Looking for wheels that are strong over pot holes

[sergen]

I don't actually plan on riding over pot holes. But here's the background info;

My bike came with Shimano R550 wheels when I bought it before last Christmas. It's 10 speed Ultegra. About 3 months ago I was riding at night and went through a small puddle in the road at high speed. Big mistake, as the puddle was covering a massive pot hole. The tubes in both wheels punctured immediately and both wheels were out of true. I took the wheels to my LBS who managed to more or less get the rear wheel working fine again. But the front wheel has never really been the same since despite my LBS having twice retuned the wheel to get it straight again. Last night I went over a small bump in the road - nothing serious - and the front wheel has slightly buckled again.

I don't race. I ride just for fun, so I just want a pair of wheels that are very sturdy and won't buckle easily. Rolling resistance issues aren't that big a deal since I don't race.

It's absolutely impossible to not ride over some bumpy surfaces when riding a road bike, eg, when workmen relay a road surface there is usually a small bump where the new tarmac meets the old. But it looks like my front wheel will never be true again following the high speed impact with the pothole.

I have a budget of approx £300 / €400 out of which I would need to buy both wheels. And I just want something very sturdy so that if I did accidentally ride over a really nasty surface again the wheels will stay true.

Many thanks - and take it from me, never ride through a puddle!

 

[Retro Grouch]

Ultegra hubs, Mavic CXP32 rims, 32 DT Competition spokes crossed 3, laced by a competent builder. Not flashy but sometimes boreing is good.

 

[Albert 50]

Mate, I don't think any wheels can withstand the "hit" you described,my advice is do not ride on unfamiliar roads at night at speed.I have R550 wheels & have come across those road ridges as you described, nasty, if I see them to late I float on the pedals off the seat to lesson the likely hood of damage.
I've done 3500 kMs & my wheels are still very true. I know they are not the lightest wheels but I do think they are robust. Rider weight can be an issue. Im 78 kGs.
Good advice re not riding through puddles. Hope you find the right wheels for your terrain.

 

[dm69]

skill you may need to learn...bunny hop.

 

[AussieRob]

Cyclocross.

My bike was cheap (relatively) and is indestrucible. 1/2 road bike and 1/4 mtn bike. Crash it, smash it, jump it you name it.

 

[artmichalek]

Ultegra hubs, Mavic CXP32 rims, 32 DT Competition spokes crossed 3, laced by a competent builder. Not flashy but sometimes boreing is good.

Or anything else similar. Very few rims are going to withstand a big surprise hit, and once a rim is bent it's never going to stay true agin. The spoke tension is just too uneven. This kind of wheel is very strong, and even if it does get smacked it's going to be easy to get the rim replaced without needing a whole new wheel.

 

[John M]

I don't actually plan on riding over pot holes. But here's the background info;

My bike came with Shimano R550 wheels when I bought it before last Christmas. It's 10 speed Ultegra. About 3 months ago I was riding at night and went through a small puddle in the road at high speed. Big mistake, as the puddle was covering a massive pot hole. The tubes in both wheels punctured immediately and both wheels were out of true. I took the wheels to my LBS who managed to more or less get the rear wheel working fine again. But the front wheel has never really been the same since despite my LBS having twice retuned the wheel to get it straight again. Last night I went over a small bump in the road - nothing serious - and the front wheel has slightly buckled again.

I don't race. I ride just for fun, so I just want a pair of wheels that are very sturdy and won't buckle easily. Rolling resistance issues aren't that big a deal since I don't race.

It's absolutely impossible to not ride over some bumpy surfaces when riding a road bike, eg, when workmen relay a road surface there is usually a small bump where the new tarmac meets the old. But it looks like my front wheel will never be true again following the high speed impact with the pothole.

I have a budget of approx £300 / €400 out of which I would need to buy both wheels. And I just want something very sturdy so that if I did accidentally ride over a really nasty surface again the wheels will stay true.

Many thanks - and take it from me, never ride through a puddle!

A little larger tire (25 or 28mm) will help protect your rims if you need to routinely ride on bad roads.

You should be able to get a fine set of wheels for that budget. I agree with retro and art on the type of wheel you should consider.

 

[toegnix]

Or anything else similar. Very few rims are going to withstand a big surprise hit, and once a rim is bent it's never going to stay true agin. The spoke tension is just too uneven. This kind of wheel is very strong, and even if it does get smacked it's going to be easy to get the rim replaced without needing a whole new wheel.

I'll echo this. I train on a sturdy pair of wheels that have Ultegra hubs and Mavic Open Pro rims. They're both 32 spokes and handle just about everything (although the hit you took is probably more than almost any wheels could handle). I got a pair last year for $180.

I also recommend riding as big a tire as you can manage and to remember to keep proper inflation.

Lastly, if you're commuting on bad streets, it may be time to get a commuter bike.

-adm
http://www.imadm.com/

 

[Johnno]

I went into a huge pot hole in london a few weeks ago which the front wheel did not come out of due to the size of the hole. The result was a burst front tire and a large amount of road rash on my face and a trip to the hospital. The mavic ksyrium elite wheel remained perfectly true! If you shop around I think you can pick up a pair for about £260. And if you get them in black they look pretty cool.

 

[bbattle]

Velocity Deep V's with 32 spokes are used by lots of messenger bikes.

 

[DOUGEG]

I'm with Toe and mavic open pro - indestructible, and the other mavic guys - except just find youself a good shop to buy this very inexpensive and popular wheel.

 

[sergen]

Thanks to everybody for their replies.

I called my LBS today, and without any prompting in relation to the discussions I've had on this board, he recommended I go for Mavic Open Pro rims with 32 DT SWiss spokes and 105 hubs. I was actually pleasantly surprised that a set of these wheels will be well within my budget.

So given that I've got a bit more cash to spare should I go for Ultegra hubs over 105s to get a bit more quality? Or, dare I say it, are there Dura Ace hubs I should consider?

 

[toegnix]

Thanks to everybody for their replies.

I called my LBS today, and without any prompting in relation to the discussions I've had on this board, he recommended I go for Mavic Open Pro rims with 32 DT SWiss spokes and 105 hubs. I was actually pleasantly surprised that a set of these wheels will be well within my budget.

So given that I've got a bit more cash to spare should I go for Ultegra hubs over 105s to get a bit more quality? Or, dare I say it, are there Dura Ace hubs I should consider?

105 hubs are fine. Ultegra hubs might be a little better, but if you take care of your 105 hubs by keeping the bearing clean and greased, you'll never notice the difference. If there is any difference, it's in the finish and weight.

As for Dura-Ace, unless you're getting a great deal, Dura-Ace is rarely worth the extra expense. I believe this to be even more true for a pair of hubs.

-adm
http://www.imadm.com/

P.S. Hey, check out the bike stuff I have for sale here:
http://www.imadm.com/for_sale/index.html

 

[azdroptop]

My Mavic Cosmos, U.S. 300 dollars, seem to be working great!

 

[Fradbut]

Campag Eurus. I've ridden them for 2 years and hit about everything you can and they still run true.

 

[curby]

when you get your new wheels dont neglect to keep them adequately inflated!

that can make the difference sometimes...

i lost a nice new G40 back in day from not topping the tire off before a ride... we all followed one another over some road work, my mates wheels came out of it ok but mine got a nasty blip that wouldnt come out...

as someone else mentioned, larger tires might be good insurance too!