I don't think the rust is a big deal. It will just make adjusting the rim a little difficult because
the nipple will tend to bind against the rust and be a bit notchy. If you remove the rust, that
should be quite adequate. I assume this is a bit of a clunker bike, and if that's the case, with an
otherwise fine rim, I wouldn't worry about that rust at all. Lube the nipples with some heavy oil
while building, just a tad, not too much.
I almost always prefer 3x for any wheel. I would advise the same here. You certainly can't do
radial. 3x builds a nice durable wheel and I've had plenty of great wheels using this pattern.
Cheers,
Scott..
--
Scott Anderson
"Dan Lissit" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:Hi Everyone,
I'm converting an 80's road bike (Trek 460) to fixed gear. Since the original rear hub is a
Helicomatic (= can't screw on a cog) I am rebuilding it with a Suzue standard flip-flop. This will
be my first try at building a wheel. The original rim is a Matrix Strada, black anodyzed. I have
two questions: 1) the eyelets on the spoke holes are rusted on the exterior, although otherwise
the rim is in good shape. Will it be alright if I just remove the rust, or am I better off
replacing the rim? 2) What is the preferred lacing pattern, if any, for a fixed gear wheel?
Thanks for your help. Dan