Replacing hybrid wheels with road wheels?

[MarkN]

I ride a ten year old Dawes Discovery 601 hybrid for commuting, averaging around 90 miles a week commuting in London. It does the job fine, but the wheels are worn out (rims worn through and creaky hubs). So the question is, what to replace them with?

The original wheels are hybrids of the following;
Rims: 700c Alesa X Plorer ETRTO 622x19 Alloy Double Wall
Front hub: Shimano Deore HB-M510 (MTB) 100mm spacing
Rear hub: Shimano Deore FH-M510 (MTB) 135mm spacing
Tires: 700x28c

My priorities are;

• speed; I only ride on roads and tend to be trying to get places quickly
• longevity; it's for commuting so I'd rather they don't wear out too soon
• for use with a 9speed SRAM (Shimano compatible) rear cassette.
• Total budget of not more than £140 for both wheels. I'd be perfectly happy to spend less for the right product!

I was wondering...

• Do I have to use MTB hubs like the original ones, or could I use road wheels instead?
• The rear spacing is 135mm, are there any road wheels available at that width?
• Which quick, highly puncture resistant tires would you recommend?

Advice and guidance greatly appreciated!

 

[garage sale GT]

You could add spacers to a road wheel, or you could just buy a wheel intended for cyclocross. Some (but definitely not all) of them have 135mm spacing.

 

[garage sale GT]

If you add spacers to a road wheel, there is no need to get a longer axle. There is no real need for the axle to protrude into the dropouts because it's the qr's which do all the holding.

 

[dabac]

I ride a ten year old Dawes Discovery ..the wheels are worn out ..what to replace them with?

When it comes to wheels it's fair to say that they are much more defined by their usage than by their labels, then marketing is trying to force us to think about then as being either "road", "hybrid" or "MTB".
A front "MTB" hub might have a chunkier spindle, but as long as it hasn't got a rotor carrier the functional difference between it and a comparably priced "road" hub is entirely marginal. OLD is the same, unless you go to real rarities.
In rears there is a difference, "road" has settled for 130 mm while "MTB" is 135.
It's easiest to go with what already fits your frame, and if that happens to be 135 you're somewhat ahead on points. Odds are that wheel will build up with slightly less dish than one on a 130 mm which, (whether you need it or not)can result in a more durable wheel.
But functionally there difference between the "MTB" hub and an equally priced "road" hub is entirely marginal.

If you still insist on changing, then going from 135 to 130 can be done in several ways:
-a steel frame can be cold-set and have its dropouts realigned for the narrower spacing
-throw on a few washers inside the locknuts to turn the 130 OLD into 135 OLD. Ideally you'd change the axle, but that wouldn't be strictly required. You'd have to reset the limit screws for the derailer, but it should be adjustable enough
-or maybe your frame isn'r really 135, and a 130 will fit quite nicely w/o any tweaking.

So basically for the front you can go with whatever you fancy, and for the rear I'd just look for anything matching your key requirements, OLD, cassette, the rim width/spoke count taht you're looking for.

Apart from changing from old-and-worn to new-and shiny, don't expect too much benefit from the change. There are plenty of people who'd say that even a 28 mm tire is on the narrow side for commuting.

 

[MarkN]

garage sale GT - ok, I'll keep an eye out!

dabac - thank you, that is very helpful. So you're saying something like [ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/700c-X-PERT-Hybrid-Touring-Wheelset/dp/B000VD5W1S/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_2"]700c X-PERT Hybrid/Touring 8 9sp QR Wheelset: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Leisure[/ame] would be perfectly fine? Hrm.

Another option I've recomended elsewhere is to take Shimano LX hubs and have my local bike shop custom build mavic CPX 33 rims onto them with I-know-not-which spokes, but that'd cost an awful lot more.

 

[garage sale GT]

Or, look for a 29er wheelset with rims on the narrow side, set up for rim brakes.

 

[dabac]

.. So you're saying something like 700c X-PERT Hybrid/Touring 8 9sp QR Wheelset: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Leisure would be perfectly fine?

Those would work, and possibly be a darn close replacement to what you have. But:
- they don't say what body that hub takes, and bodies do fail occasionally. For a commuter I'd prefer the easy availability of Shimano spares.
- I also got the impression that you wanted something "speedier". And here you go picking out a pair that's 36H and rated for 28C tire as the narrowest. An excellent choice for a commuter though.

