What number of spokes?

[BarrieSmith]

I am rebuilding my road bike and need to replace the current freewheel based wheels with a new cassette based pair. The existing pair are based on campag Record hubs and Mavic Open Pro CD rims with 32 spokes (stainless steel double-butted).

I am tempted by a pair of Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheels from Parker International. They have 18 spokes on the front and 20 on the rear.

The problem is I'm heavy (not fat!!) but at 1.92m (6' 4") I weight close of 96kgs.

Am I taking a risk going for a wheel with such a low number of spokes?

 

[ganderctr]

You're probably at the upper limit, but it's doable, considering the strength of Ksyrium wheels. If in doubt, play it safe and go with something with more spokes.

 

[big Pete]

I am rebuilding my road bike and need to replace the current freewheel based wheels with a new cassette based pair. The existing pair are based on campag Record hubs and Mavic Open Pro CD rims with 32 spokes (stainless steel double-butted).

I am tempted by a pair of Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheels from Parker International. They have 18 spokes on the front and 20 on the rear.

The problem is I'm heavy (not fat!!) but at 1.92m (6' 4") I weight close of 96kgs.

Am I taking a risk going for a wheel with such a low number of spokes?

I am the same size as you (maybe heavier, I am 250 pounds). I have come to the conclusion that spokes are my friends.

 

[artmichalek]

It depends on your riding style and what you mean by risk. It's unlikely that the Ksyriums are going to fail catastrophically under you, but if you ride aggressively, you may end up having to true them pretty often.

 

[Wurm]

This question seems to come up a lot, and here's my usual response:

I weight about 94kg. in riding kit, and have owned and ridden many miles on 3 of Campy's wheelsets with not one maintenance or durability issue -- those being '00 Shamal sew-ups w. 14F/16R spokes, '00 Nucleon sew-ups w. 22F/24R, and since Sept. '04 I've been on '03 Zonda clinchers w. 20F/21R spokes. The fact is: I've never had to as much as true a single one of those 6 wheels.

All of the Campy wheelsets I've had felt more efficient, stiffer, and handled better than the other multi-spoked wheels I've owned, including 32H Record/Open Pro and 32H Chorus/Aerohead wheels. I've also had to true the 32H's more often that the lower-spoke wheels.

I also owned back in '00 a set of K's. I didn't have them long enough to make a fair judgement on durability, because I didn't care for the way they handled in crosswinds and overall ride quality, so I sold them and bought the Campy's.

Since you already have Campy-based 32H wheels, you could used them as a second set and buy a low-spoke count wheel. If nothing else, you'll be able to determine for yourself whether the fewer spokes and different handling/ride characteristics make an appreciable difference to you or not.

In any case, I doubt you'll have any reliability issues with the Campy factory wheels. Every model they make, whether the most expensive and lightest down through the mid and affordable range have excellent quaility control, and before they leave the factory they're "broken in", then re-tested for even spoke tension, true, roundness, etc.

 

[daveornee]

I am rebuilding my road bike and need to replace the current freewheel based wheels with a new cassette based pair. The existing pair are based on campag Record hubs and Mavic Open Pro CD rims with 32 spokes (stainless steel double-butted).

I am tempted by a pair of Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheels from Parker International. They have 18 spokes on the front and 20 on the rear.

The problem is I'm heavy (not fat!!) but at 1.92m (6' 4") I weight close of 96kgs.

Am I taking a risk going for a wheel with such a low number of spokes?

Lower number of spokes means you need to gain strength and stiffness in the rim. If you break a spoke in a lower spoke count wheel it will tend to go go further out of lateral true. The result can be "wow" to the point where the tire rubs the frame/fork.
It is very hard to beat the combination you now have, as long as they are well built. If your rims are worn out or damaged, it is quite normal to swap out rims and keep the same hubs and spokes.
The quality, durability, and serviceability of Campagnolo Record hubs is a significant advantage over the hubs in Mavic's Elite wheels.

 

[BianchiJock]

I can't resist taking this opportunity to put in a plug for '00 Shamals.

At 1960g they're not light compared to Zipp or AmClass, but neither are the Elites you're looking at. At 38mm they don't have the crosswind issues of deeper profiles, but they slice through the air like a 52mm. I bought all the tools to true them, but I've never had to use them (I'm almost disappointed )

I weigh 214lbs right now and they've never complained, even hitting a serious pothole at 16mph that blew the tire. I've never even heard of anyone breaking a spoke, probably owing to the direct pull design and the self centering spherical nuts that replace "nipples." With 14 front and 16 rear, it feels as if the only wind resistance is YOU.

The hubs are indestructable and completely maintainable. They won't spin as long as others on a work stand if properly greased and tension adjusted, but bearing weight on the road, you'll outcoast anyone riding anything else.

I got mine on Ebay for $340. I saw a pair of almost new ones go for $410 a couple of weeks ago. I think they're the best kept secret in retro gear. I expect to ride this pair until I can't ride anymore.