Which Wheels?

[Lizban]

Having suffered (another) popped spoke, I've decided to bite the bullet and buy a new back wheel. Don't mind spending a reasonable amount (say£100-£150)

Any advice is my budget reasonable - clealry be happy if I could get a good wheel for less!

I cycle c100 miles a week on mainly roads and am a big unit (6 4 and 18 stone)

Any tips welcomed.

Cheers

 

[potnoodle]

I weigh in at about 17 stone and am 6-4 myself and kept breaking spokes all the time. I also had to bite the bullet and get a set of wheels made.

I went for a set of Mavik Open Pros on a Shamano 105 hub in the end. Cost a little over your budget at £200 but was what i was recommended by a number of people on this forum and other forums i go on.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

You should be able to get a single back wheel for that money.

But the advice above is spot on: You need a decent handmade wheel. Unfortunately just because someone uses their hands to build a wheel, doesn't make it a 'decent hand made wheel'. You need someone like Paul Hewitt http://www.hewittbikefitting.co.uk

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Have you looked at spa cycles -> http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m2b0s0p0 the wheels are at the bottom of the page.

 

[Lizban]

Thanks for the tips. If I am honest I really don't know what a good wheel is! I've looked at SPa and Evans and seen lists of wheels and other than price I don't know why one is better than the other!

 

[phil_hg_uk]

If you need advice give SPA a ring they are my local bike shop and I go there all the time and I am sure they will be able to offer you any advice you need, that have always helped me out when I need advice.

 

[dan_bo]

As well as that, I'd recommend a high flange hub laced to a deeper-section rim like a mavic CPX. the shorter the spokes the stiffer the wheel- I was popping spokes on my fixed gear for fun until I did that and I haven't had a problem for a year or so.

 

[Lizban]

As well as that, I'd recommend a high flange hub laced to a deeper-section rim like a mavic CPX. the shorter the spokes the stiffer the wheel- I was popping spokes on my fixed gear for fun until I did that and I haven't had a problem for a year or so.

What on earth does that mean high spoked big flange hubbed laced

 

[dan_bo]

It means a hub with a high flange and a deep section rim. Here's an example of a low-profile (ish) rim- this type of wheel would be used where stiffness is not the main priority, and here's a deep section rim, which, like for like, will build into a stiffer wheel. the flange bit is the diameter of the part of the hub where the spokes go into. the larger that is, the shorter the spokes have to be.

 

[upsidedown]

I've got Alex Adventurers, very tough, i'm just over 16 stone.

 

[Crankarm]

I presume you're from Blackheath in London. If so go along to Condor in Grays Inn Road and get a hand built wheel on a Mavic Open Cd rim. They will sort out with you how many spokes you need 32, 36 or 40H and type. I would go for something like a Campag Chorus or Ultegra hub but number of holes will dictate which. My preference would be 32H Chorus or 36H Ultegra. You should easily get this for £150 or less. You might even be lucky that Monty himself builds your wheel, if of course he still does. He was last autumn, not retired yet.

HTH.