Resistant city wheels

Quoted message said:

I have got a Zeus Roubaix roadbike. Carbon fork, triple-Al,
ultegra...nice bike. Maybe _too_ nice for he use I am intending to use
it for: city-bike.

What I am most concerned about is the wheels I have: mavic cosmos.
They are fantastic for those 150km trainings, but for going up an down
15cm high curbs it is not hte best idea. Besides, the tyre i am using
is to "roady" so I would care changing it for something with a bit more
air so that I can save the rims a couple strikes. The idea is to put
them on from 8am-4pm and then change when ever I need something more
proffesional.

Recommendations for a strong (and as light as possible, though it is
not the main concern), wheel (hub+rim+tyre) that I can just put and
forget...

TIA

Ultegra hub, Velocity Fusion or Aero rim, 14/15 spokes, 36h, Conti Top
Tour in 28c.

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have got a Zeus Roubaix roadbike. Carbon fork, triple-Al,
ultegra...nice bike. Maybe _too_ nice for he use I am intending to use
it for: city-bike.

What I am most concerned about is the wheels I have: mavic cosmos.
They are fantastic for those 150km trainings, but for going up an down
15cm high curbs it is not hte best idea. Besides, the tyre i am using
is to "roady" so I would care changing it for something with a bit more
air so that I can save the rims a couple strikes. The idea is to put
them on from 8am-4pm and then change when ever I need something more
proffesional.

Recommendations for a strong (and as light as possible, though it is
not the main concern), wheel (hub+rim+tyre) that I can just put and
forget...

TIA

The setup that came on my Specialized Globe seems perfect for a
commuter/city bike.

Here are the specs from Specialized:
spokes: Specialized, 2.0mm (14g), stainless, brass nipples, L296/R296mm
front, L295/R293mm rear
tires: Specialized Infinity 700x38C, 60TPI, Flak Jacket, w/ reflective
stripes
rims: Alex DH-19,700x38c, alloy double wall, w/machine sidewalls

The larger tires are perfect for pot holes, curbs, etc. They seem very
puncture resistant. They are much better in the rain than the 700x23C
racing tires on my racing bike. I have not weighed them, but they are
definitely not very light. Be careful, many road racing frames and brakes
lack the extra clearance needed for these bigger tires.

BobT

Quoted message said:

I have got a Zeus Roubaix roadbike. Carbon fork, triple-Al,
ultegra...nice bike. Maybe _too_ nice for he use I am intending to use
it for: city-bike.

Recommendations for a strong (and as light as possible, though it is
not the main concern), wheel (hub+rim+tyre) that I can just put and
forget...

TIA

Try Shimano R500 wheels; they're so cheap, they're practically
disposable; I've found them in the UK for 60GBP per pair, so if you
shop around you can probably get them for around $100.

I like the Conti SportContact, available in 32 or 37 widths; if those
won't fit your clearances, the Contact is available in 28 and carries
the same 1 year guarantee against tyre failure.

Kinky Cowboy*

*Batteries not included
May contain traces of nuts
Your milage may vary

[email hidden said:

"]I have got a Zeus Roubaix roadbike. Carbon fork, triple-Al,
ultegra...nice bike. Maybe _too_ nice for he use I am intending to use
it for: city-bike.

What I am most concerned about is the wheels I have: mavic cosmos.
They are fantastic for those 150km trainings, but for going up an down
15cm high curbs it is not hte best idea. Besides, the tyre i am using
is to "roady" so I would care changing it for something with a bit more
air so that I can save the rims a couple strikes. The idea is to put
them on from 8am-4pm and then change when ever I need something more
proffesional.

Recommendations for a strong (and as light as possible, though it is
not the main concern), wheel (hub+rim+tyre) that I can just put and
forget...

TIA

How wide a tire can you fit?
More cushion from the tires makes the biggest difference... other than avoiding the drops/jumps altogether. Force equals Mass times Acceleration. (F=M*A) You need sufficient distance and air cushion to make sure the curb never gets close to the rim. You also need strong and stiff rims to avoid spokes going slack during maximum "hit/landing". This includes sufficient spoke support angle and proper building of the wheels... especially the rear wheel.
David Ornee, Western Springs, IL U.S.A.

Qui si parla Campagnolo said:

Quoted message said:

I have got a Zeus Roubaix roadbike. Carbon fork, triple-Al,
ultegra...nice bike. Maybe _too_ nice for he use I am intending to use
it for: city-bike.

