Birmalux singlewall 27" clincher rims came on my '75 Viscount Aerospace Sport. The Birmalux rims have a good bit of non-roundness, leading me to conclude they were rolled into hoops on a machine that didn't maintain constant feed velocity, possibly cranked by hand. Mine are dimpled, about 25mm wide & polished up easily so I assume they left the factory that way. Welding was done well, ground smooth. I think my identical '76 model came with Araya satin singlewall rims, which are much rounder. The flag decal is eye-catching, moderately prone to flaking off, but perfect for a British bike and worthy of reproduction. These rims themselves seem somewhat rare, I've not seen another.
I broke a spoke recently, after 2K miles of riding. Interestingly, it was the loosest non-drive-side spoke that broke. The tensions are deliberately uneven because of the lumpy rims! These rims with the Viscount hubs are really the best looking parts of these modest Viscounts, but the proprietary stem and the seat cluster also show quite well imo.
David Snyder
Would anyone have a 27 inch Birmalux rim with an intact decal for sale? I have one and would be interested in purchasing another if the price is right. I need one for a rear 5 speed wheel, but just a rim will do. Also, how common or uncommon are these and what bikes did they come on?