Originally Posted by
smurf hunter
@thebulls
For the same $$$ I can lace a better wheel (using better components). Assuming I stuck with a 3N72 as VO does:
$75 - Shimano 3N72 dynamo hub
$55 - rim of my choice (Deep V, open pro, etc.) Many sub $60 rims of equal or lesser weight and as durable as a CR-18 in my opinion
$20 - 32 butted DT swiss spokes+nipples
I'm not saying the VO wheel is a bad value, but since I'm able to build my own, it's not as compelling.
Plus at least an hour of your time to save $10 (plus whatever savings on shipping). Hey, go for it, then. I generally build all my own wheels, not because it is necessarily cost effective, but because when I've bought wheels from LBS or Performance/Nashbar, they haven't lasted very well because they always need significant retensioning/retruing. Buying from someone who knows what they're doing would be a good alternative, but bumps the price enough that I'd rather just build the wheel myself while watching a DVD with my family :-)
The core point is that based on all of the comments above, and on my experience, the 3N72 is probably a better choice than the Novatron. To me, the biggest cost of building a wheel is the time it takes me to do it. So saving $25 on a lower-quality dnamo hub that I might have to replace sooner is not worth the while.
The two SN72-based wheels (with Salsa Delgado cross-rims) that I bought last November were $107 apiece and cost less than the parts would have indiviually. I spent a couple of hours re-tensioning and re-truing the two wheels, but since then haven't touched them in about 3500 miles of daily commuting. Rock solid, and the hub has very low resistance when the lights are off.