commuteinca

Hi All,

I have an issue with keeping my rear wheel in good riding order. Spokes start breaking, wheel is almost impossible to keep true, everything goes downhill, pretty fast. I bought a new double wall aluminum replacement wheel less than a year ago and the bike shop said it's already shot. I ride 8 miles pretty much everyday on a Specialized Sirrus Sport w/ rim brakes. I like to ride along at a good clip because it's my only real cardio workout most days. I do carry a pannier on one side of the bike. The entire ride is paved.

Any recommendations on a wheel that will hold up and perform well?

Thanks!

DiabloScott

Your description doesn't sound like you'd be hard on wheels at all... I'd be surprised if you need anything special, unless you're really heavy or there's a big load in your pannier, or you ride in sloppy conditions.

Maybe just bad luck with two wheels in a row?

BobbyG

If your rear derailleur is mis-adjusted, or gets knocked out of position it can pull in too close and rub against the spokes causing spoke fatigue leading to an-put-of-true wheel and broken spokes. That happened to me when my bike was new. I just figured it was a bad wheel design that caused it to not stay true and break spokes. After the bike shop caught it, all has been fine for over a year.

You would think you'd hear the rubbing, but it wasn't constant, nor loud.

pdlamb

There's two ways a wheel can be "shot," the answer to your problem depends on how it's shot.


If the brake surface of the rims are wearing out, try Koolstop Salmon brake pads.


OTOH, if your shop is tired of replacing spokes, it's time to buy or build a well-built wheel. Many shops and mechanics don't know how to do this. Buy or check out from the library "The Bicycle Wheel" by Jobst Brandt, read and digest it. Short version is: the wheel needs to be true, the spokes need to be adequately tensioned, and the spokes must be stress-relieved. Most of the time the problem is adequate tension -- it's not just enough to get the rim straight.

Kedosto

If you don't have the inclination to get a local hand built wheel I'd suggest you google Vuelta HD wheels. I'm not sure if you're interested in a wheelset or a single rear wheel, but the Vuelta HD is reputed to be stout and durable. I have no personal experience with them as I've gone the hand built route myself. IMO, whatever you buy "off the shelf" should be taken to a reputable local wheel builder to be fined tuned and dialed in.

My advice with commuter wheelsets is to go stronger than you think you need. I'm a Clyde, and spent years listening to the advice of too many guys (shops) telling me that lower spoke count, lighter wheels "should be plenty" for my application. Finally, I had a pair of Sun Rhyno Lites built up, 32 spoke front, 36 spoke rear and magically all my problems have disappeared. No, they're not light, and no, they're not the coolest new rims on the block, but I'm not dealing with wheel problems anymore. None. The guys that tell you something "should" work aren't the guys who have to deal with the problems when it doesn't.

Get yourself something stout (built locally) or check out the Vueltas.


-Kedosto

RubeRad

However many spokes you have, get more. Don't listen to weight weenies that try to tell you it will make you too slow.

Read this (scroll down to "The Great Wheel Scam")

These are bombproof and cheap. (will need cassette spacer for 8-10sp cassette)

[EDIT]Kedosto+1000, he typed more than me and still squeezed it in faster!

commuteinca

Great advice everyone. Thank you. I wondered if the problem had to do with the wheel being straight, but spokes not tensioned properly. That said, I’ll look into the heavier duty wheels you all have mentioned, as well as some of the reading.

no motor?

Spoke truing is something that needs to be done every now and then, but it doesn't have to be perfect.

PatrickGSR94

+1 on the Vuelta wheels recommendation. Very low cost from Nashbar yet quality is up there. I have over 10,000 miles, mostly commuting, on a set of Vuelta Corsa Lites, which are only 1,575 grams for the whole wheelset, and they are still as true as true can be. I've never had a spoke break, but only had one spoke nipple break on me last summer, which was a quick and easy replacement. The bearings are superb and spin forever.

