New wheels built for my Schwinn Sportabout

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Cutaway view of Sun CR-18 rim


Schwinn Approved quick release hubs


SunTour Perfect freewheel

This is a SunTour Perfect 5 speed 14-28 teeth freewheel I bought from paddythepeddler on eBay. I quote the late bicycle guru Sheldon Brown of Harris Cyclery from his page about Sun Tour Bicycle Parts:

Sun Tour freewheels provided much better shifting than older designs due to the superior design of the sprocket teeth. The tops of the teeth were not squared flat nor grooved, as with older designs, but were asymmetrical, with a slant inward. This provided a sharper outside corner of each tooth for better chain pickup, and the slant helped the chain slide down sideways into good engagement if it was tending to run along the tops of the teeth.


newly-built wheels

This photograph of the newly-built wheels was taken , when I dropped my bicycle off at the LBS (local bicycle shop) to have them (and the “new” aluminum handlebar) installed on my 1977 Schwinn Sportabout. These wheels with aluminum rims are significantly lighter AND stronger than the ones with steel rims they are replacing.


left side of rear wheel