Originally Posted by
mikeonthemadone
Howdy from Idaho.
I toured around 3000 miles on my 920 this past year, both on and off road, (mostly on, but lots of gravel roads.) I wouldn't dream of anything else for myself for the next several years. It handles very nicely and hydro disc are the only way I will go from now on. Having been working in a shop for the past ten years, I ignored the typical old school mindset and decided against any of the Salsa line. (We sell Trek and Salsa.)
I did the PCH in three sections the previous year all on a GASP!! carbon cross bike and had a blast. Just ride. Its easy to overthink this. If you have a massive load and are typically hard on stuff, then its a good idea to really research the details.
MIkey
Mike, I'm curious about stock wheels on pricier production bikes these days. My assumption being that the 920 fits that description. Would you feel confident sending someone out on a trip loaded as you were on the 920 without going over the wheels? I ask because djb's observation would imply an improperly trued wheel although one anecdote doesnt necessarily define the original status of the wheel.
i've bought a couple Handspun brand wheels a few years back and they didn't require any adjustment as received, spoke tension was even and they stayed true for years carrying my fat ass and loads. Just wondering if the bikes come out of the box with well built wheels.
A lot of spoke breakage I saw decades ago on PCH came from people who simply were unaware of the condition of their wheels so they would ride for 100's of miles on wheels a bike mechanic could tell right off needed trueing. The only way the person knew something was wrong was when the spokes broke.