The freehub is a Novatec hub with Vuelta branding, and I did have to replace the freehub body last year as well because those bearings went bad (the actual hub bearings are still fine). I upgraded to the Novatec freehub body with the steel spline inserts to prevent the cassette from cutting into the splines. Overall I have less than $300 in the wheelset and I'm thoroughly pleased with them. Also I weigh usually between 205-215 pounds, and carry a good 15+ pounds on a rear rack on my road bike when commuting.

RubeRad

The more spokes you have, the less perfect it needs to be.

fietsbob

And commuting, Wheels are consumables.. Pragmatic, I wouldn't go overboard , get what the bike shop has along your route ,

so it will be fast to buy another one.. machine built at wholesale level are a good deal .. hand checked by the shop,

Service.. touch up trued by them, occasionally, may be included in price.. ask they add more grease to the hubs when you get them..





..

work4bike

I never worry about popping spokes any longer after switching to a wheel with 12-gauge spokes vs the normal 14-gauge. Plus they are cheap, much cheaper than many other "high-quality" rims and I'm not dependent on a superb wheel builder. https://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Master-.../dp/B006FCHTZQ

BTW, I use to always pop spokes, but since getting this rim, I've got (so far) over 6,000 miles on it and not a single popped spoke, even after getting a wrench stuck in the spokes while riding, which only bent one spoke.

HerrKaLeun

I never built a wheel, but always thought and-built is better. But recently I listened to a podcast with a wheelbuilder and he stated that the new wheel building robots got so good in recent years that even he recommends machine-built wheels for most people unless you really want a hand-built one. unless you really have confidence in a good wheel builder (and no, you average bike mechanic probably is not a good one) machine-built form reputable manufacturer should be good. and thsi coming from a wheelbuilder who live by hand-building wheels.

IF you are heavy (not sure if this is why spokes break, I don't want to offend you with that assumption), brass-nipples and double-butted spokes are recommended along with 36 spokes (normal is 32).

commuteinca

Perfect! Just what I was looking for. Thanks Work4bike! I don’t know what it is about the way that I ride, but it seems I’m not alone.

commuteinca

Just to answer the question about being heavy (asked a few times). I’m 6’-2” and 185-190lbs. Maybe heavy for a racer, but not heavy enough to damage the bike either. Wondering if I need to get better at keeping the spokes tensioned correctly, but others mentioned it’s not critical.

RubeRad

that wheel on amazon looks like a good value for a very sturdy wheel.

You're right, heavy for a racer, but not heavy enough to be a problem for a 36 12-gauge spoke wheel.

You should also consider though whether you need to improve your riding style, learn to get your butt off the seat and not maximize impact force to the rear wheel for as many road hazards as you can anticipate. Of course there will always be surprises (potholes inside puddles anyone?). To paraphrase all-star BF member FBinNY, better to be a gorilla that rides like a ballerina than a ballerina that rides like a gorilla. Learn to 'float over the bumps'.

commuteinca

Thanks for the riding tips. I do my best to avoid the hazards and stand if I can't. I've been riding the same route for about 6 years now, nearly every day, so you'd think I'd know every bump and pothole, but they still sneak up on you, don't they? As to guerrilla vs ballerina, probably somewhere in between ...

RubeRad

Well I said gorilla, but riding like a guerilla (wearing a beret and a bandolier and carrying an AK-47?) is also probably not advisable

commuteinca

HA!! Ok, I deserved that one ... yes, both are a bad idea!

RubeRad

Guerilla commuters are advised to keep the AK in a pannier, wear a helmet, and make sure the bandolier is reflective.

HerrKaLeun

Ok really no need for special type of wheel then.
just make sure it is true and evenly tensioned and you should be good.
Use largest tire you can (and lower pressure accordingly). Makes it more comfortable and less stressful on wheel and bike.

Kedosto

So you've seen me in my commuting kit?


-Kedosto
(Glock in the top tube bag)

RubeRad

saw it, and called it in to 911!

esmith2039

Thanks for the suggestion! NiagraCycle has it cheaper. I popped another spoke again yesterday on the cursed Trek, watching cars and didn't notice the pot hole.. ouch! Figured the 12 gauge would be better touring with all the gear.

angerdan

Schwalbe Marathon Plus MTB
schwalbe.com/en/tour-reader/marathon-plus-mtb.html