W
What's my best solution for durable wheels at $300-400 for pair
(shimano compatible)?
Would I be better off building my own 3-cross bent-spoke wheels, or
buying some of the boutique wheels like entry-level mavic ksyriums or
the like? Or can I find some straight-pull hubs and build up a set of
those? (I can't locate any for sale online).
In my 15-years and 120,000 miles on the bike, I have nearly always
built my own wheels. I always start with an Ultegra or Dura-Ace hub,
then pick the best-value Mavic hoops (Open 4-CD, or whatever was
current at the time), and finish with some DT or Wheelsmith 14-15-14
spokes and brass nipples.
The problem is that my rear wheels only last about 18 months. I weigh
185 lbs. and do A LOT of hill repeats and sprint workouts in Austin.
This means vigorously climbing hills that max out at 26% (the steep
parts of Ladera Norte), and average between 10% and 14% for 300 feet of
elevation. I'm not the most powerful or fastest rider around, but I am
very tough on rear wheels.
They always fail at a drive-side spoke bend, or if I don't have
eyelets, maybe a drive-side spoke hole.
My front wheels last about 5 years before a spoke breaks at a bend, so
I'm just worried about the rear.
I'm proabably just a mediocre wheelbuilder. I don't use a tensiometer,
but pluck and listen for consistent tone instead. I maintain them
reasonably well, but only mess with them when I hear, see, or feel a
problem -- I'm lazy in this respect. I use three-cross both sides,
front and back (Shimano says radial is a no-no, and I couldn't care
less about the grams).
Nevertheless, the shop-built wheels I've ridden don't last any longer
than my own, so I'm not a bad builder.
So, I was thinking that straight-pull might be the way to go, but I
understand that they often just fail at the spoke head. It seems like
mavic ksyriums last people a really long time, but I don't know anyone
who rides the same gear as long as I do. I'm on only my 2nd road bike,
for instance, expecting to get 10 years out of a frame.
Any recommendations?
Thanks for reading all this,
Mike
(shimano compatible)?
Would I be better off building my own 3-cross bent-spoke wheels, or
buying some of the boutique wheels like entry-level mavic ksyriums or
the like? Or can I find some straight-pull hubs and build up a set of
those? (I can't locate any for sale online).
In my 15-years and 120,000 miles on the bike, I have nearly always
built my own wheels. I always start with an Ultegra or Dura-Ace hub,
then pick the best-value Mavic hoops (Open 4-CD, or whatever was
current at the time), and finish with some DT or Wheelsmith 14-15-14
spokes and brass nipples.
The problem is that my rear wheels only last about 18 months. I weigh
185 lbs. and do A LOT of hill repeats and sprint workouts in Austin.
This means vigorously climbing hills that max out at 26% (the steep
parts of Ladera Norte), and average between 10% and 14% for 300 feet of
elevation. I'm not the most powerful or fastest rider around, but I am
very tough on rear wheels.
They always fail at a drive-side spoke bend, or if I don't have
eyelets, maybe a drive-side spoke hole.
My front wheels last about 5 years before a spoke breaks at a bend, so
I'm just worried about the rear.
I'm proabably just a mediocre wheelbuilder. I don't use a tensiometer,
but pluck and listen for consistent tone instead. I maintain them
reasonably well, but only mess with them when I hear, see, or feel a
problem -- I'm lazy in this respect. I use three-cross both sides,
front and back (Shimano says radial is a no-no, and I couldn't care
less about the grams).
Nevertheless, the shop-built wheels I've ridden don't last any longer
than my own, so I'm not a bad builder.
So, I was thinking that straight-pull might be the way to go, but I
understand that they often just fail at the spoke head. It seems like
mavic ksyriums last people a really long time, but I don't know anyone
who rides the same gear as long as I do. I'm on only my 2nd road bike,
for instance, expecting to get 10 years out of a frame.
Any recommendations?
Thanks for reading all this,
Mike