What I am most concerne d about is the wheels I have: mavic cosmos.
They are fantastic for those 150km trainings, but for going up an down
15cm high curbs it is not hte best idea. Besides, the tyre i am using
is to "roady" so I would care changing it for something w ith a bit more
air so that I can save the rims a couple strikes. The idea is to put
them on from 8am-4pm and then change when ever I need something more
proffesional.

Recommendations for a strong (and as light as possible, though it is
not the main concern), wheel (hub+rim+tyre) that I can just put and
forget...

TIA

Ultegra hub, Velocity Fusion or Aero rim, 14/15 spokes, 36h, Conti Top
Tour in 28c.

There's nothing inherently wrong with this suggestion... but I suspect
it's nothing at all like what you had in mind. And, you can do better.

Can you clear a Conti TT in 28mm?
http://tinyurl.com/d8hv7
Wow, maybe you can't even clear a 25.

Even if you could clear the TT, while it would be super-durable and
super-nearly-flatproof, it would be very heavy (490g in wire bead!) and
relatively slow rolling. Since you are using Cosmos, you don't seem to
be too concerned about aero qualities; the rims mentioned are
semi-aero, non-eyeletted, and therefore somewhat heavy. Lucky you,
since you are in Europe, you can get the Ambrosio Nexus (or Excellence
for somewhat better aero at a 40g per rim weight penalty). Any good hub
(Campagnolo or Shimano) will do. Look at this:

=========================================================
Rear Front
Rims
Ambrosio Nexus Silver 420 420
Hubs w/skewers
Campag Centaur 332 186
Spokes
DT 15/16 w/brass np.
36H 220 220
32H 195 195

Subtotal weight 32H 947 801
Subtotal weight 36H 972 826

Total weight 32H 1748g
Total weight 36H 1798g

Cosmos 1000 + 820 = 1820g
=====================================================

Not only will these wheels be lighter, they will also be FAR more
durable. 15/16 (1.8/1.6mm) spokes give the most durable wheel, barring
derailleur hangup in the spokes &c- get a spoke protector disk. If
properly built (use this book and build them yourself:
http://tinyurl.com/9dmma) they will last without truing until the brake
track wears out or a major crash.

So what exactly is more "professional" about the Cosmos? With the lower
spoke count they are slightly more aero, but not much, especially in
the rear.

As for tires, try Michelin Carbon in 25mm if you can clear them, 23mm
if not. If by some miracle you can clear 28mm, try Continental Ultra
2000, IRC Roadwinner, Panaracer Pasela, whatever. These will be much
lighter and easier rolling than a Conti TT- but not as super-flatproof.

You might find that you won't need the Cosmos any more, and end up
selling them.

Quoted message said:

I have got a Zeus Roubaix roadbike. Carbon fork, triple-Al,
ultegra...nice bike. Maybe _too_ nice for he use I am intending to use
it for: city-bike.

Not too nice... just too wimpy. There's not enough tire clearance
there for a passable city bike. It's the fashion these days to make a
bike seem "racy" by rendering it basically unfit for other uses.

So enjoy your fine sporting machine! Note that you can probably buy a
better city bike for $10 at a thrift store.

Quoted message said:

What I am most concerned about is the wheels I have: mavic cosmos.
They are fantastic for those 150km trainings, but for going up an down
15cm high curbs it is not hte best idea. Besides, the tyre i am using
is to "roady" so I would care changing it for something with a bit more
air so that I can save the rims a couple strikes.

If you got a suitable tire for the use you suggest, it would not fit in
your frame. Sorry.

Chalo Colina

Chalo said:

Quoted message said:

I have got a Zeus Roubaix roadbike. Carbon fork, triple-Al,
ultegra...nice bike. Maybe _too_ nice for he use I am intending to use
it for: city-bike.

Not too nice... just too wimpy. There's not enough tire clearance
there for a passable city bike. It's the fashion these days to make a
bike seem "racy" by rendering it basically unfit for other uses.
If you got a suitable tire for the use you suggest, it would not fit in
your frame. Sorry.

Chalo Colina

If somebody tried to sell me a bike called "Roubaix" which wouldn't
take at least a 28 section tyre, I'd tell them where to stick it.
Unfortunately, Zeus make their bikes a long way from the hell of the
north, so perhaps they don't realise you need fat tyres to race over
the cobbles.

