Single sided bike wheel hubs - New question

[herald948]

A bicycle wheel has a hub in the middle with a thread and a nut sticking out either side and fits into a set of forks onto which it is securely bolted either side, right?

So... If I wanted a bicycle wheel (not necessarily on a bicycle, just thinking something through here) that was only fixed on one side, how would I do it? Just bolt my hub on one side? Surely that wouldn't be very strong!

Or are there some special hubs for fixing bike wheels on one side only? I'm sure one of you will have done this.

[Tim]

have a look at a lefty hub or a USE SUB hub

[alecw35]

Yes the Cannondale mountainbikes use the Lefty fork and special hub.

Ive seen others on specialist bikes. Recumbent bikes for instance, often called HPVs.
The designer Mike Burrows used single sided wheels on a few recumbents and upright bikes. Including the Lotus olympic bike.
Got a few wheel chair wheels. They have stub axles that bolt onto the wheelchair frame. They have thicker than usuall axles. But the hubs don't look upto much. Wouldnt trust them for proper biking speed.
Seen on a HPV website that its recommended that the axle is about 1/2" Most bike hubs have around 10mm axles. But some BMXs have 14mm axles. So might be able to use them with out the axle breaking.

remember the part the axle bolts to would have to be sturdy metal

[herald948]

I hadn't thought of recumbents, or wheelchairs for that matter.

I guess the only thing to do, save shelling out on some purpose designed wheelage, is to take a few hubs to bits, reassemble them bolted to something on one side, and see if they work

[Ray]

Someone has started this thread before me I'm looking to build a trailer for my lowrider as cheaply as I can with a car stereo in it ;D I could do with all the help i can get ;D

[street]

I'd look at wheelchair wheels as Alecw35 said. I reckon they'd be strong enough, remember they've got to take the weight of a person, plus they don't seem to mind going down the odd step and kirb so I reckon they's be alright for most applications.... Probably best not to use one up front though!
What size are most wheelchair wheels though, 26"? Or are they 27 1/4 or whatever that odd size is?

[herald948]

This is completely off-the-wall, but a bit of Google searching turns up these as a non-bike-derived alternative.

www.northerntooluk.com/products.asp?partno=1339E

Barkin' mad cheap, come with bearing, what's not to like? Nasty tyres.

Edit: job done.
www.northerntooluk.com/products.asp?category=Tyres%2Fwheels%2Fcastors&subcategory=Spoked+Wheels

[alecw35]

Hey they look good. Mag wheels under £20.

I have some wheel chair wheels that are 24" X 1 3/8". Thats the old style kids Roadster size. I used the grey tyres on my silver Raleigh Phaser roadster.

Ive got a pair of black anodised wheel chair wheels that are 22" with thin solid tyres on them.
would like to fit tyres and tubes.
www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=24798
they have some tyres. seen wheelchair and health board selling them too

[Geforce Junky]

Lefty forks use tapered axles I think, that taper from around 20mm to 300mm i think. If I was bodging a bike for road/light I'd use a shortened 20mm axle on as long as the forks had plenty of clamping area on the axle. You could probably just use a 14mm bmx axle aswell.

[TS]

Sorry for being daft but do how can I get these mags:
www.northerntooluk.com/products.asp?partno=155121E
to go on my BMX (or another bike)?

[TS]

oh yeah. Wrong size. Damm.

[timsands]

my mate has a pro spec sports wheelchair for basket ball like pararlympic spec and his chair has 14mm quick release hubs and they can take some major punishment. i have seen the way he uses this thing, and my god they hold on!!

as for lefty forks they are sure tough, cedric gracia has them on his 4X bike and ive seen him drop off things with them that the mind can only dream of so I'm sure it can be done.

[Tim]

Leftys are strong - they have more metal in one leg than a normal fork has in one leg - two legs don't necessarily add more strength as they arent really fixed together by much :-)

[herald948]

Here's a further question.

We've looked at bike wheels, wheelbarrow wheels and trolley wheels, what about moped wheels?

Someone on here must have one handy to try, what does a typical moped wheel with tyre, hub and brake assembly weigh?