Light Weight, Long Distance, Durable Road Wheels - Recommendations?

On Sun, 27 Mar 2005 22:27:35 -0500, Steve Sr. wrote:

After digging through the last year and a half of news group posts
regarding wheels I still haven't found a consensus for a good durable
wheel set. It appears that there is a bias against "boutique" wheels
for this purpose

Yes, but at least part of that is a price/performance issue. They cost
several times what good handbuilt wheels cost, but don't work any better.
In addition, they do cause trouble if anything goes wrong on the
road. If the wheel is not field-servicable, there is nothing you can
do if you crash and taco a wheel, or break a spoke. With a handbuilt
wheel and a spoke wrench, you can usually get home. I also think they
have reliability issues, since the hubs tend not to be as reliable as
name-brand hubs are.

I am looking for a set of road wheels for long distance group riding not
racing. I weigh 160 pounds which might make the choice easier.

Sure, it would. Your demands on the wheel are less severe than for
someone 200 lbs.

I want the hubs to be of high quality with no maintenance sealed
cartridge bearings.

I'd argue against that, but there is room for debate on this issue. I
think cup&cone bearings are still not surpassed for wheels. Cartridge
bearings do not have that much longer a service life, and are more costly
and difficult to replace when needed, compared with good cup and cone
bearings.

So which components / wheels would you recommend?

If you want to maximize strength, then I*would recommend a v-shaped rim
like Velocity deep-V or Mavic CXP-33 (or so -- I have some with different
numbers, but essentially the same rim). If you really want to go for
durability, then 36 spokes as well, though I do fine with 32. Get
double-butted spokes. I prefer 14-15-14 rather than the 15-16-15 variety,
but either are better than straight gauge.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Some people used to claim that, if enough monkeys sat in front
_`\(,_ | of enough typewriters and typed long enough, eventually one of
(_)/ (_) | them would reproduce the collected works of Shakespeare. The
internet has proven this not to be the case.

Steve Sr. wrote:
After digging through the last year and a half of news group posts
regarding wheels I still haven't found a consensus for a good durable
wheel set. It appears that there is a bias against "boutique" wheels
for this purpose but then there have also been a lot of complaints
with the conventionals like Mavic not being as good as they used to be
and causing reliability problems.

I am looking for a set of road wheels for long distance group riding
not racing. I weigh 160 pounds which might make the choice easier.

I want the hubs to be of high quality with no maintenance sealed
cartridge bearings. Based on the distance requirement we're probably
talking conventional round spokes and aluminum rims. BTW, these will
be for a Shimano 10-speed drive train.

Based on these requirements I am probably looking at having someone
build these wheels from the recommended parts. however, if you can
recommend some good wheels that match the requirements that are
pre-built I will consider these also.

So which components / wheels would you recommend?

Thanks,

Steve

Man, you type fast.
--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

I'd argue against that, but there is room for debate on this issue. I
think cup&cone bearings are still not surpassed for wheels. Cartridge
bearings do not have that much longer a service life, and are more
costly and difficult to replace when needed, compared with good cup
and cone bearings.

I would say this is generally true, but one can always find the cartridge
bearings themselves at any bearing shop in any decently-sized town. Cones
are a little harder to find at a moment's notice, since some shops don't
always stock the exact part. It can be hard to find especially if one has a
not-so-easily found cone size, especially on a no-name cheaper hub. Yes, a
whole bunch of cones are exchangeable, but if seals/dust caps aren't in the
right place, one may be cutting his legs off by buying a slightly smaller
cone that can allow water in and let grease out. The cartridge bearing,
however, will always have the correct part (given no user error).

Having said that, I would still choose cup/cone and buy several cones at
once. I hate impact tools and pressing cartridge bearings back out. Plus,
cup/cone is just as smooth as cartridge if adjusted with some extra TLC.
Cartridge bearings can be a PITA to adjust if the adjustment thread pitch is
too steep, or if the set screw goes loose (use loctite).

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

"David L. Johnson" wrote in message
news
On Sun, 27 Mar 2005 22:27:35 -0500, Steve Sr. wrote:

If you want to maximize strength, then I would recommend a v-shaped rim
like Velocity deep-V or Mavic CXP-33 (or so -- I have some with different
numbers, but essentially the same rim). If you really want to go for
durability, then 36 spokes as well, though I do fine with 32. Get
double-butted spokes. I prefer 14-15-14 rather than the 15-16-15 variety,
but either are better than straight gauge.

I'll second most of what you said, especially regarding boutique v. LBS
built wheels. As for maximizing strength, I've got a pair of 32h CXP-33
rims laced with double butted spokes for my commuter, but I'm 200lbs. plus
whatever I'm carrying. The wheels have been absolutely bulletproof. But
for someone who is 160 lbs., a good box rim will work well and be much
lighter. There are any number of quality choices available.

Steve, if you have some time, try building them yourself. I'm a mechanical
idiot, yet I've built my last three sets of wheels, with some help and
advice from my LBS.

