Strong wheels for heavy rider + crappy roads

Rex Vincere

I weigh 220-230 lbs (depending on the week), plus I carry around at least 10
lbs of gear (water, gps, computer, camera, phone, day's worth of food, etc.)
on long 1-2 day rides. I am currently using Sunrims O2XTC with 28mm wheels
on it (700c)
These puppies are just not cutting it for me anymore. I am breaking a spoke
every couple of big rides, and I need a new set of wheels.

I used hand-built Mavics on my mountain bike and they stood up quite nicely
even though I weighed 300+ lbs at the time (on roads). I am new to road
bikes (new road bike only 600 miles old), so I don't know yet what is good
or bad.

What is a good wheelset for a heavy rider and crappy roads (I seem to find a
few big potholes every ride)?
I can't say money is no matter, but otoh, what is not getting stranded 60
miles from nowhere worth? I would also like to be able to put on at least
28mm tires on it.

I know most of the wheel is in the builder, but I suppose the builder needs
some good material to work on, no?
I would also appreciate pointers to good wheel builders in the NY area
(willing to travel a couple hundred miles for a good one too).

TIA
Rex

Chris

"Rex Vincere" <dontwant@spam.com> wrote in message
news:hXSdnQgwh6gCCx_dRWPC-w@speakeasy.net...
> I weigh 220-230 lbs (depending on the week), plus I carry around at least
10
> lbs of gear (water, gps, computer, camera, phone, day's worth of food,
etc.)
> on long 1-2 day rides. I am currently using Sunrims O2XTC with 28mm wheels
> on it (700c)
> These puppies are just not cutting it for me anymore. I am breaking a
spoke
> every couple of big rides, and I need a new set of wheels.
>
> I used hand-built Mavics on my mountain bike and they stood up quite
nicely
> even though I weighed 300+ lbs at the time (on roads). I am new to road
> bikes (new road bike only 600 miles old), so I don't know yet what is good
> or bad.
>
> What is a good wheelset for a heavy rider and crappy roads (I seem to find
a
> few big potholes every ride)?
> I can't say money is no matter, but otoh, what is not getting stranded 60
> miles from nowhere worth? I would also like to be able to put on at least
> 28mm tires on it.
>
> I know most of the wheel is in the builder, but I suppose the builder
needs
> some good material to work on, no?
> I would also appreciate pointers to good wheel builders in the NY area
> (willing to travel a couple hundred miles for a good one too).
>
> TIA
> Rex

Though I have no first-hand experience riding on these rims, I am really
intrigued by the WTB SpeedMaster 24 x11.3 700c Clincher Rim. It sounds like
it is crazy strong, and as far as I know, WTB doesn't make disappointing
products. It's 700c, it's wide, not too expensive (on par with cheap
Mavics), and can probably live up to its hype. Get a good builder to do you
up right, and maybe back off on your air pressure.



Rims viewable here, bottom of page:
http://www.cambriabike.com/road/rims/index.htm



Maybe you can get these rims, build them up, and let us all know. That'd
save me money, at least...



Chris

Paul Kopit

On Sun, 18 Apr 2004 10:54:47 -0400, "Rex Vincere" <dontwant@spam.com>
wrote:

>What is a good wheelset for a heavy rider and crappy roads (I seem to find a
>few big potholes every ride)?
>I can't say money is no matter, but otoh, what is not getting stranded 60
>miles from nowhere worth? I would also like to be able to put on at least
>28mm tires on it.
>
>I know most of the wheel is in the builder, but I suppose the builder needs
>some good material to work on, no?
>I would also appreciate pointers to good wheel builders in the NY area
>(willing to travel a couple hundred miles for a good one too).

I"m an amateur wheel builder and learned what I know from this Brandt
Jobst's book and messages on this newsgroup. It takes me far too long
to build a wheel. The strength of the wheel is very dependant on the
build.

I have friends that are very competitive tandem riders. They ride a
Calfee carbon fiber, tandem bicycle. They are weight weenies and had
constant difficulty with the wheelset that the dealer built for them.
Their team weight is 255. I built a set of wheels on Velocity
Aerohead rims for them. The 36 spokes/wheel are DT 2.0/1.8 and are
at max tension. The rear hub is an Ultegra 6500 chosen because the
frame was built with 130 spacing and Calfee didn't like the idea of
135 mm hub. The body of the Ultegra is steel instead of Ti. The rear
rim is the OC/off center model. The front is a DA 7700 because I
already had that hub. A couple of ultra distance rides over bad roads
and no broken spokes and no retruing necessary. Foolishly, they run
700x23 tires and I'd like to see 700x28s. I told them I estimated
they were good 10,000 miles only. If you can't find a local builder,
there are frequent participating pros in this newsgroup that can build
whatever you need.

