Originally Posted by dietrologia
Question:
I have a 2006 Kona Dr. Dew that has the stock Sun ME14A rims and I'm finding that I'm occassionally breaking spokes when I pack any significant weight. I'd like to do some light touring (overnighters) and extended commuting, but I'm a bit nervous about my current rim situation. I had the rear spokes replaced with sturdier ones, but I'm wondering if 28 spokes is just too few on a 700C rim.
I'm riding on 700 x 37C Continental Country Rides, have disc brakes and run with front/rear panniers. I weigh ~160 lbs.
What rims could someone recommend to put on my current bike?
(I'd kind of like to keep with my current tire sizing)
Thank you for any suggestions.
Spoke problems aren't related to the brand or quality of the rim. They are related to the quality and number of the spokes that make the wheel. The rim may flex a little on each rotation but the spokes do all the work. Your problem is that you are asking 28 spokes to do a whole lot of work that they may not be up for. For an unloaded bike with a pretty lightweight rider, 28 spokes would do just fine but as you increase your load much past your normal weight, you really should use a higher spoke count wheel.
It's doubly important because of the disc brakes. To see why, look at a rim brake wheel. It's still a disc brake, just one with really large rotors. As you apply braking force to the rim, the spokes can wind up a little because of their springiness. The amount is minute but they do flex a little. With a hub mounted disc, as you apply braking force it has to translate to the tires through the hub and then on to the rim. This will put much more force on the spoke heads than a rim brake will. Add to that the fact that the wheel is now dished on both sides for a rear wheel and on one side for the front. Dishing causes the spokes to have a shallower angle of attack towards the rim. If the wheel were solid, this wouldn't be a problem but because you are depending on the strength of a narrow wire, a shallower angle makes it weaker. Triangulation of the spoke helps it share the load better. That's the major reason that the front wheel seldom breaks spokes.
You best bet would be to replace the wheels with at least a 32 spoke wheel and preferably a 36 spoke wheel. My favorite spokes are the DT Alpine III. They aren't that much heavier than a normal double butted and they make for a super strong wheel.