..Another option I've recomended elsewhere is to take Shimano LX hubs and have my local bike shop custom build mavic CPX 33 rims onto them with I-know-not-which spokes, but that'd cost an awful lot more.

I've seen that post too...

And yes, that would certainly work. LX level provides great value for money. "custom" work like that would let you run thinner gauge spokes on the NDS, which is good for durability.

It's outside your range, but Mavic still make a ceramic rim which just about never wears out through braking.

 

[MarkN]

garage sale GT - Looking now, thanks for the tip!

I also got the impression that you wanted something "speedier".

Guilty as charged, I enjoy making the most of my commute! Cycling isn't just something I do to get from A to B, I love doing it, even on London's crazy roads.

It's outside your range, but Mavic still make a ceramic rim which just about never wears out through braking.

It depends... I mean, I name a price for my budget but then again, considering that I ride 80 - 140 miles a week, year in year out, perhaps I should push for better parts that would end up paying for themselves in the long run?

Cheers, dabac, you've been a big help.

 

[dabac]

...considering that I ride 80 - 140 miles a week, year in year out, perhaps I should push for better parts that would end up paying for themselves in the long run?

That's a tough call, and upgradeitis is one of the most expensive diseases that can ever hit a cyclist. The repair/replace and diminishing returns dilemma is a tough nut to crack.
The rational approach is to treat your bike as an object of utility. Buy the wheels you'd found. Before riding, check the bearings for play/lube, and the spoke tension. Ride'em 'til they die. Until that happens, repack bearings yearly.

That should give you decent performance, best "bang for the buck" and minimum stress. Anything that totals a wheel, (bad pot hole, vandalism, theft) you simply shrug it off, and find another generic wheel as a replacement.

Now, if it was me, I'd go for a Shimano hub, for easy access to spare parts. It can often be less rational, as complete hubs can be found cheaper that replacement bodies. But I have this principal aversion against replacing more than actually required, and is willing to indulge a little in that.

I also have a set of ceramic rimmed wheels. I like them. For being rim braked they're certainly better than average, vandalism/theft isn't a concern for the way that bike is used/stored, and my riding style means that totalling wheels through impact is a rare thing.
Next bike will probably be disc braked(the rational choice), but if I ever go for a "classic" road bike I can easily see myself going for a set of ceramic rims again. Sometimes it's just nice to own and use nice things. Under JRA(Just Riding Along) conditions they'll last for ages.
And they "have" to, unless you buy them for the improved braking they need to last somewhere between 2-5 times longer than an ordinary rim to cover the added cost.
The tricky part is to determine where added bling value starts to exceed added functional value. For Shimano that's often held to be at the LX level. Personal preference, and which component that's being discussed can change this of course.

 

[Akadat]

Your hybrid already has 700 rims? Those are road rims so it's only a matter of rim width and matching your existing hub width. Narrower tyres will mean slightly lower overall gearing due to lower tread height, otherwise just get some 700 wheels and you are good to go.

I replaced tyres on a similar hybrid from 38 to 28 and then had to change the drive sprocket from a 48, to a road 52 plus 3rd cog, to get it all together again.

It's faster, and because the new skinny tyres are Continental sport-contact they are even more tolerant of abuse!

 

[MarkN]

I hear you, dabac. Haven't quite made up my mind yet though.

I've been investigating custom wheel builders and called up a few of them for quotes. I've just discovered parker-international.co.uk who seem to do a range of hand-built wheels;

Mavic CXP22 Rear Wheel Mavic CXP22 Silver/32hl/Shimano Tiagra 4500 9sp REAR/DT DBB 58.14
Mavic CXP22 Front Wheel Mavic CXP22 Silver/32hl/Shimano Tiagra 4500 FRONT/DT DB £53.39
Postage (approx - for UK): £3.95
Total: £115.48

Which is pretty much spot on my price range.

Is there anything majorly wrong with this option?

I also emailed them specifying Shimano LX hubs and Mavic Open Pro rims and they replied that, including spokes and labor, they'd charge just over £150 which is an awful lot cheaper than if I were to order the parts individually and have the LBS make them.