Originally Posted by
caloso
Depends on what you want them for. I bought a pair of wheels off craigslist from a guy who was "upgrading." They are 32h Weinmann DP18 on Tiagra hubs with straight gauge spokes. I"m sure they were machine built. He said they were his stock wheels and he had upgraded so he was selling them. Heavy as hell and not particularly true when got them, but I have taken the time to true and tension them. I thought I might use them as wheels for a CX project bike, but instead they've become my training wheels for my road bike. I expect to have many trouble free miles from them.
And when I put my carbon tubular race wheels on, the bike feels like a rocket. Train heavy, race light.
Well I think the bingo moment was you took the time. Nothing I could do to my DC 19s they simply wouldn't stay true. However I have had open pros with 105 hubs and using the build, detension, retension and do it one more time stay true for a year or more. My handbuilts with Dura Ace Hubs and Open pro hubs were built about 1996 and are still going strong. I did notice a slight bump by the valve stem the other day but the rims are about ready to be replaced anyway. But I still have a stock front wheel in my shed.