Why 40 hole, etc.?
>From a couple of the old timers:
This goes all the way back to the 1890's and dirt so called roads.
In about 1992 I restored a 1905 Schwinn tandem that had a Corbin Coaster
brake large flange 36H rear hub and a very small flange 28H front.
The back was crossed 4x, and the front also, and dumb ol' off the farm hicks
that they were figgered out the spokes to be the same length.
Going back a little further, when two of the guys that came over to our shop
in the +/- '50's, they told how the tandems had the small spoke count in the
front and high count in the back.
Reason being that as the roads were so poor when they rode into a rut the
captain would call out "rut" and the stoker would push like hell to plow
thru and out.
The lower spoke count front wheel could flex more so it wouldn't crack and
the higher spoke count rear would be stronger for the force exerted.
Progress forward to our 40x32 scenario.
Brit roads weren't much better, but they used more clincher type rims as
compared to the US wood ones.
Although later ronclads would come in but were much too heavy to race.
With cobbles I think the same thought process and ride experience savvy was
utilized.
Then as roads got better it wasn't so pronounced but it was a factor on the
weight over back wheel..
On the track, 40x32 was used but as tracks got steeper and smaller, the 32's
were used less, and many guys used either 36x36 in the US an big guys like
Torchy Peden used 40x36. for the rigidity needed.
Production HF hubs weren't made much before maybe 1936/38,
Durkopp and Paramount were among the first, I think, Airlite, too.
Many of the hubs you see with high flanges riveted on those SF hubs were
made in Chicago and sold to pro's and amateurs by a guy Named Rolly Rohr.
He had a machune shop with his business, and as a racer came up with those
nifty flange jobs and are nice to have today as an example of slick
craftsmenship from the inventive fellows in the game.
Also thru these years the tie and solder craft was used in the 1880's as a
means to stiffen up wheels so all these thing were on going a long time ago.
In case you want to deflate somebodies' claims as to how primitive the old
bikes were, and how smart we are today.
Ted Ernst
Palos Verdes Estates
CA USA
> Regarding 40 hole hub availability...
>
> Schwinn, at least during the early half of the 1980s,
> used 40 hole rear rims on their serious Touring bikes.
> My (slightly off topic) Voyageur came stock with Super
> Champion model 58 rims mated to Sansin Japanese
> hubs. These were (still are in the case of my bike)
> great hubs although seldom mentioned. They have
> true replaceable sealed cartridge bearings. I'm sure
> there were many other loaded touring bikes of the
> decade which were specified similarly, due to the
> realistic expectation of carrying extra weight on the
> rear wheel.
>
> Generally speaking, the Japanese had long been fans
> of French touring bikes and this was once a very
> standard application for such wheels. So, I would
> not be surprised to discover that other Japanese
> manufacturers had also made 40 hole hubs for the
> purpose.
>
> For that matter, I've been saving a pair of New-Old-Stock
> Campagnolo Gran Sport large flange hubs which are
> drilled 40 rear and 32 front. These date from the era
> when this was still a common and even preferred drilling
> - for racing bikes, as well. Perhaps it's time to check the
> discard bins of some older local bike shops... and begin
> counting the spokes on overlooked older bikes in thrift
> stores.
>
> I too would certainly love to find more clincher rims with
> these drillings - preferably in a low profile polished alloy.
>
>
> BOB HANSON, ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, USA