Alloy rims query.

[whitehillbillies]

Hi, noticed in my, British Two Stroke Trials Bikes book, Don Smith was running alloy rims on his 1963 works TES, was this year the earliest they were added to works bikes, or are my eyes miss leading in the photo, and the rims acually steel ????

whitehillbillies

[riflegreen]

Don did have alloy rims , any works riders could have alloy rims if they paid for them themselves .

Alloy rims at the time were either Dunlop or Boranni valanced rims , which , when filled with mud weighed a lot more than steel rims .

The preferred rim was the Dunlop high tensile steel rim , always painted silver and not chromed as chroming set up stresses that weakened the tensile strength of the steel .

In reality the Works bikes were fitted with whatever wheels were in the Comp Shop at the time .

Chris

[whitehillbillies]

Thanks for your comments.

whitehillbillies

[Brian Catt]

Just checked, I think you are right. Certainly on the front, and the caption says it's on the Scott Trial, prime candidate for a high tensile jobbie.