I know I should let it go, but I feel the need to respond to the original response that triggered this whole conversation. Stephen, it would seem to me you are talking apples and oranges here. On a bicycle, the "rim" is obviously a separate part and sold as such. Not so with automotive "wheels" or "rims" you buy the whole unit as one piece (there are exceptions, I know, but the norm is one piece) not as an outer "rim" with a center hub that you must buy separately then assemble. I guess if you bend a "rim" on a bicycle you can buy just the "rim" and transfer the spokes and center hub from the old "rim" to the new "rim" - not so on cars. Also, Google the word "rim" and see what comes up! Anyway, all this has made for interesting reading while I was sitting on the shoulder of I-95 13 miles south of Fredericksburg, VA.  with a snapped timing belt on my company car. It has taken me 7 hours to get home from there (about 70 miles) <sigh> If only I'd just had a bent rim.... Jeff Stewart ----- Original Message -----
> Okay, I was going to begin a Jeff-like rant on the use of the word
> "rims" when actually speaking of wheels.  The rim, as you know, is the
> outer portion of a wheel on which the tire is mounted.  The hub
> portion of the wheel bolts to the vehicle.  Hub + rim = wheel. 
> Anyway, both the OP and the next P use the word "wheel" in the body of
> their posts so it's becoming a moot rant but I stand by my dislike of
> the use of rims when speaking of wheels.  Back in my bike shop days
> when someone would ask for a 27" ree-im that is what we'd hand him.
>  When he'd ask about the spokes and other stuff it's supposed to have
> we'd say, "Oh, you want a WHEEL!  Why didn't you say so?"
> Years of retail will do that to you, and old habits die hard.
> Stephen
> --- On Wed, 4/10/13, mark drillock <mdrillock@COX.NET> wrote:
> From: mark drillock <mdrillock@COX.NET>
> Subject: more free rims, near San Diego
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Date: Wednesday, April 10, 2013, 3:08 PM
> I also have a couple sets of steel wheels to give away. All have bad
> tires. Stock Vanagon wheels.  Must take at least 2.
> Mark