18 inch front - anyone?

[MsKABC]

Well you can probably get shorter spokes easily enough to go with the hub, but you still need a smaller rim itself.

Yeah, I realise that - I might be a girl, but I'm not completely stoopid

There's an outfit in Papakura that do it, or so I've heard.

[xwhatsit]

I'd say getting hold of a 17" rim with the correct spoke-count and the spokes to match would be about as big of a pain in the arse (and expensive, $15 rims from Thailand notwithstanding) as finding a complete 17" wheel. Although you'd have the original hub so you wouldn't have to faff around with spacers/disc mounts etc.

Lacing a wheel is really easy, if I can do it any fool can. Although I should probably borrow somebody's dial gauge to get it 100%

Is it really that tough to get 18" tyres? What do the classic racers run? I'm sticking TT100 race compound on my bike next time I change my tyres... that comes in normal-sized 18" sizes.

[Trudes]

I bought some 17" wheels last year, had some nice tyres still attached too.... and a frame..... was a good buy!!!

[MsKABC]

I'd say getting hold of a 17" rim with the correct spoke-count and the spokes to match would be about as big of a pain in the arse (and expensive, $15 rims from Thailand notwithstanding) as finding a complete 17" wheel.

Yeah, I guess we'll find out if we try it.

Although you'd have the original hub so you wouldn't have to faff around with spacers/disc mounts etc.

That is the primary advantage to us, I think.

Is it really that tough to get 18" tyres? What do the classic racers run? I'm sticking TT100 race compound on my bike next time I change my tyres... that comes in normal-sized 18" sizes.

Can't get slicks in 18" anymore, which is what many bucket racers seem to prefer. Not that I'll be riding fast enough to need them...

I bought some 17" wheels last year, had some nice tyres still attached too.... and a frame..... was a good buy!!!

I'll have to keep an eye out for a set of wheels just like that!

[Sully60]

Can't get slicks in 18" anymore, which is what many bucket racers seem to prefer. Not that I'll be riding fast enough to need them...

You'd be much better off with a treaded tyre anyway, slicks are obviously the best but you've got to have the supension, brakes and geometry to make them worthwhile.

The TT100 GP(or the 'modern' 900GP if you can get them in the right size) will work better in a wider range of conditions that you're likely to strike (it does rain alot up there!), heat up quicker and give more feedback as you get closer to the limit, the blocky tread moves around a bit which lets you know something is happening, a slick on the other hand will just start to slide or chatter which is fine when you're familiar with your machine and comfortable being that loose but you're very close to the limit when this happens.

You'll also need to have quite wide rims to get the best from them otherwise the feedback is even worse as the outside part of the tread is basically vertical which means you can end up horizontal without too much warning, trust me

Stick with the crossplys on the narrow rims for now. Rossi's Bridgestones will still be around when you're reday to take him on!

[MsKABC]

Stick with the crossplys on the narrow rims for now. Rossi's Bridgestones will still be around when you're reday to take him on!

All good advice that I agree with, and that's what we're doing The banana has TT900s on it already, and we'll be running Battlax BT45s on the other.

[Trudes]

TT900s FTW!

[MsKABC]

Actually the outfit that does the wheels is in Pakuranga, here's a link to the website if anyone is interested:

http://www.wheelandspoke.co.nz/services.html

It looks like it would be a job worth in excess of $300, so cheaper to buy a new wheel if you can get one that fits ok.