Hanky1984

So... Hoping somebody could help me out with an idiots guide to wheels. I've had a search on Google but I just keep going round in circles.

Basically, I've ordered a new bike (caad optimo tiagra, the not a disc one) - but I need to change the wheels to a higher spoke count as I'm 15lbs over the weight limit. Just going to order a cheap set off ebay that will be fine for a month and get them trued etc locally.

I'm trying to figure out what to order, and as stupid as it sounds I'm getting confused about how wheels work (I know they go round). What exactly is a rear hub? I see plenty of wheels for sale that are for 7/8/9 speed - I need 10? So does an 8 speed one include a rear hub that accommodates 8 speed and I can just buy a tiagra compatible hub? Or is the hub what the spokes attach to?

The bike comes with 32 rear 31 front hubs, so would I need to buy new hubs anyway as I'm looking at some 34h rims. Do wheels have specific hubs you have to buy for them?

Cheers for any advice.

caloso

Tiagra is 10-speed made by Shimano.
You need need a wheelset that accepts a 10-speed Shimano cassette. This shouldn't be difficult, it's practically the default.
I have never heard of 34h rims. Hub and rim drillings are usually in multiples of 4. (Although there could be some obscure boutique wheels out there that have this, I've never seen any).

mantis

Not saying manufacturers guidelines should be ignored at all, but if it were me, I would just ride it as is. If the wheels get out of true or you get a spoke problem address it then but I would bet you will be fine. Heck, odds are, if you like the bike you will be hitting the road so often you’ll be in weight spec in no time.

DOS

The hub is the center part of the wheel and what makes the wheel spin (bearings and what not). It is built into the wheel and connected to the rim via the spokes.You can’t just replace it — well you can but that requires rebuilding the entire wheel. Rear hubs of modern wheels are what are called freehubs. They include a built in mechanism to which your cassette attaches that allows the wheel to keep spinning while you are not pedaling. Most modern road wheels for bikes equipped with shimano components, which is what you want for your bike, are compatible with 8,9,10 and 11 speed shimano systems. For 10 speed, you need to make sure you have the correct spacer installed behind the cassette, so when you take the cassette off your current wheels, make sure you account for the spacer.

As @caloso noted, the spoke numbers you mention (34h, e.g.) don't make sense but yes the number of spokes holes in the rim need to match the hub. But if you are buying a prebuilt set of wheels, that will be accounted for. At your size, I would recommend getting 36h wheels with good mid range rims and hubs. You can usually find good deals on sites like velomine...for example H Plus Son Archetype Wheelset Shimano7000 105 Hubs 36h DT Comp [741899] - $219.00 Velomine.com : Worldwide Bicycle Shop, fixed gear track bike wheelsets campagnolo super record vintage bike

datlas 

My advice is to ride it as is, if you keep at it you will be under the weight limit in a few months anyway!

Maelochs

In this and the related thread, several people have recommended just riding the thing .... it may be that spending a lot of money for new wheels simply isn't necessary.

As I noted, I ride 28/24-spoke wheels, and am bigger than an elephant, and have broken three spokes in three or four years. You might get by just fine by just riding.

seypat

If you are worried about weight limits, you should post your question in the Clyde forum. You probably will get better answers there. That being said, I would ride it as is. The current wheels will either hold up or not. If they don't, then you can think about a new set.

hsuehhwa

1. Ride it as is + 1
2. Don't descend >10% x >0.5 mi segments, until you meet the wheel weight requirement.

Hanky1984

Thank you so much for all of your help, really appreciate it. Loving the bike