Zonda as gravel wheels?

[p nut]

I have a pair of Zonda’s on my road bike which have been excellent.

I am currently looking for a rim-brake wheelset for my gravel bike and was wondering if Zonda’s would work. I hesitate with such low spoke count.

I’m around 160lbs but some of the terrain could be fairly rough (Jeep/dirt bike roads out here in the west).

My other option is to get some Velocity Quill’s (28/32h) which should do the job but at higher cost and weight. I had these on my 650b bike and were excellent.

[fredd]

If you're buying a new set, I'd get something tubeless compatible. Velocity Quill would be my first choice for their width, but if you wanna keep cost low DT R460 are an excellent option and are what I'm running on my fat tire road bike.

[AngryScientist]

Yea, i do believe they are strong enough to hold up to gravel use, but tubeless is really the way to go with a gravel bike and I dont think they make the zondas in 2-way-fit.

you could likely get Quills laced to bitex hubs which are plenty nice for around the price of zondas and be tubeless ready.

[mtechnica]

https://www.merlincycles.com/en-us/d...0c-108397.html

These are tubeless compatible and wider than zondas.

[lookout2015]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

Yea, i do believe they are strong enough to hold up to gravel use, but tubeless is really the way to go with a gravel bike and I dont think they make the zondas in 2-way-fit.

Zondas with two way fit are/were available for years. Not sure if they currently are though

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by lookout2015

Zondas with two way fit are/were available for years. Not sure if they currently are though

i might be wrong, but i dont think they were available that way in the C17 era.

[p nut]

Thanks. Those DT’s look good but not sure if they’d hold up either at 20/24 spoke count. And are those aluminum spokes?

My old Zonda C15 were 2 way but my current C17 are not.

I had Old P build Quill/Bitex couple years ago. I may ask him to do the same again.

[mtechnica]

Originally Posted by p nut

Thanks. Those DT’s look good but not sure if they’d hold up either at 20/24 spoke count. And are those aluminum spokes?

My old Zonda C15 were 2 way but my current C17 are not.

I had Old P build Quill/Bitex couple years ago. I may ask him to do the same again.

Pretty sure they are steel spokes? I've been using the disc versions of the PR1600 on my gravel bike, really similar to those. With the big low pressure tires especially, it doesn't seem like the spoke count is a problem. Modern day DT swiss rims are going to be a lot stronger than old rims that necessitated having a ton of spokes. That said everyone on this forum will push you to use handbuilts but if you take a look around tons if not most people on nice gravel bikes have low spoke count wheels.

[Davist]

Many ran the dura ace c24s for cyclocross for years without much concern, I used a pair for gravel a few years ago and they posed no issues. Today, I'd echo the others and consider a wider wheel. I have DT pr1600s (came on my canyon and they're disc) for 700c gravel wheels and they, too have been bullet proof...

[Likes2ridefar]

The quill is only 21.5mm internal width.

IME I found a significant improvement in performance on gravel with higher volume tires using 25-27mm internal width…especially if going 650b.

I also found marked handling improvements in really rough stuff when I went to a stronger, stiffer rim with higher spoke count.

[p nut]

Hmm. I may give those DT’s a shot then. Especially at $355.
Dirt roads I ride are much chunkier than CX courses and we definitely don’t have as much pristine gravel/dirt roads like you folks back east. Hopefully they’ll hold up.

Are those tubeless? Doesn’t say on the site unless I missed it.

[p nut]

Originally Posted by Likes2ridefar

The quill is only 21.5mm internal width.

IME I found a significant improvement in performance on gravel with higher volume tires using 25-27mm internal width…especially if going 650b.

I also found marked handling improvements in really rough stuff when I went to a stronger, stiffer rim with higher spoke count.

Bike is for 700c. Haven’t found any rim brake wheels at 25-27mm ID?

[Likes2ridefar]

Originally Posted by p nut

Bike is for 700c. Haven’t found any rim brake wheels at 25-27mm ID?

Yea I started chewing on that after the fact.

How about the cliffhanger?

https://www.velocityusa.com/product/...iff-hanger-622

[mtechnica]

Originally Posted by p nut

Hmm. I may give those DT’s a shot then. Especially at $355.
Dirt roads I ride are much chunkier than CX courses and we definitely don’t have as much pristine gravel/dirt roads like you folks back east. Hopefully they’ll hold up.

Are those tubeless? Doesn’t say on the site unless I missed it.

They are tubeless ready. They are plenty wide for a 40c or normal sized gravel tire. I think at your weight, running tubeless, you'll be fine unless you're constantly sending it down single track.

[fredd]

Quill is the internally widest rim brake option available that's not touring weight, AFAIK