The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: Thegoblinchief on August 22, 2014, 07:45:24 AM
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Starting to notice that the rear wheel on my bike is coming out of round, with about 1/8"-1/4" of side to side movement. I've attempted truing it, but I know that truing a damaged wheel without ever having built a wheel from scratch is very hard.
That said, I don't necessarily want to build a wheel myself (yet) though I'm open to that if that's the best way to proceed.
I could have the wheel repaired, but I'm thinking the low spoke count (24) and the way I use my bike, it's inevitable that the wheel is going to keep getting damaged. The rim sidewalls are pretty worn anyways. 99% sure these are the original wheels and so are over 10 years and god knows how many miles old.
As most of you know, I regularly put 400 pound loads on or behind my bike (my weight, pannier weight, and trailer weight so I need some HEAVY duty wheels.
Front wheel seems fine, but if it's economical to buy a full set rather than just wheel, I can do that, but the vast majority of the load is on the rear.
-700C, and I'd like to run 700x28 tires, as I've already got a new Gatorskin
-V-brakes
-Shimano 8 speed cassette (Deore/LX drivetrain)
So... recommendations? I can't spend a ton, but I also want something that will last.
Alternatively, if any of you think scratch building a wheel is the right way for me to get what I want, a recommended parts list would be great too :)
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When my rear wheel started popping spokes last winter I got a Suntour CR-18 rear wheel as it's heavier duty and has a 36 spoke count (as someone who's over 200 lbs and carries 50 - 70 lbs on the bike occasionally, I'm hard on wheels). http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0047IHLZI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0047IHLZI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) - comes with an 8 speed shimano compatible hub, all you need is to put rim tape and your cassette on it (grease the bearings too). This wheel has worked great for me, but needed to be trued again after a few hundred kilometers. (I understand that this is common with new wheels.) I've put a few thousand km on it since with no issue. Fits 32 and 28 mm tires just fine.
The higher spoke count makes me happy.
BTW - I also kicked around the idea of building a wheel. You'll need a truing stand, which can be knocked together relatively easily and a lot of patience/time for the first wheel. I decided against it as my rear wheel was toast and I needed the bike right away for commuting.
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FYI you all ready have a truing stand for building/truing wheels-your bike.
Just put a zip tie/cable tie on the frame and cut it so that by twisting the tie on the frame you move the cut end of the tie as your reference for your rim.
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Following. My DH is a big guy and regularly needs to true his wheels.
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First post, but had to chime in. I weigh about 220 lbs and I ride on single speed on 36-spoke salsa delgado (cyclocross) rims laced to formula hubs with double butted spokes. They've been absolutely bomb-proof commuting in all seasons in Minneapolis, including pot holes. I built them about 4 years ago with no experience--only the help of an experienced friend who I enlisted with 6 pack of beer. Took about 6 hours total (4 for the first one, 2 for the second one) and was really easy once I understood the basics. Truing them took a lot more time than lacing the spokes.
Hand built wheels are far more durable than machine built wheels for a few reasons:
1. You use a tension meter to make sure that all of your spokes have roughly the same tension, compared to machine built wheels which can be true, but have totally wonky tensions in all of their spokes, which leads them to go out of true when you hit a bump or ride with a heavy load
2. You can customize your rims and hubs to include more spokes and more durable options (36 spoke, cyclocross rims for a commuting bike.
3. When you build them, you go through a process of stressing them by repeatedly truing them and then throwing them out of true until they won't go out of true any more. This is not done with machine built wheels, so they will go out of true at the first stress.
If accessible to you, I'd recommend finding/making a friend with a truing stand, tension meter, and spoke wrenches and bribing them with beer/baked goods to teach you how to select components and build wheels. You could also have them professionally built, or purchase a machine built wheel, loosen all of the spokes and re-true it.
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These are what I have:
http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_566766_-1___204727
I have never hauled anything with them, but they seem to hold up well with my ~240 lb body. I've hit many a pothole with no issues yet.
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Since we're talking about building wheels, has anyone found a tension meter for a reasonable price? I'd love to have one, but as long as they're sitting around 80$ for the cheap ones I'll have to keep tuning the spokes by ear and feel.
These are what I have:
http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_566766_-1___204727
I have never hauled anything with them, but they seem to hold up well with my ~240 lb body. I've hit many a pothole with no issues yet.
Those look like great wheels for the price!
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24 spoke count? There's your problem right there. If you are carrying loads etc., you are really just best going with the 36 spoke count wheels. I don't think you weigh that much and I have several 32's that have given me no problems but really for a good transportation, load carrying bike you will be happy with a 36.
Velocity rims are good very quality. That said you can often find a Mavic Open Sport (not open pro) 36 spoke wheel inexpensively.
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Cyclocross or 29er rims. The 29ers are usually super durable and take the wider tires, but it's getting harder to find them with rim brake compatible rims, or with a standard 130mm spacing instead of the disc brake 135mm hubs.
Check bikisland.com (the parts site run by Bikes Direct); they usually have some good deals.
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I think I've got an elegant solution, or at least a cheaper one short term:
1. Go ahead and have my wheel trued by my local wheelbuilding shop. Emailed them and they said it would be $20-$25.
2. The Alchemist's bike has 32 spoke wheels. I don't know how great they are (http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/escape.3/11500/55833/#specifications) but they're probably stronger than my wheels. I'll put those on my ride and mine on hers.
My rims are old but seem okay for a normal rider, and she's only 120 pounds.
Thoughts?
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I got a couple years on those wheels (much of it in the winter) before spokes started popping on the rear and I weigh a hell of a lot more than you do. They'll probably be fine for what you want. Just a note though, the 32 mm tires that come stock on those rims (SX-2 or 3s) really suck as far as rolling resistance. Switch the tires and tubes along with the wheels or you'll be wondering why everything feels so slow. The two replacement sets of tires I've gone through have both been much faster.
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Cool. And I was going to swap my Gatorskins over as well ;)
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For what it's worth, when I dropped the wheel off at my wheel builder, he said it didn't look that bad considering what I'd put it through.