Warrior Wheels

T

Timster

I'm a newbie bike builder and I'm gathering parts for a Warrior build. I scrounged some 20" tires and rims for my front tires, but to my surprise the rims are not 20" more like 16.5 give or take. The tire is marked 20". So I dig deeper online and this seems to be correct for a 20" tire & rim. OK then, all well and good. So are these rims and tires the correct size for the warrior build?
They are 36 spoke and I have a set of 20mm hubs to match. I went to uses a spoke calculator and that what caused me to question my wheel size.
Thanks for your time.
 
Yes these can be confusing , however IF the tyres fit the rims then they are 20" rims.

This is the bible for all things bicycle Sheldon Brown wheels

Use 2 or 3 spoke calculators and take an average , if in doubt add a few mm they can always be taken off with a file when the wheel is built and trued [ assuming you are doing this yourself ? ]

Paul
 
stormbird said:
Yes these can be confusing , however IF the tyres fit the rims then they are 20" rims.

This is the bible for all things bicycle Sheldon Brown wheels

Use 2 or 3 spoke calculators and take an average , if in doubt add a few mm they can always be taken off with a file when the wheel is built and trued [ assuming you are doing this yourself ? ]

Paul
Click to expand...
Hey Paul, Thanks for the reply. I am planning on lacing the wheels myself. I built a Tourmaster about ten years ago and had to relace those wheels but I didn't need new spokes so it was a little less confusing.
 
+1 on Sheldon Brown
One nice thing on tadpole trike front wheels -
Because they're mounted one side, I think you can just lace disc brake hubs symmetrically, and not worry about any dish.
 
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Did all mine symmetrically. Are your rims boxed? If they are cheap unboxed they may not have enough strength to take side loadings. Bike wheels never take side loadings but trike wheels do. 20mm bolts weigh a lot. Consider using a m12 or m14 and space it out to meet the bearings at only the bearing points. A HT m12 will easily cope with a 230lb rider but opt for m14 if planning on some off roading. It's a doddle to add weight and it all has to be moved by muscle.
 
I do think, that because you need to pay attention to leading and trailing spoke direction, you should ideally lace them for opposite rotation.
Of course, then you also should keep them ID'd for their specific sides :whistle:
 
undertoad said:
I do think, that because you need to pay attention to leading and trailing spoke direction, you should ideally lace them for opposite rotation.
Of course, then you also should keep them ID'd for their specific sides :whistle:
Click to expand...
But.... as there are an even number of spokes surely 50% will be leading and 50% will be trailing no matter which way round you mount the wheel?
This topic hurts what little remaining brain I possess.
 
I've only built a few wheels for "upright" bikes, and also have a hard time with wheel theory.
It's probably one of those things that makes no practical difference, or ANY difference.
On reflection, I guess the trailing spokes become leading spokes, and vice versa, when you reverse a wheel ?
But I'm not sure on that ........... among other things.
So, everyone, please feel free to ignore my previous post, and be happy to have one less thing to worry about :)
 
Maybe I would add more confusion, but if I remember well: bicycles tyres of 20" are good for rims of around 16"?
Bicycles tyres are measured outside (total diameter), so sometimes rims could have a little different size, depending on tyre type used. Rims are measured on the edge of rims, as for automobiles and motorcycles. Therefore, tyres of 20" should be good for rims of 20"... Then, rims of 16" need tyres of 16" if they are of moped/motorcycles type...
Regards, Zoran
 
You're overthinking it - The ISO, or metric size, rim to take a 20" tire is ISO 406.
A rim that size is made to take a standard 20" tire.
Wider cross-section tires might need a wider rim, but the 406mm diameter is the important number.
 
Well thank you all for the help. I'm just collecting parts right now. I don't have a heated space to work so it will be this spring at the earliest before I start building. But I know I have the right front rims now. Now I'm scrounging for a crank set. Thanks again 🤙
 
maddox said:
406mm is also 16".
Click to expand...
But it's not for a 16" tire. - That's ISO 305.
Which is different from 16" "recumbent" size (whatever that is), obviously 🤔
Here'as a chart of ISO sizes, including a bunch I never knew existed.
It could provide no end of entertainment :)

Common Bicycle Tire Sizes and ISO Measurements

Common Name​

ISO in MM​

ISO In Inches​

12.5"2038"ISO 203 Tires
14"25410"ISO 254 Tires
16" BMX / Kids30512"ISO 305 Tires
16" Recumbent34913.75"ISO 349 Tires
18" BMX / Kids35514"ISO 355 Tires
18"40015.75"ISO 400 Tires
20" BMX / Kids40616"ISO 406 Tires
20 x 1-3/4"41916.5"ISO 419 Tires
20 x 1-3/8", 20 x 1-1/8"45117.75"ISO 451 Tires
22"45718"ISO 457 Tires
22" Wheel Chair50119.75"ISO 501 Tires
24" BMX / Kids50720"ISO 507 Tires
24" Old Schwinn S-7 Size52120.5"ISO 521 Tires
24" Wheel Chair54021.25"ISO 540 Tires
24" Old Schwinn S-5 Size54721.5"ISO 547 Tires
26" Mountain55922"ISO 559 Tires
650c - Small Road Bike57122.5"ISO 571 Tires
27.5 / 650b58423"ISO 584 Tires
26 x 1-3/859023.25"ISO 590 Tires
26" Old Schwinn S-659723.5"ISO 597 Tires
700c, 29", 28"62224.5"ISO 622 Tires
27" Road63024.8"ISO 630 Tires
36" Big Bike78731"
 
I don't think so, exactly - A 20" sized tire, meant to go on an ISO 406 rim, can be any cross section.
The larger the cross section, usually means the larger the total OD of the complete wheel, but the tire still fits on an ISO 406 rim.
I think the tire "size" refers to the bead seat diameter - Where the inner bead of the tire mounts, not the OD, which can be anything.
 
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Point. Balloon tyres are bigger in diameter.

But still, 406mm is 16". And I just measured my 20" wheel, it sounds right that the bead is the measurment used.
 
Yes it is, and I think that's the reason that causes the confusion - The 20" size designation is based on some "average" size tire, I guess.
They can be bigger or smaller OD, but they all are supposed to fit on that 16", 406mm rim.
Now, I want to know where they got that 16", 349mm "recumbent" size from - I've never heard of that before ...... :unsure:
 
undertoad said:
Yes it is, and I think that's the reason that causes the confusion - The 20" size designation is based on some "average" size tire, I guess.
They can be bigger or smaller OD, but they all are supposed to fit on that 16", 406mm rim.
Now, I want to know where they got that 16", 349mm "recumbent" size from - I've never heard of that before ...... :unsure:
Click to expand...
I tought Hase used a 16" front wheel for their deltas.

But I would stay away from that small a wheel for a Tadpool.

Hmm, I wonder why non of the Trike building firms didn't do a reverse wheelsize , as the front wheels have to soak up more of the bumps and curbs.
My Grey Ghost does have 20" fronts, and a 26" rear. Reversing that sounds logical tough.
 
I wonder if Hase was using that special recumbent size wheel?
Maybe the trike builders wanted to get the frame lower to the ground, to improve handling, and that's why the smaller front wheels on most.
I know that at least one builder, KMX, made trikes with 16" fronts, but I agree, that's really too small for realistic road conditions.
Off-road "fat" trikes use 26" wheels all round, for just the reason you say - Bigger diameters will always deal with bumps better, regardless of the actual tire cross-section.
 
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