Wheelset for a 330# Clyde
 

Hi, I’m new to the cycling world and this forum. Its nice to know there are others out there with the same problem as me and are trying to fix it. By browsing this forum i have finally pulled the trigger and bought a used 2005 Giant Cypress LX. My only problem is i dont know a whole lot about wheelsets or what to look for.

from what i can tell, my current wheelset are the stock rims with 700x38c tires that max out at 65 psi

heres the rim details that i got off the internet:

Hubs: Aluminum disc Q/R
Rims: Aluminum, double wall, 32-hole
Spoke Brand: Stainless steel, 14ga. (2.0mm) straight gauge
Spoke Nipples: Brass nipples

would these rims be able to handle me (i plan on riding on smooth cement and dirt roads, nothing crazy)

and if not can anyone recommend me a cheap wheelset that will?

Thank you for your time and i look forward to becoming a longtime member of this forum :)

Take the current wheelset to your favorite wheelsmith and have that person true up the wheels, even the spoke tension and check that the spoke tension is close to the upper limit. This will give you the best life you could expect from a OEM stock wheelset. Eventually (assuming you ride regularly) you'll start having problems with those straight gauge spokes or problems with cracks at the spoke holes. At the sign of the first problem, start shopping around for a new wheelset. You can start at 36 spoke Vuelta HD's or something similar. Or, go back to your wheel builder and have that person build you a stout 36 spoke wheelset using a high quality rim, double (or even triple) butted spokes and attention to detail.


-Kedosto

Hard to know the quality of a no-name rim, spoke combination. On a "budget" level bike, it's a fair bet that the wheelset is sub-par, in terms of basic survivability.

Two options I would consider: either have a good wheelbuilding shop do a rebuild on the thing, truing everything up; or, have a new wheelset built, using a good double-walled rim, probably a rim quite a bit wider overall than you've got now, with a decent choice of spokes/nipples. Done by a competent shop, a new wheel build can get you a bomb-proof setup.

In my own case, I had a factory Trek DS. Some years back, being a clydesdale and occasionally carrying a good 30lbs on the bike, the total would exceed 300lbs.

Opted for a wheelset with the following components: Velocity Dyad rims 700c rims, DT Swiss 2.0 spokes, DT Swiss brass nipples, with Shimano Deore M756 hubs. Very well built, strong and very true. Nary a creak or noise in several years of using them on rougher urban roads and occasional shorter dirt trails. (This setup was found on eBay for under $225 including shipping. And there are occasional deals like that these days, as well.)

You can certainly first try the truing route. It might result in a set that does fine for you. If you have issues, you can get a wheelset built to your specs.

If preferring to order a relatively inexpensive set, here's one option for a 700c build with Shimano hubs, Velocity NoBS rims, with DT Swiss spokes and DT Swiss brass nipples: Silver Heavy Duty Velocity NoBS 700c 36h Hybrid Wheelset @ Velomine, $149. Here's the specs on the rims themselves: Velocity NoBS 700c. I have a hard time believing that setup wouldn't be capable of working very nicely. Particularly if you select a larger tire ... say, 700x40 to 700x45 or so.

Vuelta Course HD 36 spokes - have them love them. You will to. Paid about $200 shipped.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6f1f4dbd96.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4e6b5276f3.jpg

Those wheels are not worthy of that bike look like anchors but for 200 bucks. Guess will do the job for a Clyde .I know it's not in the op budget but for a truely nice wheelset for me and I'm a Clyde I love my hed Ardennes stallion edition well over 10.000 miles on them and still as true as day one

I'm not sure if that was an insult...or what. But whatever, apparently you don't like my setup, that's ok, I don't care.

Not a insult at all .that is a very nice bike that should have a fast set of wheels to get the most potential out of it.

