Tire & Rim for San Francisco Commute

[westwind]

The more I look the more confused I get in selecting the correct rim.
I have a 23-622 tire on the rear of a 30 year old Peugeot bicycle. The
rim has a Moillard Heliomatic hub, and 14 gauge (2mm) spokes none of
which are broken. The rim is bent like a pretzel, so I want a new rim
(and tire) that will reliably carry a 220 pound (100 kilogram) rider
who is commuting on the streets of San Francisco. I am content if the
bicycle and rider weigh less than a percent more if I go for durability
and reasonable prices on the parts, rather than for a racing
application. I was thinking of getting a Continental Gatorskin tire,
and a Sun RC-18 rim, but I see that the rim is 22.5 mm wide, and
apparently the rim should be 15 mm wide for a 23-622; the tire width
should not be less that one and half times the width of the rim. The
Mavic MA-3 rim is 20 mm wide and the Mavic T138 is 21.8 mm. What rim
should I get, and should I get a wider tire? If I get a larger tire
and rim, will it work with my caliper brakes and also clear the chain
and frame members?

 

[bfd]

"westwind" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The more I look the more confused I get in selecting the correct rim.
> I have a 23-622 tire on the rear of a 30 year old Peugeot bicycle. The
> rim has a Moillard Heliomatic hub, and 14 gauge (2mm) spokes none of
> which are broken. The rim is bent like a pretzel, so I want a new rim
> (and tire) that will reliably carry a 220 pound (100 kilogram) rider
> who is commuting on the streets of San Francisco. I am content if the
> bicycle and rider weigh less than a percent more if I go for durability
> and reasonable prices on the parts, rather than for a racing
> application. I was thinking of getting a Continental Gatorskin tire,
> and a Sun RC-18 rim, but I see that the rim is 22.5 mm wide, and
> apparently the rim should be 15 mm wide for a 23-622; the tire width
> should not be less that one and half times the width of the rim. The
> Mavic MA-3 rim is 20 mm wide and the Mavic T138 is 21.8 mm. What rim
> should I get, and should I get a wider tire? If I get a larger tire
> and rim, will it work with my caliper brakes and also clear the chain
> and frame members?
>
I live in SF, I'm 190-195 (maybe more after yesterday's dinner), and ride
25-622 on my road bike; 32-559 on my mt/commuter. I pump the 25mm to about
100psi; the 32mm to about 80psi. Both work well on the streets and are
fairly comforable.

I've heard good thing about the Sun rim you're looking at. Check around,
there may be a few shops that still have Mavic MA-2 rims, arguably one of
the best rims ever made.

As for whether larger tires work on your bike, your 30 year old bike should
have enough clearance for tires ranging from 25-32mm wide. Fenders are
highly desireable too. Good Luck!

 

[Peter Cole]

westwind wrote:
> The more I look the more confused I get in selecting the correct rim.
> I have a 23-622 tire on the rear of a 30 year old Peugeot bicycle. The
> rim has a Moillard Heliomatic hub, and 14 gauge (2mm) spokes none of
> which are broken. The rim is bent like a pretzel, so I want a new rim
> (and tire) that will reliably carry a 220 pound (100 kilogram) rider
> who is commuting on the streets of San Francisco. I am content if the
> bicycle and rider weigh less than a percent more if I go for durability
> and reasonable prices on the parts, rather than for a racing
> application. I was thinking of getting a Continental Gatorskin tire,
> and a Sun RC-18 rim, but I see that the rim is 22.5 mm wide, and
> apparently the rim should be 15 mm wide for a 23-622; the tire width
> should not be less that one and half times the width of the rim. The
> Mavic MA-3 rim is 20 mm wide and the Mavic T138 is 21.8 mm. What rim
> should I get, and should I get a wider tire? If I get a larger tire
> and rim, will it work with my caliper brakes and also clear the chain
> and frame members?
>

I may be wrong, but I don't think you can get freewheels for those hubs
any more, so you might be better off just getting a new rear wheel.
You're a bit heavy for freewheels, a more modern wheel would get you a
better hub (freehub), better spokes, and probably a better rim, if you
choose wisely.