Kinky Cowboy*

*Batteries not included
May contain traces of nuts
Your milage may vary

41 said:

There's nothing inherently wrong with this suggestion... but I suspect
it's nothing at all like what you had in mind. And, you can do better.

Well you cvan make it lighter but no such thing as a free lunch-lighter
is less durable.

Quoted message said:

Can you clear a Conti TT in 28mm?
http://tinyurl.com/d8hv7
Wow, maybe you can't even clear a 25.

maybe it can, I don't know but they guy wants to hop curbs and such-TT
is a great choice and he can swap wheels when he wants the more
'professional' ones, whateverthatmeans.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Not only will these wheels be lighter, they will also be FAR more
durable. 15/16 (1.8/1.6mm) spokes give the most durable wheel,

Don't agree- Butted spokes are the idea but thicker spokes mean a more
durable wheel. 15/16 do nothing to make the wheel any 'better' or more
durable when compatred to 14/15.

barring

Quoted message said:

derailleur hangup in the spokes &c- get a spoke protector disk. If
properly built (use this book and build them yourself:
http://tinyurl.com/9dmma) they will last without truing until the brake
track wears out or a major crash.

So what exactly is more "professional" about the Cosmos? With the lower
spoke count they are slightly more aero, but not much, especially in
the rear.

As for tires, try Michelin Carbon in 25mm if you can clear them, 23mm
if not. If by some miracle you can clear 28mm, try Continental Ultra
2000, IRC Roadwinner, Panaracer Pasela, whatever. These will be much
lighter and easier rolling than a Conti TT- but not as super-flatproof.

You might find that you won't need the Cosmos any more, and end up
selling them.

Thanks for the input!

I would have never thought that I was going to fall in love with my
bike in such a way. I have a conmuter bike but the zeus frame just
kiss ass a loooooooooong way. The Columbus tubing is brilliant and the
lateral flexion is just inexistant.

I tend to ride in a very hilly city (Madrid, Granada, Munich -though
the latter not hilly at all!-) and it really makes a difference to have
a good bike.

When I bought the bike I nerver though of the possibility of using it
as a substitute for the other, so I guess I have nobody to blame but
me!

I doubt the fork will clear a 23 (don't even mention 25)....I let you
know what I manage to fit!

Cheers

Qui si parla Campagnolo said:

41 said:

There's nothing inherently wrong with this suggestion... but I suspect
it's nothing at all like what you had in mind. And, you can do better.

Well you cvan make it lighter but no such thing as a free lunch-lighter
is less durable.

In most ways. But not always: for example, I believe you would agree
that for most road riding, 14/15 will give a more durable wheel than
14. Similarly, all other things being equal, a double eyeletted rim has
to be more durable for the weight than a plain one, because there are
stress concentrations at the spoke holes. Reinforcement where needed
and not elsewhere must be stronger for the same weight, or else the
same strength with lighter weight.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Can you clear a Conti TT in 28mm?
http://tinyurl.com/d8hv7
Wow, maybe you can't even clear a 25.

maybe it can, I don't know but they guy wants to hop curbs and such-TT
is a great choice and he can swap wheels when he wants the more
'professional' ones, whateverthatmeans.

Looks like we're both way off here: he says he doesn't think he can
even clear a 23- ouch.

I believe Michelin Carbon's are available in 20 and that along with
Conti Super Sport and Michelin Dynamic, these would be the most durable
in that size.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Not only will these wheels be lighter, they will also be FAR more
durable. 15/16 (1.8/1.6mm) spokes give the most durable wheel,

Don't agree- Butted spoke s are the idea but thicker spokes mean a more
durable wheel. 15/16 do nothing to make the wheel any 'better' or more
durable when compatred to 14/15.

OK, I'll bite: why? Surely thicker spokes are more durable in response
to attack by derailleur cage, sticks and so on. Enough to make a real
difference? Even if so, the derailleur problem can be solved with a
spoke protector disk, and sticks are only a problem offroad. As you
know, the thinner the spoke the more it has to stretch to achieve the
same tension, and so the more it has to be compressed to go slack.
Linseed oil will come close to solving the unscrewing problem even with
14g spokes, but still. With the lighter weight spokes you can, for the
same overall weight, get a stronger rim. So I guess the question is:
what do you want that extra metal in the spokes for??