OR, I got a great deal on a set of Velocity Spartus wheels that are
specified by Velocity for 250 lbs. They are based on Velocity Deep V
rims. I'll sell you those, new, in the box. for $190 plus shipping.
They are guaranteed and everything. They are heavier than the
wheelset I built for the tandem.

B a r r y

On Sun, 18 Apr 2004 10:54:47 -0400, "Rex Vincere" <dontwant@spam.com>
wrote:

>What is a good wheelset for a heavy rider and crappy roads (I seem to find a
>few big potholes every ride)?

I'm heavier than you and have had awesome results with plain old Mavic
Open Pro 36 hole rims laced 3 cross to Ultegra hubs with double butted
spokes, with brass nipples.

In reality, any good hub and most rims will be fine. I think the most
important detail is the spoke / nipple combination. Double butted
spokes keep the pull on the spoke heads much better than straight
gauge. This prevents the elbow from moving and abrading in the spoke
hole, leading to breakage. Brass nipples are much easier to get to
high tension without rounding them off than alloy nipples.

The last pothole damage I took actually bent the rim flanges, causing
a pinch flat. The spokes have been solid all along.

Barry

Dave Thompson

"Rex Vincere" <dontwant@spam.com> wrote in message
news:hXSdnQgwh6gCCx_dRWPC-w@speakeasy.net...
> I weigh 220-230 lbs (depending on the week), plus I carry around at least
10
> lbs of gear (water, gps, computer, camera, phone, day's worth of food,
etc.)
> on long 1-2 day rides. I am currently using Sunrims O2XTC with 28mm wheels
> on it (700c)
> These puppies are just not cutting it for me anymore. I am breaking a
spoke
> every couple of big rides, and I need a new set of wheels.
>
> I used hand-built Mavics on my mountain bike and they stood up quite
nicely
> even though I weighed 300+ lbs at the time (on roads). I am new to road
> bikes (new road bike only 600 miles old), so I don't know yet what is good
> or bad.
>
> What is a good wheelset for a heavy rider and crappy roads (I seem to find
a
> few big potholes every ride)?
> I can't say money is no matter, but otoh, what is not getting stranded 60
> miles from nowhere worth? I would also like to be able to put on at least
> 28mm tires on it.
>
> I know most of the wheel is in the builder, but I suppose the builder
needs
> some good material to work on, no?
> I would also appreciate pointers to good wheel builders in the NY area
> (willing to travel a couple hundred miles for a good one too).
>
> TIA
> Rex
>
>Rex: I can't speak to what rims/spokes would be good for you, but I can
recommend a wheel builder that has done me very well and he's in your area.
His name is Frank Corda and he's located on Long Island, West Babylon I
believe. I don't have his info anymore, but he built a set of wheels for me
2 years ago that have needed zero maintenance of any kind! I'm 205# and we
have crappy roads too. I would have Frank build wheels for me again.

Peter Cole

"Rex Vincere" <dontwant@spam.com> wrote
> I weigh 220-230 lbs (depending on the week), plus I carry around at least 10

> What is a good wheelset for a heavy rider and crappy roads

You don't need anything special. I'm 235 and never break spokes, on or off
road. Spoke breakage is from spoke fatigue, which happens when spokes haven't
been stress relieved. Read the FAQ & learn to do it, or find a wrench who
knows how. If you want a new set of wheels, you can get a good deal on a
factory built pair and after stress relieving and tensioning they'll be as
good as hand made.

If you're hard on rims, the first thing to do is to use wider tires to protect
them, like 28-32 mm. I rarely hit potholes, so I use 25 mm or so successfully.
Touring rims like the Mavic T519 (or whatever its current model is) offer
additional protection with a modest increase in weight. Match those to LX MTB
hubs and you have a pretty bombproof wheel.

jim beam

what brand of spoke did you have?

rebuild with something good quality like d.t. or sapim. they're made
with very clean, highly fatigue resistant material.


Rex Vincere wrote:
> I weigh 220-230 lbs (depending on the week), plus I carry around at least 10
> lbs of gear (water, gps, computer, camera, phone, day's worth of food, etc.)
> on long 1-2 day rides. I am currently using Sunrims O2XTC with 28mm wheels
> on it (700c)
> These puppies are just not cutting it for me anymore. I am breaking a spoke
> every couple of big rides, and I need a new set of wheels.
>
> I used hand-built Mavics on my mountain bike and they stood up quite nicely
> even though I weighed 300+ lbs at the time (on roads). I am new to road
> bikes (new road bike only 600 miles old), so I don't know yet what is good
> or bad.
>
> What is a good wheelset for a heavy rider and crappy roads (I seem to find a
> few big potholes every ride)?
> I can't say money is no matter, but otoh, what is not getting stranded 60
> miles from nowhere worth? I would also like to be able to put on at least
> 28mm tires on it.
>
> I know most of the wheel is in the builder, but I suppose the builder needs
> some good material to work on, no?
> I would also appreciate pointers to good wheel builders in the NY area
> (willing to travel a couple hundred miles for a good one too).
>
> TIA
> Rex
>
>

Pete Biggs

Rex Vincere wrote:
> What is a good wheelset for a heavy rider and crappy roads (I seem to
> find a few big potholes every ride)?

