Reduced spoke wheels OK?

I picked up a pair of Performance's Titan wheels for my first roadbike
in about 15 years. They are the same wheels as Supergo's Korso
wheels. Both are made by Alex. They have 27mm deep aero rims with 16
front and 20 rear bladed spokes. I plan to finish building up the
bike this wekend.

The wheels seem sturdy in spite of the reduced number of spokes.
Still, being used to 36 and 32 spoke wheels, I was a little nervous.
I contacted Alex as to the weight limit of the wheels. They replied
with @198 lbs. I currently weigh @200lbs (working on fixing that -
the reason for the new bike). I am going to run a pair of Specialized
700x26c tires. I will be riding mostly a flat bike trail - a 35 mile
loop.

In spite of the manufacturer's assurance, I still wonder if I made a
wise decision with these wheels. Any thoughts?

Rocketman58

(rocketman58) wrote in
om:
The wheels seem sturdy in spite of the reduced number of spokes.
Still, being used to 36 and 32 spoke wheels, I was a little nervous.
I contacted Alex as to the weight limit of the wheels. They replied
with @198 lbs. I currently weigh @200lbs (working on fixing that -
the reason for the new bike).

I don't know anything about those particular wheels, but in general the low
spoke count wheels have extra strong rims to make up for the fewer spokes.
On the other hand, many have rider weight limits of 160 to 180 pounds. Check
with the manufacturer. Also, try hard to avoid pot holes, since truing or
replacing spokes is often very difficult.

rocketman58- I picked up a pair of Performance's Titan wheels for my first
roadbike
in about 15 years. BRBR
They have 27mm deep aero rims with 16
front and 20 rear bladed spokes. I plan to finish building up the
bike this wekend. BRBR
I contacted Alex as to the weight limit of the wheels. They replied
with @198 lbs. BRBR

Ahhh, weight limits on bikes for the masses...sounds like a pretty dumb idea to
me.

Low spoke count wheels are more about marketing then performance. If you have a
choice, get some more 'normal' wheel...and ensure they are built well. If the
dude at performance gives you the '1000 yard stare' when you ask about making
sure they are true, round, dished, tensioned and stress relieved, go elsewhere.


Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

Unscrew one of the spokes on the rear wheel and see if the tire hits
the chainstay its easy to damage a spoke when you put a lock through
the wheel and somebody knocks your bike over the spoke breaks while
you ride then you crash.