favorite custom road wheel build

[dasein]

What's your favorite custom road wheel build, non-disc for good compliance and performance. Rims, hubs, spokes. 150 lb rider who runs campy is asking.

[AngryScientist]

Rim: TB 14
Hub: Record
Spoke: Sapim lazer front and NDS rear; wheelsmith db14 DS rear.
Spoke count & lacing: 32 f+r / 3x f+r
Tubes: Vittoria latex
Tire: Vittoria Corsa G+

very light, super durable and lively combination here.

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by dasein

What's your favorite custom road wheel build, non-disc for good compliance and performance. Rims, hubs, spokes. 150 lb rider who runs campy is asking.

If this is to be truly custom (customized for a specific user), we're going to need more details about the user.

- Where do you ride?
- What kind of rides/routes do you do?
- Do you favor reliability over performance?
- Do you favor climbing, descending, speed on flat roads, or more all-around?
- Cost target?
- Tubular, or clincher (standard or tubeless)?
- Disc or rim brake?
- Any particular aesthetic preferences (for example, black or silver, fancy lacing patterns, etc.)?

[echelon_john]

Tough to argue with Nick's TB14 recommendation.

My 2 cents, assuming price isn't a primary driver, would be HED C2+ rims on WI hubs, 28/28 or 28/24 with Sapim Lasers 3/4 of the way around and Race on the DS rear. Brass nipples.

[makoti]

Pacenti rims, WI hubs, Sapim CX-ray spokes. I absolutely love mine & only run Campy. Fast, been rock solid, great riding feel. Built by Fair Wheel Bikes.

[jtbadge]

Originally Posted by makoti

Pacenti rims, WI hubs, Sapim CX-ray spokes. I absolutely love mine & only run Campy. Fast, been rock solid, great riding feel. Built by Fair Wheel Bikes.

Same here, but Archetype rims.

[merckx]

I am adding a vote to Nick's recommendation.

[Mike V]

Rim: Ambrosio Nemesis
Hub: Record Silver
Spoke: Sapim lazer front and NDS rear Sapin Race
Spoke count & lacing: 32 f+r / 3x f+r
Tubular - Veloflex Vlaanderen

[d_douglas]

Those TB14s look so nice. You can not fault Record hubs in any way.

I love my Onyx MTB hubs, and assume their road hubs are just as nice, but they look butt ugly in my opinion. If I was building a new wheelset, however, that is what I would buy, looks be damned.

[one60]

not certain if Jeremy Parfit is still building wheels but the two sets of Alchemy hub based wheels have been wonderful. Jeremy is a great resource and worth speaking with if you want a special set of handbuilts


https://cyclingtips.com/2017/10/whee...d-hubs-review/

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by dasein

What's your favorite custom road wheel build, non-disc for good compliance and performance. Rims, hubs, spokes. 150 lb rider who runs campy is asking.

DT411 laced to Campagnolo Record hubs...Sapim Laser front and left side rear, Sapim Race drive side rear...32, 3 cross, brass nipples

Or DT 350 laced to HED tubular rims..24h front and 28h rear..same mix of spokes.

[retrofit]

Vintage variation of Angry Scientist's build:

Rim: TB 14
Hub: Vintage Record 36H (freewheel)
Spoke: Sapim Race double butted
Tubes: Vittoria Ultralite Butyl
Tire: Vittoria Corsa G+

[weiwentg]

Originally Posted by one60

not certain if Jeremy Parfit is still building wheels but the two sets of Alchemy hub based wheels have been wonderful. Jeremy is a great resource and worth speaking with if you want a special set of handbuilts


https://cyclingtips.com/2017/10/whee...d-hubs-review/

Wheels Manufacturing is no longer manufacturing or supporting these hubs. If somehow the OP gets his/her hands on a pair, I'd consider that issue.

[ravdg316]

Why this spoke combo?

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

Rim: TB 14
Hub: Record
Spoke: Sapim lazer front and NDS rear; wheelsmith db14 DS rear.
Spoke count & lacing: 32 f+r / 3x f+r
Tubes: Vittoria latex
Tire: Vittoria Corsa G+

very light, super durable and lively combination here.

[saab2000]

Not really a custom build, but I have a pair of Boyd Altamont Lite wheels (28/24) and they’re really nice, no-drama wheels with no proprietary parts. And I’m not a skeletal, underserved-at-the buffet cyclist. Lively wheel feel and zero maintenance on mine ever.

Nice hub geo, quality rim with a 20-mm inner width. Mine came when Boyd was offering to the WI hub option and that’s what I got. I’ve heard nice things about his 85 hubs.