Originally posted by blwyn
I don't buy the "its the tire" solution. I don't think any tire is stiff enough to cause spoke breakage. Even if it were, running it at slightly lower air pressure should solve the problem.
I can imagine how frustrated you are. I would bypass the store and go direct to a good wheel builder. The tandem wheel solution might also be a good idea. Our tandem has carried our 375 pounds for five years now and I've never had a wheel problem. I think we are running a 36 in front and 40 in back.
Well I would agree about the spoke breakage. I don't think that is causing the broken spokes. I think what they were getting at is that the stiff tire is causing too much shock to the rim and it's letting the spokes become loose. Instead of the tire and rim having some "give", it's putting alot of tension on the spokes when the tire hits a bump or whatever. This tension is enough to let the nipple loosen just a little bit each time. Then, as the spoke gets looser and looser, other spokes get over tensioned or less tensioned. This causes some spokes to take on more of the "load" get thereby get over-fatigued. Those over-fatigued spokes eventually break.
I haven't tried running it at a lower pressure. However, that's something to think about if this proves to be the issue. Course, if it does, then I'll probably continue running with the new tire and save this old tire as a back up to my front tire.
Well, this LBS has been willing to work with me and I basically have a permenant 10% discount with them now. So they understand my frustration and they want to help, plus I think they are just as frustrated. However, I do have a 2nd set of wheels built (as backups and as cyclocross wheels), then I will definitely go to a different wheel builder. I've already gotten three recommendations for another builder nearby.
I'll probably definitely go with at least a 40 in the back and either a 40 or 36 in the front. Since they will be cyclocross tires I'll go with some bigger tires also... one's with some knobby-ness to them... if that is a word.
PBW