20, 32 or 36 spoke?

[the_mikey]

I've been using a pair of fulcrum racing 7's for a couple of years now and they've been entirely solid and reliable the whole time, cycled well over 5000km on them. I also use a pair of Pro Lite Como wheels for winter cycling, the wheels are solid but the bearings need servicing after seeing two winters worth of use.

 

[PpPete]

For £150 you can certainly get a very adequate handbuilt rear wheel, although a set might be pushing it.
That said, I would certainly give serious consideration to one of Rose's sets built on their R490 rims - which look suspiciously like a 36 hole version of the DT Swiss RR465. Hell, you could even get Ultegra hubs with those, or DT Swiss 370 hubs.

As for building yourself.... I would heartily recommend it. Much much easier than plastering, esp if you get this book (which I'd recommend anyway)

 

[GrumpyGregry]

If you are a big unit your mantra should be "thirty-six hole three cross please" when talking to wheel builders.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

As for building yourself.... I would heartily recommend it. Much much easier than plastering, esp if you get this book (which I'd recommend anyway)

That's the book.

 

[dan_bo]

If you are a big unit your mantra should be "thirty-six hole three cross please" when talking to wheel builders.

.......'with large flange hubs to boot....'

 

[gambatte]

36 offers more protection against squirrels......

 

[PpPete]

32 is good enough for pigeons though.

 

[ror3h]

I've got RS10's on my Cannondale and I've been unlucky enough to suffer a broken spoke on each wheel. On the rear wheel, I managed to cycle home, but had to release the rear brake so took it very easy. When a spoke on the front broke, again the wheel would turn (just) with the brake released, but I was only a couple of miles from home so luckily it wasn't a big problem. By these experiences I wouldn't recommend them as replacement wheels, you can probably get something more reliable for the money. RS20's or RS30's might be better though, as they have a deeper rim which is probably stronger (though also heavier).

 

[jdtate101]

instant walkies, yes. Actually, big bang, about 100 metres of slowing down and then walkies. And you can't wheel the bike, you have to carry it.

I think you have to be quite light to use RS20s. RS80s are good - they use the same rim as Dura-Ace, but they're much more expensive. If they're the same spokes (and they may be) then those spokes are very tough indeed - I've got a sliced derailleur to prove it.

Not always, I lost 3 spokes on a hand built 20h rear wheel with a powertap, and it survived me riding it for a further 10miles to get me home (at a fast walking pace). Then again I've had a 32h wheel go well out of shape with the loss of one spoke, so it's not as straight forward as it sounds.