 3 speed wheel THAT cool to go with it either).
I have been to Kraynick's and dug up all of the 20" 3-speed wheels he has and none of them seem to be in very good condition (but he will sell them dirt cheap if I have to resort to re-spoking a 20" rim to a working hub).
They hardly EVER show up on ebay, and when they do I don't really trust it unless it seems like it is NOS or very lightly worn (no rust).
I did find this wheel kit online...
http://www.utahtrikes.com/PRODINFO-Sturmey_Archer_3_Speed_Wheel_Kit.html
which has the modern Sturmey Archer SRF3 hub but I am not sure if it would be compatible with a Sturmey Archer hub from the 60s/70s... Did they ever change the spacing on those?
Anyway, I would love to be able to build this chopper and have it all blinged out and pimpin for a critical mass ride or something cool like that but this wheel issue is holding me back LOL.
Any information or help would be appreciated!!!
According the comments in the link to the Utah Trikes website, the new SA hubs are spaced at 130mm, but the old skool SAs are 120mm.
Check Velocity's site; they have bunches o' rims in 406 and 451.
Alex DA16 rims in 406 have been pretty solid in my experience, too.
Build yerself a wheel. It's fun.
West Liberty Cycles has a spoke cutter, they will chop you up some spokes for what ever weird size you'll need
Yeah Dan, I am thinking that is the route I might take (building one up)... It wouldn't take long. The rim I got outbid on ebay looked brand new in the photos, but the seam looked like ass and like it would be grabby on the brake, even if I filed it down some. It was shiny and looked rust free, but that would still suck.
My front wheel for this bike that I plan to use is a 60 +/- spoke radial laced steel lowrider wheel. I have the matching rear, but don't feel like drilling 30 extra holes in a 3 speed hub to attempt to lace a rim like that together LMFAO (but how cool would that be).
The hub I currently have seems to work fine, just needs some TLC and some light surface rust removal... Seems smoother and shifts better than the ones Jerry had in his shop anyway.
Maybe I will just cut the old spokes off and go down to Jerry saturday and see if I can find a decent rim and spokes without having to order anything online or maybe cut the spokes off another rim I have here and see if I can build it up from that...
I can see this being a fun weekend in my shop LOL.
If ya want, I think I have a 406 Deep-V floating around...needs some TLC (and to be unlaced from the current hub), but I'd let it go for real cheap, if you want it. I *think* it's a 32-hole, but I'd need to check to be sure.
dan dot blumenfeld at gmail or PM me if interested.
LMFAO... Just to make it as difficult as they can for me I just checked out the rear wheel and it is a 28 spoke hub LOL.
The rear wheel is seriously the only thing holding me back from building this bike the way I want LOL.
Just one obstacle after another... I would be willing to bet a rim would not be as hard to find as a fully built wheel though.
Well I take that back... I do have at least one 28 spoke steel rim that is not in bad shape (still shiny) that has some potential. And my front rim is actually 72 spokes which is even cooler (except for if you when you want to use a spoke wrench on it, attach a pump, or put a cool valve stem cap on it haha).
The rim attached to the 3 speed hub I have is actually not out of true and has no visible seam, but needs some de-rusting... Maybe I can cut all the spokes out, get a 3 liter of coca cola and let it soak for a little while and see if the rim will shine back up again LOL...