Opinions - Strongest Rear Wheel

[khjr]

I'm building a new rear wheel with a Campagnolo Record 8 speed hub, and am considering my options with regard to building the most durable / reasonable weight wheelset possible for fast road riding and occasional dirt roads, but no touring. The hubset is 36 hole but, as you're probably aware, these hubs have an almost ridiculous amount of dish. The drive side will be 3X double butted 14-15 gauge DT spokes and brass nipples, which I've had great luck with in the past, but I'm still trying to decide what to do on the non-drive side.

I've read glowing testimony for radial spoking on the left side, but am concerned that the spoke heads will fret and enlarge the holes in the hub over time. If I recall correctly from The Bicycle Wheel, ~13% of the torque is transmitted by the non-drive side and, given that the spokes on this side are radial, I figure that the heads would have to rotate in the spoke holes in order for the spokes to become tangential and transmit torque. Does anyone have any experience with this longevity / durability concern? If so, did you face the spoke heads in or out?

Whether I go 3X or half radial, I'll probably use lower gauge double butted spokes on the left side. In this case, the two options are 15-16 Wheelsmith double butted, and DT Revolution 14-17 gauge. I've read posts that describe problems with severe windup on the DT Revolutions, but figure that this might not be a problem given the low tension on the left side. A 14 gauge spoke fills the hub hole nicely, giving the elbow good support, so I figure that the 15-16 won't be as well supported. I know that DT sells spoke head washers for this reason, and am considering that too. Lastly, I'll probably go with aluminum alloy nipples on the non drive side. Opinions on these options?

Finally, I'm completely open to choice of rim. I've had pretty good luck with a Campagnolo Chorus 8 speed hub on a Mavic Open Pro rim. Given the dish involved and my concerns with slack non-drive spokes, I tension the right side VERY high to 140 kgf per my Park tensiometer, putting the left side at ~60 kgf. The last set of 32 hole wheels that I built this way lasted for ~5000 miles before I noticed very fine longitudinal cracks around the spoke eyelets. As an alternative, I'm considering the Velocity Aerohead Off Center (OC) rim. Per conversations with Velocity that some previous posters cited, I'm figuring that this rim is limited to 100 kgf tension because it lacks spoke eyelets. The off center design, however, would put the left spokes at the same ~60 kgf that I'm getting with the Mavics. Opinions on these options or any rims of similar weight (these rims weight less than 450 g)?

Thanks!

[saab2000]

I use some 8-speed hubs with success. I am also about to go riding with some 10-speed hubs. The amount of dish is not really all that ridiculous. On the 8-speed wheels I used this weekend the rims are Open 4CD Mavic clinchers, 32-hole, 3-cross spoking. No issues.

My 10-speed hubs are built using the Velocity OCR, also 32 holes. They are fine. I use 14/15/14 guage spokes on the drive side and DT Revolutions on the non-drive side, with brass nips.

Your strongest wheel would involve 36 spokes, the OCR rim and brass nipples. Don't forget to use 14/15/14 guage spokes if you want strongest, stiffest.

[ergott]

Go Aerohead OC.

You can bring the tension to 120 with no problems. The spoke bed is pretty thick and doesn't have eyelets so cracking won't be a problem and you will get far more than 5000 miles.

36 spoke 3X all around. No need to make any changes. It's works and other patterns will save no real weight.

PS 140kgf is way too high, hence the premature cracking.