Specialized Sequoia Expert Rims

Considering a Specialized Sequoia Expert. I weight approx 260 pounds. It comes with Rolf Design
ALX-300, 700c, alloy double wall, machined sidewalls that are the double spoke design meaning two
spokes together and a descent amount of space before the next pair of spokes. Should these rims
scare me due to my weight even if they are trued and stress relieved? If so, what can I expect from
the bike shop concerning swapping wheels? Should it cost more to get a wheel with a satisfactory
number of spokes that is stress relieved, etc, etc.? Any info appreciated.

 

On 9 Apr 2003 12:49:32 -0700, [email protected] (DSat) wrote:

>Considering a Specialized Sequoia Expert. I weight approx 260 pounds. It comes with Rolf Design
>ALX-300, 700c, alloy double wall, machined sidewalls that are the double spoke design meaning two
>spokes together and a descent amount of space before the next pair of spokes. Should these rims
>scare me due to my weight even if they are trued and stress relieved? If so, what can I expect from
>the bike shop concerning swapping wheels? Should it cost more to get a wheel with a satisfactory
>number of spokes that is stress relieved, etc, etc.? Any info appreciated.

I own a Trek 7700 and weigh about 220 lbs. I put about 1,000 miles on the original Rolf Vector wheel
set. However, when the bike was in for the 1,000 mile check up the rear wheel was pretty badly out
of true. The LBS thought it was my weight. I did some investigating and found that most people rated
my rims for around 180 lbs. However, the Trek tech representative said it should be ok depending on
how I ride the bike (i.e. road vs. trails).

The Rolf Vectors had 20 spokes in front and 24 on the rear wheel. I had a new set of wheels built
with 36 spokes both front and rear with 4x on rear and 3x on front. I bought Bontrager Clydes for
the rims and Shimano XTR hubs for both front and rear. I am very satisfied with the new wheels but
they cost me about 50% of the cost of the bike when it was new. In my humble opinion I would
recommend something with more spokes to distribute the load.

I am looking at a touring type bike next because they are built to carry loads and already have
sturdy wheel sets on them. It may be a thought for you as well.

Cheers,

Bill

 

I did purchase the Expert over the weekend. I kept asking the sales guy about the rims and he said
that as long as I did pavement riding, he thought they were okay. When he asked the shop owner, he
disagreed. I went ahead and paid extra to swap them out and get more spokes with an even
distribution of support around the wheel. I figured that I would go ahead and do it while they would
give me some trade-in value. I was fearing what happened to you, so maybe for once in my life I made
a correct decision.

Acme User <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> On 9 Apr 2003 12:49:32 -0700, [email protected] (DSat) wrote:
>
> >Considering a Specialized Sequoia Expert. I weight approx 260 pounds. It comes with Rolf Design
> >ALX-300, 700c, alloy double wall, machined sidewalls that are the double spoke design meaning two
> >spokes together and a descent amount of space before the next pair of spokes. Should these rims
> >scare me due to my weight even if they are trued and stress relieved? If so, what can I expect
> >from the bike shop concerning swapping wheels? Should it cost more to get a wheel with a
> >satisfactory number of spokes that is stress relieved, etc, etc.? Any info appreciated.
>
>
> I own a Trek 7700 and weigh about 220 lbs. I put about 1,000 miles on the original Rolf Vector
> wheel set. However, when the bike was in for the 1,000 mile check up the rear wheel was pretty
> badly out of true. The LBS thought it was my weight. I did some investigating and found that most
> people rated my rims for around 180 lbs. However, the Trek tech representative said it should be
> ok depending on how I ride the bike (i.e. road vs. trails).
>
> The Rolf Vectors had 20 spokes in front and 24 on the rear wheel. I had a new set of wheels built
> with 36 spokes both front and rear with 4x on rear and 3x on front. I bought Bontrager Clydes for
> the rims and Shimano XTR hubs for both front and rear. I am very satisfied with the new wheels but
> they cost me about 50% of the cost of the bike when it was new. In my humble opinion I would
> recommend something with more spokes to distribute the load.
>
> I am looking at a touring type bike next because they are built to carry loads and already have
> sturdy wheel sets on them. It may be a thought for you as well.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Bill

 

You chose well. the stock wheels are fine and may never give you trouble. But if you break a spoke
on a low spoke wheel, you're pushing the bike home. With 36 spokes, you could lose 3 or 4 spokes and
keep riding. Just depends on you.

"DSat" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I did purchase the Expert over the weekend. I kept asking the sales guy about the rims and he said
> that as long as I did pavement riding, he thought they were okay. When he asked the shop owner, he
> disagreed. I went ahead and paid extra to swap them out and get more spokes with an even
> distribution of support around the wheel.

 

"Kevin" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> You chose well. the stock wheels are fine and may never give you trouble. But if you break a spoke
> on a low spoke wheel, you're pushing the bike home. With 36 spokes, you could lose 3 or 4 spokes
> and keep riding. Just depends on you.

I broke two spokes on at 36 spoke wheel, kept riding (only a few miles) and by the time i
was home the wheel/rim was ruined. Needed to be replaced.

 

boris blak wrote:

> "Kevin" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> > You chose well. the stock wheels are fine and may never give you trouble. But if you break a
> > spoke on a low spoke wheel, you're pushing the bike home. With 36 spokes, you could lose 3 or 4
> > spokes and keep riding. Just depends on you.
>
> I broke two spokes on at 36 spoke wheel, kept riding (only a few miles) and by the time i
> was home the wheel/rim was ruined. Needed to be replaced.

This sounds like more information is needed. HOW did you break 2 spokes? What kind of surface did
you keep riding on?

Did yo keep the wheel? The hub is still good. Bernie

 

boris blak wrote:

> "Kevin" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> > You chose well. the stock wheels are fine and may never give you trouble. But if you break a
> > spoke on a low spoke wheel, you're pushing the bike home. With 36 spokes, you could lose 3 or 4
> > spokes and keep riding. Just depends on you.
>
> I broke two spokes on at 36 spoke wheel, kept riding (only a few miles) and by the time i
> was home the wheel/rim was ruined. Needed to be replaced.

Some questions are begging to be answered tho. I break spokes on 32 spoke wheels, and ride on the
crippled wheel. Get it fixd, trued etc. - don't need a new wheel/rim/spokes set. Am I missing
something here? Bernie

 

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> "Kevin" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> > You chose well. the stock wheels are fine and may never give you trouble. But if you break a
> > spoke on a low spoke wheel, you're pushing the bike home. With 36 spokes, you could lose 3 or 4
> > spokes and keep riding. Just depends on you.
>
> I broke two spokes on at 36 spoke wheel, kept riding (only a few miles) and by the time i
> was home the wheel/rim was ruined. Needed to be replaced.
>

Often machine built weeks are not stress relieved and you'll see bikes like this with relatively few
miles with multiple spokes broken off at the elbow, so preparing your new wheels may prevent you
from breaking a spoke in the first place. With work gloves on just grab pairs of opposing spokes and
squeeze, do that around the whole wheel a couple of times and true it if it goes out of true (it
shouldn't but might). I had a lot of spoke breakage problems with new bikes before I started doing
this during assembly.
--
_________________________
Chris Phillipo - Cape Breton, Nova Scotia http://www.ramsays-online.com