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Wheel Upgrade - Aluminum!

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Wheel Upgrade - Aluminum!

Old 08-26-22, 07:14 PM
  #1  
Dimago123
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Wheel Upgrade - Aluminum!

The rear wheel on my AllCity Mr. Pink has a crack in the aluminum rim, and so YAY! time for new wheels!
I am looking for recommendations for relatively STIFF aluminum rim brake rims (I can't afford carbon right now)
Sturdiness is more important than lightweight (I want this wheelset to last longer, and be stiff for power transfer, and I'm heavy).
I am 190lbs and use this bike to pretend I am a roadie, which I am not, but like to think I am and ride as fast as I can, although I don't enter any races.
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Old 08-26-22, 07:21 PM
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DT Swiss RR 511
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Old 08-26-22, 07:47 PM
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I like the Campagnolo Zondas I have on my Cannondale. They’re under $400 for the set, spin well, and don’t have much flex as far as I can tell. I’m about 193lbs these days, and I like to pretend I’m a roadie, too. Actually got a PR on a 34 mile course with this bike (and these wheels) today.

But as far as I’ve heard, you can’t really go wrong with DT Swiss, either - though their wheels are a bit pricier.

One last note - the Zondas have a near silent freehub, so if you’re looking for murder hornets when you coast, then this ain’t it.
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Old 08-26-22, 08:37 PM
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Originally Posted by Dimago123
The rear wheel on my AllCity Mr. Pink has a crack in the aluminum rim, and so YAY! time for new wheels!
I am looking for recommendations for relatively STIFF aluminum rim brake rims (I can't afford carbon right now)
Sturdiness is more important than lightweight (I want this wheelset to last longer, and be stiff for power transfer, and I'm heavy).
I am 190lbs and use this bike to pretend I am a roadie, which I am not, but like to think I am and ride as fast as I can, although I don't enter any races.
You could get a new version of the cracked rim and mount it onto the rim/spokes. Then a shop can finish and true the rim.
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Old 08-26-22, 08:47 PM
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Polaris OBark
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https://hedcycling.com/products/belgium-r-rim-brake/
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Old 08-27-22, 10:53 PM
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If it were me, I would have ProWheelBuilder build a set as follows

Mavic Open Pro Rims with the largest number of spokes you can get (36?)
Bitex hubs
Double butted spokes (I like Sapim)
Brass nipples (Sapim)

3 cross spoke pattern.

I costed it out on their website. About $450 and 1600 grams

This will give you a set of wheels that is light, relatively cheap and durable
The above recommendation is based on reading "The Bicycle Wheel" and personal experience.
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Old 08-28-22, 12:58 AM
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CliffordK
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You can just replace the rim. Is the old one name brand?

If you can match the rim effective rim diameter (ERD), then you can reuse the spokes, otherwise replace the spokes too.

If you are building from scratch, I'm a fan of "Off Center" or "Asymmetric" rims on the rear.

Velocity makes the A23 OC.
DT makes a couple Asymmetric rims.
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Old 08-28-22, 04:44 AM
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Originally Posted by Symox
If it were me, I would have ProWheelBuilder build a set as follows

Mavic Open Pro Rims with the largest number of spokes you can get (36?)
Bitex hubs
Double butted spokes (I like Sapim)
Brass nipples (Sapim)

3 cross spoke pattern.

I costed it out on their website. About $450 and 1600 grams

This will give you a set of wheels that is light, relatively cheap and durable
The above recommendation is based on reading "The Bicycle Wheel" and personal experience.
very good, will look into mavics!
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Old 08-28-22, 06:34 PM
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any HED set will do it all.
also, I would never even consider ANY wheelset (alu or CF) with an internal rim width under 21, 23 is preferred...
...Chris King hub noise freaks me out ! Mavic is right behind Vhris...
Ride On
Yuri
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Old 08-28-22, 07:16 PM
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Wheelmaster makes inexpensive, sturdy wheels that are built better than one might imagine. Here's one example:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0063R24OY/

They are packed well and shipped quickly. All four of mine arrived true to within about 2mm, and I took them to 1mm easily, with selective 1/8-turn loosening, only rarely tightening. Spoke tension seems pretty even, and they have stayed true so far. They are also very sturdy, with 14 ga. DT spokes, and 36 of them!
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Old 08-29-22, 06:21 AM
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Originally Posted by Dimago123
Originally Posted by Symox
If it were me, I would have ProWheelBuilder build a set as follows

Mavic Open Pro Rims with the largest number of spokes you can get (36?)
Bitex hubs
Double butted spokes (I like Sapim)
Brass nipples (Sapim)

3 cross spoke pattern.

