Rim Size????

[ssutherland]

I am trying to find a replacement rim for a 20's Indian Chief.

The existing rim is a clincher and measures 21" total diameter (no tire) and the cross section measures 2.5.

The tire that was on it was a 3.85x20.

What rim size do I have and how in the world do you figure this out?

Thanks
Scott

[tgarcia]

If that's the tire that was mounted on the wheel it's most likely a 20, measure across the inside of the rim and that will tell you.

[gharper]

Scott, That is correct, sounds like a 20" rim, often measured incorrectly! As tgarcia mentioned, the correct way to measure is from the flat of the rim, side to side, not the lip!

Tire sizes for clinchers varied over the years. For instance, pre 25 Chief used 28 x 3 clinchers, a common size on most big bikes of the day. This was a 28" diameter tire with a 3" tire height, so 28 minus the 3" of tire on each side equals 22", so a 22" clincher rim. You mentioned a 3.85-20 tire, which would be correct for 25-29 Chief. In this case, 3.85 is the tire height, 20 is the rim diameter, so 20 plus the 3.85" of tire on each side equals a diameter of 27.7" for this tire.

What year chief are you working on?