"David Toppin" wrote, in the dialogue with Ted Ernst,
>> In the Wheelmen, lots of people ride wood rims on the official tours, >> which are 10 miles and some ride centuries on them. I don't think they are all that fragile, but I'm sure some do come apart. ++++++++++++++++ My '38 Paramount, about which we've had conversations on the list, has relatively narrow wood rims of uncertain age, but not built up before I got them. I assume they were relatively late in the game. I laced them a bit on the slack side of a modern build, but not much, using lovely Torrington 15/17 spokes Ted sold me. bike worked just fine on a real century with some hilliness and some bumps and stuff like that, and I'll continue to ride it when it's not raining. They work fine, and my bikes are either ridden or sold. But, others have different approaches.
harvey sachs
mcLean va