Rear wheel - commuting and audaxing

[LiamFitz]

Apologies if this has been posted elsewhere...

I need a new real wheel for my audax/commuter bike.  It needs to be tough enough to cope with a 15 stone bloke, a London commute and winter skog...but not as heavy as desperate Dan's anvil (which I couldn't want to drag around 400k either).

Plus I'm not made of money...

What would people go for on here?

L

[menthel]

Apologies if this has been posted elsewhere...

I need a new real wheel for my audax/commuter bike.  It needs to be tough enough to cope with a 15 stone bloke, a London commute and winter skog...but not as heavy as desperate Dan's anvil (which I couldn't want to drag around 400k either).

Plus I'm not made of money...

What would people go for on here?

L

Personally, something handbuilt based around an Archetype rim- strong and wide so can be fitted with wider, comfy tyres. I use 28 holes at 85kg but 32 would certainly be worth considering for extra peace of mind. Miche primato hubs are also good for the price and easily maintained.

[Vs4b]

I would have said openpro on hope hubs but ive got bored of the annual broken spoke/rim issues ive encountered each year for the last three years so I've decided to go more robust and just ordered some from Rosebikes, 36spoke, miche hubs on cxp33 rims - £150 for the pair. Seem a bargain, fingers crossed they are good!

[Aunt Maud]

Hub with cup and cone bearings, so that you can pump grease into them and 36 spokes laced 3 times, rims...whatever.

Cheap, cheerful, unfashionable, easily serviced by you or any bike shop and reliable.

You could even be really bold and get them hand built at Evans for £40.00 including Sapim Race spokes..........Have done so at the Lakeside branch and they are superb.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

Wont advise on wheels, but as a 13st bloke carrying at least a stone of clobber in panniers on a steel framed Roberts - the thing I have learned is to make sure I have at least a 28mm tyre on the back.  I haven't had wheel problems and rear p#nct#r#s much reduced, except when (like everyone else) pursued by a pack of hellhound mounted p#nct#r# fairies on the Hardboiled.

[Mike Conway]

A 32 or 36 hole wheel built 3X is what you want, preferably something with a wider rim (23mm or wider) and slightly profiled such as an H Plus Son Archetype or Mavic CXP33. This enables the use of shorter spokes and a stronger build. You can't go wrong with a basic Shimano 105 hub or Deore XT if you're using disc brakes - cup and cone, so use serviceable for swapping out bearings or indeed cleaning and re-greasing as need be.

[D.A.L.E.]

http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/road-wheel-set-28700c-mavic-open-pro--105-5800/aid:401816

http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/road-wheel-set-28700c-mavic-open-pro--shimano-ultegra-6800/aid:716718

Any good for you? (I've just bought the Ultegras after banging on about the 105s for months)

[Somnolent]

If you are going down the 36h route, Rose's "own label" R490 rim is not half bad .
Significantly harder wearing IME than the Open Pro which weighs just a couple of ounces less and costs twice as much.

They seem to offer it as a separate rim and built with DT Swiss DB spoked on either a 105 cup/cone hub or their own branded sealed bearing hub (which again seem to be reasonably good)

[LiamFitz]

Thanks guys - some really interesting food for thought here....

[Hummers]

I have been between 16.5 stone and 13 stone on Rigida Chrinas 36 spoke and a variety of Shimano rear/front hubs.

They coped/cope fine along with 23mm tyres.

H

[Vs4b]

new wheels arrived last night, look lovely and shiney and feel super smooth. i was expecting a three cross lacing but they're actually two cross, should have read the detail more! (not the first time i've said that) will see how that works out and will post a review after i get some miles on them.

[LiamFitz]

That would be interesting... thanks

[Vs4b]

OK then, we're off. First ride completed

Out the box they looked really nice, shiney! There is no doubt the "Extreme" badged hubs are miche, the instructions are from miche!

Fitted the cassette, ok. Then went back and added the two little spacers, still not exactly aligned to the old gearing position, no idea if they should be but a bit of fetting and the shifting was ok'ish. On the ride there was a lot of pinging in the first 500yards, but after that silence. The freehub is amazingly quiet, especially compared to the previous hope hubs! Wheels feel really good, im not sure im good enough to spot a subtle difference but they felt as stiff as the hopes they replaced. 100km later, all is fine stayed true and faultless performance on the crappy roads around the fens!

I'm impressed, cracking value for money. Will see how they get on after a few more miles.

PS - Weight wise, I think they were 1850ish the pair (without skewers or rim tape) so not light but not bad...