Get an old wheel, take it apart, and put it back together. You'll want a
truing stand if you don't already have one. Sheldon has a good page on
wheel building: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html
When you've got it built up with the tension about where you think it should
be, go back to the LBS and have them check it with a tensiometer. Aside
from the $ you save, there is the satisfaction of doing it yourself and the
confidence that you can fix problems out on the road.

Bob Koreis

David L. Johnson wrote:
On Sun, 27 Mar 2005 22:27:35 -0500, Steve Sr. wrote:


After digging through the last year and a half of news group posts
regarding wheels I still haven't found a consensus for a good durable
wheel set. It appears that there is a bias against "boutique" wheels
for this purpose


Yes, but at least part of that is a price/performance issue. They cost
several times what good handbuilt wheels cost, but don't work any better.
In addition, they do cause trouble if anything goes wrong on the
road. If the wheel is not field-servicable, there is nothing you can
do if you crash and taco a wheel, or break a spoke. With a handbuilt
wheel and a spoke wrench, you can usually get home. I also think they
have reliability issues, since the hubs tend not to be as reliable as
name-brand hubs are.


I am looking for a set of road wheels for long distance group riding not
racing. I weigh 160 pounds which might make the choice easier.


Sure, it would. Your demands on the wheel are less severe than for
someone 200 lbs.

I want the hubs to be of high quality with no maintenance sealed
cartridge bearings.


I'd argue against that, but there is room for debate on this issue. I
think cup&cone bearings are still not surpassed for wheels. Cartridge
bearings do not have that much longer a service life, and are more costly
and difficult to replace when needed, compared with good cup and cone
bearings.


So which components / wheels would you recommend?


If you want to maximize strength, then I would recommend a v-shaped rim
like Velocity deep-V or Mavic CXP-33 (or so -- I have some with different
numbers, but essentially the same rim). If you really want to go for
durability, then 36 spokes as well, though I do fine with 32. Get
double-butted spokes. I prefer 14-15-14 rather than the 15-16-15 variety,
but either are better than straight gauge.

admittedly, i'm yet to put my money where my mouth is on this, but
having just stripped & repacked my cup/cone bearing hubs for the
/second/ time this winter because of rain rides washing excessive grit
into the drive side bearing, i'm inclined to say that a sealed bearing
solution is the best way to go. they are always cheaply
available/replacable, and at a full retail price of $300, a pair of
mavic cosmos wheels compare favorably with handbuilt wheels. the rim is
the same as the open pro, a known reliable rim, the spokes, while lower
in count, are slightly thicker to compensate and are straight pull which
eliminates elbow fatigue.

in fact, i'm getting out the plastic right now - i hate messing about
with freehubs when they're full of grit.

admittedly, i'm yet to put my money where my mouth is on this, but
having just stripped & repacked my cup/cone bearing hubs for the
/second/ time this winter because of rain rides washing excessive grit
into the drive side bearing, i'm inclined to say that a sealed bearing
solution is the best way to go. they are always cheaply
available/replacable, and at a full retail price of $300, a pair of
mavic cosmos wheels compare favorably with handbuilt wheels. the rim
is the same as the open pro, a known reliable rim, the spokes, while
lower in count, are slightly thicker to compensate and are straight
pull which eliminates elbow fatigue.

in fact, i'm getting out the plastic right now - i hate messing about
with freehubs when they're full of grit.

The issue I have never understood about Shimano road hubs is that they don't
have a rubber contact seal on the bearings. I have done many wet rides on a
basic front Deore hub and was surprised to see Shimano's grease a bright
neon even after those many many wet, gritty miles. The fact that the wheel
spins more freely with the labyrith rubber seals attests to the fact that
grease fills the voids between the hub and the rubber parts, keeping out mud
and grit effectively.

If I were ever to build up another set of road wheels for myself, I would no
doubt build them with mountain hubs, fix the spacing, and change the axle if
necessary.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

Steve Sr. wrote:

After digging through the last year and a half of news group posts
regarding wheels I still haven't found a consensus for a good durable
wheel set. It appears that there is a bias against "boutique" wheels
for this purpose but then there have also been a lot of complaints
with the conventionals like Mavic not being as good as they used to be
and causing reliability problems.

I am looking for a set of road wheels for long distance group riding
not racing. I weigh 160 pounds which might make the choice easier.

I want the hubs to be of high quality with no maintenance sealed
cartridge bearings. Based on the distance requirement we're probably
talking conventional round spokes and aluminum rims. BTW, these will
be for a Shimano 10-speed drive train.

Based on these requirements I am probably looking at having someone
build these wheels from the recommended parts. however, if you can
recommend some good wheels that match the requirements that are
pre-built I will consider these also.