36 x DT Alpine III* spokes + any decent rim & hub

* see http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html

~PB

Q.

"Rex Vincere" <dontwant@spam.com> wrote in message
news:hXSdnQgwh6gCCx_dRWPC-w@speakeasy.net...
<snip>
> I know most of the wheel is in the builder, but I suppose the builder
needs
> some good material to work on, no?
> I would also appreciate pointers to good wheel builders in the NY area
> (willing to travel a couple hundred miles for a good one too).

Sheldon Brown is in the Boston area ... a 3 hour drive on a good day.
There's always UPS as well.

C.Q.C.

Qui si parla Campagnolo

dontwant-<< What is a good wheelset for a heavy rider and crappy roads (I seem
to find a
few big potholes every ride)? >><BR><BR>

Mavic T520 rims or Ritchey 'trekking' rims, 36 hole 14/15 spokes, laced three
cross, built well.

Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

Alex Rodriguez

In article <hXSdnQgwh6gCCx_dRWPC-w@speakeasy.net>, dontwant@spam.com says...

>I know most of the wheel is in the builder, but I suppose the builder needs
>some good material to work on, no?

Yes, but a good wheel builder will now what is good. You should be able to
use some standard 36 hole wheels.

>I would also appreciate pointers to good wheel builders in the NY area
>(willing to travel a couple hundred miles for a good one too).

I only build my own, so I can't comment on builders in the area. Make
sure that who ever gives you a recommendation is someone similar in
size.
----------------
Alex

smokva

"Rex Vincere" <dontwant@spam.com> wrote:
>I weigh 220-230 lbs (depending on the week), plus I carry around at least 10
>lbs of gear (water, gps, computer, camera, phone, day's worth of food, etc.)
>on long 1-2 day rides. I am currently using Sunrims O2XTC with 28mm wheels
>on it (700c)
>These puppies are just not cutting it for me anymore. I am breaking a spoke
>every couple of big rides, and I need a new set of wheels.

The strongest 700C rim I have tried was Ambrosio Focus 36H. If you build it with DT Alpina 3, it will be bombproof.

Joseph\(2\)

And ofcourse, get a good builder.
"smokva" <smokvaMAKNI@OVOgmx.net> wrote in message news:c68t0d$2qq$1@ls219.htnet.hr...
"Rex Vincere" <dontwant@spam.com> wrote:
>I weigh 220-230 lbs (depending on the week), plus I carry around at least 10
>lbs of gear (water, gps, computer, camera, phone, day's worth of food, etc.)
>on long 1-2 day rides. I am currently using Sunrims O2XTC with 28mm wheels
>on it (700c)
>These puppies are just not cutting it for me anymore. I am breaking a spoke
>every couple of big rides, and I need a new set of wheels.

The strongest 700C rim I have tried was Ambrosio Focus 36H. If you build it with DT Alpina 3, it will be bombproof.

Chalo

"Rex Vincere" <dontwant@spam.com> wrote:

> I weigh 220-230 lbs (depending on the week), plus I carry around at least 10
> lbs of gear (water, gps, computer, camera, phone, day's worth of food, etc.)

Ha! My bike and I, along with a rack trunk containing a lock and a
few necessities, gross about 450 lbs.

> on long 1-2 day rides. I am currently using Sunrims O2XTC with 28mm wheels
> on it (700c)
> These puppies are just not cutting it for me anymore. I am breaking a spoke
> every couple of big rides, and I need a new set of wheels.

Your wheels are poorly built, as others have noted. I never break
spokes (knock wood); all my wheel troubles have been from failed rims.

You can use any decent quality 36 hole rims and pretty much any spokes
that suit you, and wind up with wheels that should do the trick. If
you want extra-strong wheels for extra peace of mind, use 14-15ga
butted spokes, an intelligently sturdy rim like the Velocity Deep-V or
Mavic T520, and have them amply tensioned and carefully
stress-relieved by an experienced wheelbuilder.

Or you could read Jobst Brandt's book, and follow the directions
scrupulously to do the job yourself. If you can borrow a spoke
tensiometer, you'll be able to verify that your spoke tension is
reasonably high and consistent when you are done.

Chalo Colina