Building Wheels. Opinions.

PeterF

After looking at a number of available wheelsets on the market in the $500 (US) price range I decided that I would rather have a set built. I picked up as set of Record hubs (pre 2007 models) and now I'm trying to decide on a rim and a builder in the Northeast US. My use for these wheels will be training and racing (crits and circuit races) and currently my thoughts are to go with Velocity Aerohead rims (32 spoke). I weigh about 200lbs but really don't want something too heavy since I do ride on some hillier terrain. Currenly my race bike has Campy Eurus', but they've been through a good crash and although fairly straight, they seem ready for b-bike status. Peter White in New Hampshire seems to come highly recomended, but would appreciate any opinions you could offer. Thank you.

alienator

I think what you've got in mind is perfect. You might also consider some 30mm niobium rims. I think 28f 2x, and 32r 3x would be just right. Of course, there's no fault to be found with the Record hubs. It's a well known fact that the force driving the leap into existence of that singularity known as the Big Bang was the need for Campagnolo products.

PeterF

Thanks Alienator. I will take a look at the niobium as well. It appears that Campy is slowly phasing out their hubs. I would have been happy to find some Chorus', but they seem to have dissapeared. Also, I have heard that the newer Centaur's pale in comparison to the older ones.

Bolter03

I currently have a set of 36 Aeroheads on Voloce hubs with the OC for the rear on my touring setup and just recently had to replace my Mavic Open Pro rear wheel on my trainer. Went with an OC on Chorus 32 for that. So far I have been very happy with them. None of them have even required retensioning after about 300 miles on each. For the price I don't think they can be beat and with Record hubs I think you'll be happy and all the reviews and comments I have seen have been favorable.

daveornee

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...em=320184120571

Black Velocity Fusion 32H on Pre-2007 Chorus hubs, new and in your price range.

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David Ornee, Western Springs, IL USA

PeterF

Wow, those are sweet, but I already have the record hubs...

daveornee

You can always make me an offer for my wheels including the Record hubs (X$ + your Record hubs for my wheels) , or I can build you a pair of wheels with Fusion, Aerohead, or Deep V rims on your Record hubs. I am in a suburb of Chicago. Shipping is expensive but I have shipped all over the USA.

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David Ornee, Western Springs, IL USA

alfeng

FWIW. I find it difficult to believe that Campagnolo is phasing out of their hubs ...

I believe the current (2007) inventory may have been in short supply ... and, most bike shops do NOT carry Campagnolo components, regardless, much less their hubs, so it may certainly seem as though Campagnolo is phasing out their hubs if you have difficulty finding them.

I believe Peter White prefers to provide the rims/spokes [that is, a reason that he guarantees his wheels is because he takes great care to match components] ... if you choose to supply YOUR own hubs, that's probably "okay" (and, probably a little less expensive if you don't count the shipping you've paid & will pay to get the hubs to him), but spec the rest of the components & he will provide them.

BTW. YOU can probably build a set of traditionally spoked wheels whch are almost as good as those turned out by many of the top wheel builders, and comparable to most, and better than some -- buy a PARK tensiometer (the least expensive that I know of AND better [i.e., easier to use] than some [e.g., Wheelsmith]), and you'll be good to go ...

chainstay

In one of the other wheel discussions I saw on here, someone mentioned that increasing aerodynamics was not only about increasing rim depth, but also about reducing spoke count. Would the 32/28 spoke count tend to offset any aero advantage the 130mm Nobium might have over, say for example, 22m rims with 20/18 rear/front bladed spokes? You are probably suggesting 32/28 spokes to make sure the wheel handles the OP's mass without any problem.

Just trying to get a little more info on this spoke count versus rim depth issue and its relation to aerodynamics. Thanks for any comments.

benkoostra

Personally, I'm getting a set of these:


http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?...ajor=1&minor=24

alienator

That's really not possible to answer without testing. The relationship between drag and wheel design is complicated. All you do is say that for the same number of spokes, an increased rim height is likely to have less drag, and for a given rim height, a low spoke count will tend to have less drag. For your question, though, my inclination is to think that the 20/18 combo will have less drag.

chainstay

Ok, thanks.

PeterF

FWIW, my daily training rides take me along the coast and the cross winds can be tough. I don't mind mid profile's like Eurus', but honestly I would place strength as my first concern, followed by light weight and then aero. The Aeroheads appeal to me because the profile is not super deep, but they have a good reputation for strength while still making for a light wheelset.

Mike-the-Bike

PeterF, Good luck in getting Peter White to return your e-mails (if that's the method of communication you plan on using). He just ignored mine, so to tell you the truth, I don't have much time for him.

In the end I decided to build my own (28H Chris King Classic hubs, Velocity Aerohead rims - OC on rear, DT comp spokes on the rear, DT rev spokes on the front, all laced 2X) and couldn't be happier. Best decision I could have made (so maybe Peter White's poor service should take some credit).