The vurlta wheels are an excellent wheel set for a clyde. I have a set on my training bike and they have been very strong. I true them in the spring and don’t have to touch them all year. A bit heavy yes but they roll nice and sealed bearings are very smooth. At 200$ these are a steal

i have a set of HD vulelts's on my 10 roubaix and they have been great for the last 4 years. i highly recommend them for a nice low priced clyde wheels.

i wish they made them for disc brake bikes. my new to me 14 roubaix has disc brakes. bike had big $$$ zipp carbon wheels on it when i bought it. i sold them and almost got what i paid for the bike. i bought a set of vuleta corsica II disc wheels to replace the carbon ones.

Tandem wheelset
 

Why not try a wheelset made for a tandem. Our trek has toted around as much as 500lbs.

No point in throwing out the old wheels before you have to - get them tuned up and enjoy until you NEED to spend more money.

Decisions decisions
 

I am a Clyde similar in size to the OP that is tired of crushing my stock wheels. The stockers made it 1800 miles before I lost the first spoke. Now, I am 5 spokes into relacing the 32h no name rear. No problems on the front. I bought a set of Stans Grails recommended by the LBS and they crushed out in 300 miles.

I am looking at replacing the crushed rear, and have narrowed it down to 2 40 hole options. A Velocity Aileron with Sapim Strong spoke and Velocitys own 40h ATB Shimano hub OR my local wheel builder who would use a Astral Leviathan with an Origin 8 Hub and DT Alpine spokes. Both wheels are about the same $350 bucks. Both hand built. Both rims made in the USA. Astrals have an impeccable record, but the Origin 8 hub concerns me. And the Velocity rim though sexy isn't a straight touring wheel.

I'm leaning towards the Aileron because the hub supports upgrading to 11speed while my current Tiagra groupo maxes out the Origin hub on the Astral.

Would love to hear from anyone with experience with any of the parts. Thanks.

Consider a couple of small changes:
Hubs: Aluminum disc Q/R
Rims: Aluminum, double wall, 40-hole (Velocity Dyad is a good one)
Spoke Brand: Stainless steel, 14-15ga butted spokes
Spoke Nipples: Brass nipples

My max weight was 350 and these worked for me.

The wheels that come on your bike may work out just fine. Don't think about replacing them before you need to.

Tire pressure ratings are very rough. A few years ago, I read that manufacturers test their tires at double the rating. Overinflating your tires will protect your wheels from the forces of a heavy rider. Try 100 or 110 psi in the rear tire and a little less in the front. You are not likely to have a blowout from this.

Welcome to cycling! Many people have improved their health a lot in a fairly short time, and it's very rewarding, too.

I'm running 40c tires at 80 psi their max rating. I don't think Schwalbe would approve going to 100. I haven't had a pinch flat. Stans sealant in the tubes takes care of most punctures. Often find out about a puncture by the sealant in the tire after the fact during a rotation.

I am about your size and ride 3-5 thousand miles per year. I have had good luck with these inexpensive disc clyde wheels, which come assembled and are perfectly true right out of the box. You can expect to pay about $275 for the set: https://www.worldwidecyclery.com/pro...CABEgJZZfD_BwE

Thanks for the tip. Unfortunately my frame won't clear the 45c tires Velocity recommends for use with the Cliffhanger hence why I was picking up the Aileron. At that price though I may pick up a set anyway ..

I prefer the Dyad. Wide enough, strong enough, in as many spokes as you could possibly want.

I run a 42mm tire on a rim with the same width as the Cliffhanger with absolutely no issues, and would also be comfortable going down to 38mm. Not sure how they picked 45mm. :thumb:

I am 6’5”, 325lbs and use these wheels with 700×35c Schwalbe marathon plus rubber with no problems. I’ve covered about 1800 miles since June 1 without a single issue with spokes or a single flat. You know how it is, every situation is different, but these wheels and tires have been perfect for me, way beyond my expectations for durability and strength, considering the cost.

Depends on what you want, and what you want to spend. Me I went with Rolf Prima " Vigor RS (OEM) wheels which are a very nice lightweight set of wheels that have held up under a couple thousand mile with my weight fluctuating between 350 - 370 pounds.

These are not inexpensive wheels, but they roll very nice.