Broken bicycle wheel

This past month has been tough on my rear bicycle wheel.  The spokes would break.  Over the decades I have had a spoke break once in a great while, but nothing like last month.  One or two spokes every so often.   My bicycle is 40 years old according to the bicycle's serial number.   I'm sure the wheels are that old also.   Some spokes are tight and some are loose.  I couldn't work on loosening or tightening the old spokes as the spoke's nipple would not turn.  I've never had that happen to me over the decades.

I figured I would 'baby' my bicycle until Spring and then buy a whole new wheel.   Then last Saturday another spoke broke.  When replacing the spoke I noticed the wheel's rim was now broken.  That also has never happened to me.  It must have been because of the age of the wheel as I haven't been carrying heavy items on my bicycle.

I was still able to ride a few miles on Saturday and Sunday, but this was not something I wanted to continue to do.   I thought I would have to find and buy a new wheel on Monday, but Sunday I remembered I still had some bicycle parts from bicycles I had bought at auctions many years ago.  And I found I had one rear wheel.  And it would work on my bicycle was it was a 27 inch wheel and not a more modern 700 C wheel.   Hurray!

Today I transferred the freewheel and the tube and tire to my new wheel.  Everything fits. I trued up the wheel as it had a little wobble to it.  I then went for a 11 mile ride and it all works fine.   Hopefully no more spoke breaks.