Recommendations: budget wheelset for Clydesdale

[stratocaster142]

Long story short, upgrading my 2013 Trek Domane 2.0 to SRAM eTAP. Hoped my wheel could accommodate 11spd....nope. Buddy had given me a wheel he took off his same year Madone, which he thought could accommodate 11spd. Negative ghostrider.

So now I need at least one rear wheel. I really really don't want to break the bank any more than I already have at the moment.

I weigh ~270ish lbs depending on the day and live in MA/RI area with some not totally nice roads. My current no frills wheels have been very dependable and I trust them.

What should I look for in a budget wheel?

[dgauthier]

What are your current "no frill wheels" that you like so much? It sounds like you already know what you want.

If you weigh 270, a hand built, 36 spoke, box section rim with 3 cross lacing is ideal for you.

[stratocaster142]

Found this on ebay...brand new for $180 shipped

In the box:
Shimano 5800 / DT Swiss R460
Quick release skewer

Rim:
DT Swiss R460 700c
18 mm wide inner width
23 mm wide outer width
Machined brake track
32 hole
Drilled for presta valve
Black

Hub:
Shimano 105 5800
Black
Sealed bearings
Rim brake only
Hub body accepts 11 speed Shimano and SRAM Road cassettes.
130 mm OLD

Wheel Build:
DT Swiss Champion spokes (black)
3X lacing

[stratocaster142]

They are Bontrager wheels that have no identifying marks. 25 spokes. No markings on the hub.

I guess I'm looking for brands to avoid. I feel like I read not good things about Mavic wheels when it comes to heavy riders.

Is it really simply mo' spokes = mo' betta from a strength perspective. So stick with 25+?

I don't know if there are other things I should care about.

[Hilltopperny]

The R460 you listed should be fine with 32 hole spokes. I'd think most modern box section rims with 32 hole spokes or bigger should work. Velocity, Mavic, Dt, Hed Belgium +, h+son should all work fine with a higher spoke count and shouldn't break the bank.

Contact Old and he can certainly build you what you need at a reasonable price.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by stratocaster142

Long story short, upgrading my 2013 Trek Domane 2.0 to SRAM eTAP. Hoped my wheel could accommodate 11spd....nope. Buddy had given me a wheel he took off his same year Madone, which he thought could accommodate 11spd. Negative ghostrider.

So now I need at least one rear wheel. I really really don't want to break the bank any more than I already have at the moment.

I weigh ~270ish lbs depending on the day and live in MA/RI area with some not totally nice roads. My current no frills wheels have been very dependable and I trust them.

What should I look for in a budget wheel?

Certainly either a 36h rear wheel or a 32 hole with a stout enough rim. 36h road hub laced to say a Velocity A23, 32h hub laced to a Velocity Dyad..as examples.

5800 hub laced to a Velocity Dyad, 32h..$250 plus shipping from me.

Be careful of some of the wheels mentioned, IMHO..a 450 gram rim with 32 spokes 'may' not be reliable for you. I'd say 500g+ rim at 32h is essential for reliability. DT460 rims are very nice but only about 450 grams.

But if you DO get a wheelset already built, like those you found on ebay..have a decent wheelbuilder true/round/tension/stress relieve and dish before you ride them. A lot are machine built and not really 'finished' when they go into the box.

[stratocaster142]

Thanks! PM sent!

[dgauthier]

Originally Posted by stratocaster142

(...) Is it really simply mo' spokes = mo' betta from a strength perspective. So stick with 25+? (...)

Absolutely correct. At 270, stick with 32+, actually. It's all about optimizing the bike for the rider, rather than getting as light as possible.

It sounds like you're already in touch with OldPotatoe, so you're in good hands. I'd suggest splurging on a new high spoke count front wheel as well if possible. If you've been riding 25 spoke wheels, the improvements in cornering stability, as well as power transfer when you stand and sprint will be night and day.

[Gummee]

you guys are using 'box section rim' wrong.

Box section is the TB14, Nemesis, Velo Orange Raid, or similar. Open Pros and similar are NOT 'box section' rims.

/pedantic

Back to your regularly scheduled posting

M

edited to add: 'Clydesdale' and 'budget' are 2 terms that should never be uttered in the same sentence. Heavy rider and cheap = problems. Sometimes very quickly. I've seen enough of that combination over the years to have firsthand experience.

[MattTuck]

Originally Posted by Gummee

edited to add: 'Clydesdale' and 'budget' are 2 terms that should never be uttered in the same sentence. Heavy rider and cheap = problems. Sometimes very quickly. I've seen enough of that combination over the years to have firsthand experience.

Yeah, and in general, wheels are not where you want to go cheap. It is a high wear part that takes a lot of abuse and has many points of failure. And you can still get pretty durable equipment for a decent price, without having to be cheap.

[Avispa]

Originally Posted by Gummee

edited to add: 'Clydesdale' and 'budget' are 2 terms that should never be uttered in the same sentence. Heavy rider and cheap = problems. Sometimes very quickly. I've seen enough of that combination over the years to have firsthand experience.

Yeah, and what "budget" means to you may not mean a thing to another person. I saw a great used set of Campy Shamal Mille for $680, to me that's budget and a bargain. Those wheels are bullet/Clydesdale proof.

[TimD]

Certainly either a 36h rear wheel or a 32 hole with a stout enough rim. 36h road hub laced to say a Velocity A23, 32h hub laced to a Velocity Dyad..as examples.

5800 hub laced to a Velocity Dyad, 32h..$250 plus shipping from me.

This.

[froze]

Originally Posted by TimD

This.

I agree too with the choice of rims and hubs, but I see no need to go with a 32 for the front, I would go with 36 spokes all around. You have to consider that when you have to stop your weight shifts toward the front so why would you underrate the spokes there? for what? to save a few grams by having 4 less spokes? Those extra 4 spokes including the nipples would count for less than 1/4th of one percent of the total weight between rider and bike, you will NEVER notice that weight, but you will notice the reliability of that wheel. The argument for the cost of those extra 4 spokes is nil as well.

With 36 spokes on the front one could go with a thinner double butted spoke like a 2.0/1.6/2.0 or something close, and for the rear go with a thicker 2.0/1.8/2.0 or something close, however sometimes depending on how the spokes are packaged you maybe better off buying all the same size price wise. While bladed spokes can help cheat the wind I wouldn't recommend them because if you true the wheels yourself they are bit more hassle to true, and since you are a large guy I don't think cheating the wind is going to help you one bit since your body is not as aerodynamic as a guy half your size. I also would use on brass nipples because a heavier person does end up truing their wheels more than lighter people in general, and alloy nips will eventually round off then you have to replace the nips, so just avoid any problems and go with the brass, and again the weight issue is all about percentage of total weight and you will never notice the weight difference.