Rim question for Jobst

[john]

Dear Jobst
>From your book, I know you favor dbl eyeleted rims. I believe I have
understood you to say that you ride a 5 or 6 speed freewheel to allow
the rear wheel to have the minimum dish possible. My question to you
is, that, if you were going to ride or build a wheel w/ an 8, 9, or 10
sp free hub, would you use an asymmetrical rim, which so far as I know,
is not available w/ dbl eyelets. Or would you choose dbl eyelets? My
choice would be to use an oc dbl eyeleted rim, but alas as I said, I
don't think they are available.
Thank You, John

 

[[email protected]]

John Drew writes:

> From your book, I know you favor dbl eyeleted rims. I believe I
> have understood you to say that you ride a 5 or 6 speed freewheel to
> allow the rear wheel to have the minimum dish possible. My question
> to you is, that, if you were going to ride or build a wheel w/ an 8,
> 9, or 10 speed free hub, would you use an asymmetrical rim, which so
> far as I know, is not available w/ dbl eyelets. Or would you choose
> dbl eyelets? My choice would be to use an OC dbl eyeleted rim, but
> alas as I said, I don't think they are available.

As I mentioned after attending the last InterBike trade show, I saw no
rims that I would like to buy. As you see, too few spokes and rims
with one wall support for spokes, some without eyelets, we read of
cracking rims here often. I did not arrive on socketed rims without
good cause and with the many rim failures I have seen, I am convinced
that durable rims require this design. Aluminum hasn't gotten any
stronger in the last twenty years and riders no lighter in weight.

The reason I ride a 120mm spaced frame and the hubs and rims that I
have, is that I would have to throw all of it and derailleur out if I
wanted to change, none of the components being available anymore.
With that would go my yet unused MA-2 rims with 36-spokes. If
asymmetry is great enough, then I suppose OC rims are a solution, but
I don't have that problem.

Jobst Brandt

 

[D'ohBoy]

Jobst wrote:

> ... I would have to throw all of it and derailleur out if I
> wanted to change, none of the components being available anymore.
> With that would go my yet unused MA-2 rims with 36-spokes...

Still can get 36 hole hubs - why would you have to throw the 36 hole
rims out? Somehow incompatible with wider OLD hubs??!!

Just wondering,

D'ohBoy

 

[Zog The Undeniable]

john wrote:

> Dear Jobst
>>From your book, I know you favor dbl eyeleted rims. I believe I have
> understood you to say that you ride a 5 or 6 speed freewheel to allow
> the rear wheel to have the minimum dish possible. My question to you
> is, that, if you were going to ride or build a wheel w/ an 8, 9, or 10
> sp free hub, would you use an asymmetrical rim, which so far as I know,
> is not available w/ dbl eyelets. Or would you choose dbl eyelets? My
> choice would be to use an oc dbl eyeleted rim, but alas as I said, I
> don't think they are available.

I'd just build the wheel properly using a good quality rim (maybe not
MA3) and then ride it. Not many people actually break wheels - remember
Jobst does huge mileages and is on the large-as-in-tall side.

The people who want to worry about ultimate strength wheels are those
who do fully loaded touring on the rough stuff. Maybe you fall into
that category - you didn't say. Personally, I've only ever broken one
spoke, and that was on a machine built wheel. On a really long ride
last year I did carry spare spokes and a cassette removal tool, but that
was during the hours of darkness and completely unsupported, so it might
have avoided a long walk and wait at the nearest railway station:

http://www.southwarkcyclists.org.uk/dunwichfaqs05.shtml

FWIW I left at 8.30pm and arrived at 5.45am, which with a halfway coffee
was about 15mph. Sod's Law dictated a slight headwind.