Where can I find a wheel for this old-school Schwinn?

[gotkrypto]

basically, my friend who happens to be a cyclist borrowed this old schwinn unicycle from another friend who had it collecting dust, and eventually the wheel buckled from his weight/going off a curb/rust. so he went off and bought some fancy tube framed uni.

so now i have an old schwinn that has a 24/1.75" tire, and a cottered crank. i'm a car mechanic, and i knew i'd have to get the old busted-up wheel off of the fork anyways, so i took it apart, sandblasted it, and painted it. i'm still learning (went 10' last night, wee) so i know it'll get busted up anyways.

the guy at a reputable bike shop took one look at the crank and said he couldn't help, and i'm not finding much searching on the internet. i had HOPED to get this thing ridable for cheap....but i didn't realized the cottered crank would pose such an availability problem.

so, as the title states...where can i buy a wheel for this thing? ...and cheap enough that it's not a lot more appealing to buy a whole new 'cycle? :P

[U-Turn]

Originally Posted by gotkrypto

buy a whole new 'cycle

yup, that's right!

[johnfoss]

* Easiest: Buy a new unicycle

* Keep maximum parts: Find a 28-hole rim, use new spokes & tire. Downside of this is you still have the outdated cottered crankset and 1/2" pedals. Not good for hopping/dropping.

* Keep new frame: Get a whole new wheel, with cotterless hub. If Unicycle.com doesn't have any old Schwinn cotterless hubs try The Unicycle Factory, (765) 452-2692 (Indiana). I bet he has them. Downside is having to buy new cranks, pedals and tire, but you get to keep the crappy old Schwinn seat!

[gotkrypto]

darn, i was hoping to learn and at least see if i'd use it enough before plunking down a sizable amount of cash. oh well, at least i'm lucky enough to keep trying on my friend's. :P

[skrobo]

uhmm
whats wrong with the unicycle??
the wheel is bent (beyond repair, or still rideable?)
the crank? whats wrong with that? elaborate please.

[gotkrypto]

the wheel buckled pretty dramatically....saw my friend go down the curb and *crunch* wheel buckled in, then my pissed-off friend proceeded to smash the wheel further. i do still have the crank, but since i figured i was replacing the wheel, when i was using a hydraulic press to press the cotter pins out i bent the "round part where the spokes attach to" a bit. it could probably be remedied, but the pictures i'll post in a few will show you it's condition

[gotkrypto]

[pkittle]

You can always order a whole new wheel for a Schwinn. I did that when I bought an almost identical uni to yours. It came with cranks and new bearings; I think I had to put on the rim tape. My LBS ordered it. It was around $50 total, so no breaking the bank. Give your LBS a visit and see if they can order one; your Schwinn dealer's probably the best bet, if you have one.

[gotkrypto]

well a supposedly reputable store close to me said he couldn't help me...i suppose i'll go to another and see what i can get. :P