I costed it out on their website. About $450 and 1600 grams

This will give you a set of wheels that is light, relatively cheap and durable
The above recommendation is based on reading "The Bicycle Wheel" and personal experience.
very good, will look into mavics!
For what its worth, I've used Mavic Open Pros for a long time. They're great rims that are durable with good braking, but these days they're a little outdated unless you're talking about the next gen open pro UST versions that nobody can actually get. The OG open pro that is still out there is pretty narrow for modern tire sizes and isn't tubeless compatible.

I'm curious about the bitex hubs though. You have personal experience?

I'm about the same weight as the OP, and I had good luck with a set of R90SL Easton Rims laced with Revolutions, 32 spokes 3x. I probably could've gone even with 28 hole if I was feeling spicy, but I decided to play it safe with 32.
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Old 08-29-22, 12:53 PM
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Support your forum members, Boyd and PSImet build what you want. At least check them out.
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Old 08-29-22, 01:41 PM
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Originally Posted by Dimago123
very good, will look into mavics!
h plus son archetype rims- they are just better than Open Pro. Archtype rims are more aero(nominal, admittedly), a bit wider both internally and externally, and well finished for the price.
Then use some double butted spokes and bitex hubs.

prowheelbuilder is excellent- I have multiple wheelsets from them. If you dont want to choose on your own, call them or select their house build option as it is excellent and 95% the same as what I mention above.

You are 190# and this is a road bike- you are fine on handbuilt 32h rims. Heck, you are fine on 24/28h handbuilt wheels too, but go more if you feel the need. It will just make the wheels a touch heavier in the end.
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Old 08-29-22, 01:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Fredo76
Wheelmaster makes inexpensive, sturdy wheels that are built better than one might imagine. Here's one example:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0063R24OY/

They are packed well and shipped quickly. All four of mine arrived true to within about 2mm, and I took them to 1mm easily, with selective 1/8-turn loosening, only rarely tightening. Spoke tension seems pretty even, and they have stayed true so far. They are also very sturdy, with 14 ga. DT spokes, and 36 of them!
Wheels shouldnt be 'about 2mm' out of true out of the box.
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Old 08-29-22, 01:48 PM
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Originally Posted by Phatman
I'm curious about the bitex hubs though. You have personal experience?
My main road bike and my gravel bike both have bitex hubs. Road bike is rim brake and gravel is disc. They are the ones sold on prowheelbuilder.com - RA12, I think?
Anyways, they have been flawless for years now. The road wheels were built in early 2018 and I have not touched them. The hubs are perfect- same as original. Its a hub- if you dont think about it then its perfect, at least in my view. The hubs are relatively light, relatively expensive, and have rolled without issue.
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Old 08-29-22, 09:09 PM
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr
Wheels shouldnt be 'about 2mm' out of true out of the box.
I guess you get what you pay for!
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Old 08-29-22, 09:29 PM
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Originally Posted by cyclezen
any HED set will do it all.
also, I would never even consider ANY wheelset (alu or CF) with an internal rim width under 21, 23 is preferred...
...Chris King hub noise freaks me out ! Mavic is right behind Vhris...
Ride On
Yuri
An aside on the Chris King hornets - King made an "alpha" batch of those hubs and sent them out to be real world tested for feedback. Knew they were completely unacceptably noisy but wanted to get the other issues sorted out first as that could wait. Well early feedback - everybody loved the buzz! So King left it. The collective "we" asked for the hornets and we got them. (In quotes to empathize that I never fit into that bracket. I no longer bother but I used to grease my FWs to silence them.)
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Old 08-30-22, 07:59 AM
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr
My main road bike and my gravel bike both have bitex hubs. Road bike is rim brake and gravel is disc. They are the ones sold on prowheelbuilder.com - RA12, I think?
Anyways, they have been flawless for years now. The road wheels were built in early 2018 and I have not touched them. The hubs are perfect- same as original. Its a hub- if you dont think about it then its perfect, at least in my view. The hubs are relatively light, relatively expensive, and have rolled without issue.
Good to know. I tend to kill rear hubs on my mountain and gravel bikes for some reason so I went for DT350's on the latest wheelset I got for the graveller. I was very tempted by the Bitex's though, they were lighter and cheaper.
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