So which components / wheels would you recommend?

no maintenance, 160lbs:
Velocity Aerohead front,14 or 15g butted 3x spokes, bras
nipples on Campagnolo Veloce sealed hub, 32h
Velocity Aerohead OC rear, 14g butted 3x spokes, brass
nipples on Campagnolo Veloce sealed hub, 32h

For very low maintenance and the simplest no-special-tools
rebuild ever, substitute Campagnolo Centaur hubs. (Those
are the same hubs as Chorus but for one dust seal and the
same hubs as Record save the titanium internal bits)
http://www.yellowjersey.org/photosfr...t/CANEWHUB.JPG

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

In article ,
"David L. Johnson" wrote:

On Sun, 27 Mar 2005 22:27:35 -0500, Steve Sr. wrote:

After digging through the last year and a half of news group posts
regarding wheels I still haven't found a consensus for a good durable
wheel set. It appears that there is a bias against "boutique" wheels
for this purpose

Yes, but at least part of that is a price/performance issue. They cost
several times what good handbuilt wheels cost, but don't work any better.
In addition, they do cause trouble if anything goes wrong on the
road. If the wheel is not field-servicable, there is nothing you can
do if you crash and taco a wheel, or break a spoke. With a handbuilt
wheel and a spoke wrench, you can usually get home. I also think they
have reliability issues, since the hubs tend not to be as reliable as
name-brand hubs are.

I knew I wanted to post on this...

I was in a race a few weeks ago in which I hit the ground and a rider
behind me used my front wheel as a launch ramp. End result: one of my 18
radially laced, bladed aero spokes in the front wheel took a major load,
and became completely loose. The spokes were painted black, and this one
loose spoke now has a place where the paint is completely rubbed off,
though there were no gouges in the spoke.

Okay, so I got up from the ground, and now my front wheel won't pass the
brakes without touching. By opening the brake release, I can clear the
brakes, but the front brake's effectiveness is reduced. I decide to
abandon. I am not carrying any tools (I never do during a race).

On the slow ride back to the car, the wheel works well enough. This is
on fairly flat terrain, so the brakes are not being stressed. But I
could basically ride like this indefinitely, though not at full pace.

After I get the bike home, I true up the wheel. A few minutes with the
spoke wrench brings the wheel back to normal.

Lessons learned:
-With an appropriately strong rim, 18 spokes will not cause inordinate
trouble, even when one goes away.
-It's still more trouble than a normal wheel, which would have shown
much less wobble after the loss of one spoke
-If I had had a spoke wrench on the race course, I am confident I could
have returned the wheel to serviceable trueness in a few minutes.

Conclusions:
-high spoke counts have much to recommend them
-if you have 18 spokes in your front wheel, the loss of one spoke will
not make the wheel unrideable. That's not to say these are the wheels
I'd be riding on my next bike tour, but next Populaire? Sure.

My experience suggests that the bias against boutique wheels is
reasonable, but the situation is not quite as dire as most might think.
Note that my wheel is about as conservative as low-spoke-count
aero-oriented wheels get: 18 spokes, even hole spacing across the rim,
and normal-looking parts (no custom spoke design or other proprietary
oddities). http://www.kultbike.com/shop/wheels.html

--
Ryan Cousineau, http://www.wiredcola.com
Verus de parvis; verus de magnis.

Get an old wheel, take it apart, and put it back together. You'll
want a
truing stand if you don't already have one. Sheldon has a good page
on
wheel building: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html

Taking apart old wheels strikes me as a waste of time. Just buy a set
of wheels, stress relieve them, bring up the tension & true them. You
can always find laced wheels cheaper than the parts.

When you've got it built up with the tension about where you think it
should
be, go back to the LBS and have them check it with a tensiometer.
Aside
from the $ you save, there is the satisfaction of doing it yourself
and the
confidence that you can fix problems out on the road.

You can compare the plucked tone to a similar wheel, you don't need a
tensiometer. You also don't need a truing stand or a dishing fixture.

Phil, Squid-in-Training wrote:
admittedly, i'm yet to put my money where my mouth is on this, but
having just stripped & repacked my cup/cone bearing hubs for the
/second/ time this winter because of rain rides washing excessive grit
into the drive side bearing, i'm inclined to say that a sealed bearing
solution is the best way to go. they are always cheaply
available/replacable, and at a full retail price of $300, a pair of
mavic cosmos wheels compare favorably with handbuilt wheels. the rim
is the same as the open pro, a known reliable rim, the spokes, while
lower in count, are slightly thicker to compensate and are straight
pull which eliminates elbow fatigue.

in fact, i'm getting out the plastic right now - i hate messing about
with freehubs when they're full of grit.


The issue I have never understood about Shimano road hubs is that they don't
have a rubber contact seal on the bearings.

they do, but they're weeny & don't appear to be very effective - the
rears at least.

I have done many wet rides on a
basic front Deore hub and was surprised to see Shimano's grease a bright
neon even after those many many wet, gritty miles. The fact that the wheel
spins more freely with the labyrith rubber seals attests to the fact that
grease fills the voids between the hub and the rubber parts, keeping out mud
and grit effectively.

mine were full of grease too, but the grease itself keeps getting
gritted. this is not spalled bearing which sparkles under strong light,
but grey road grit.


If I were ever to build up another set of road wheels for myself, I would no
doubt build them with mountain hubs, fix the spacing, and change the axle if
necessary.

i've considered that too - no doubt the seals are more effective on the
mtb hubs. trouble is, my commuter frame is aluminum & i really don't
want to re-space it to take the 135mm axle. re-spacing the hub doesn't
work because of the way the seals are arranged.