Originally Posted by
Chili Cheesy
Wheels... I was at my local bikeshop in Morgantown, WV deciding what to do about wheels. I know they are the most important part of a touring bike. The mechanic and I were finally deciding between two options, the Alex Ace19 with DT Swiss spokes and the Shimano Claris hub (the cheaper option of the two, and money Is an object in my situation) or a similar Alex rim with the same spokes and a better hub that I would be able to keep building wheels on down the road instead of replacing the entire wheel set eventually. The mechanic understood well my intentions for this bike and felt confident in these wheels, just mentioning to me that I can invest more into some solid hubs later on when I'm ready to.
As for the other parts... I forgot to mention I got some new Tektro dual-pivot extra long reach brakes and good new pads of course. The crankset I have now came from a long search for a very specific crankset I was set on. It needed to be a 22/32/44t 170mm 9-speed crankset. I'm very picky. This was literally the only one I could find... period. The Shimano Alivio is perfectly good quality. A better BB doesn't ever sound like a bad thing, but not necessary here either. the UN-55 is solid and I can always carry an entire extra BB with me if I want.
So, why exactly is it so important to have hand-built wheels? I do accept that it is the way to go. I hear the same thing from everyone. Just, why?
Handbuilt wheels are nice because in the hands of a skilled craftsperson they will be properly tensioned nice and round and true. They should also last quite a bit longer and hold their true much longer. Machines cannot really put the care and attention into proper lacing and tensioning like a human can. They cannot feel the wheel as they are building it, it is just a program that is running in the machine. I would try and avoid Claris if possible but if you are doing it in a handbuilt wheel it will certainly be better than finding a machine built wheel with the same hub. If you can find something with sealed bearings like the Velo Orange or at least Deore level with double sealing you will be much better off with less maintenance.
Certainly don't carry an extra bottom bracket at that point you will probably be better off just buying something nicer and installing that. The UN-55 isn't bad so I wouldn't carry a spare because of quality because for its price it is perfectly fine. When you go up to something like the Defiant you are getting better seals (and sealed bearings) and that again would translate to less maintenance and worry over time. If you ride through wet conditions a lot having confidence in not getting so much water in your parts is a nice feeling. I am a big fan of Sugino and I think their stuff looks great especially with the retro crown logo. I love Shimano but they have mostly embraced the new fad BB styles and are trying to move away from the classic tried and true square taper.
Tektro brakes aren't bad for the price and a good set of pads will turn even some crappier brakes into better performers. The nicer compounds wear and brake/grip better.
I love WV, I wish I could live there again. A lot of great biking that I didn't take enough advantage of when I lived there.