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Old 11-04-09, 11:17 AM
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CliftonGK1
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 11,375

Bikes: '08 Surly Cross-Check, 2011 Redline Conquest Pro, 2012 Spesh FSR Comp EVO, 2015 Trek Domane 6.2 disc

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Welcome to the forum.

I'm more of a wheels guy than a frame guy, so I'll address that question.
At just north of 300 pounds you ought to be looking at a 36 spoke wheel. If you're looking at road rims, there are a few which have proven themselves among the members here; Velocity Dyad, Alex Adventurer, Mavic A719 and Salsa Delgado Cross are all stout touring rims designed to handle heavier weights. The Velocity Deep-V, Mavic CXP-33, and DT RR1.2 (renamed to RR 585) are sportier deep section rims which can still handle wider tires like 28 or 32mm.
Spokes are a polarizing point on the forum, with the argument being straight gauge vs. butted. Straight gauge spokes will build a strong stiff wheel with a potentially harsh feel, and you need to rely on "riding light" and your tires to absorb impact from road hazards. Butted spokes allow for a wheel to absorb more impact, but (IMO) they make for a squishy feeling wheel when us larger riders stand to climb. Matter of opinion, really. Either one is good. If you ride on crappy roads, I'd go with a butted spoke. If you plan on lots of out-of-the-saddle climbing, I'd go with a straight gauge.
After a certain level, hubs are hubs, and most of us aren't going to notice a difference. The standard for road hubs around here tends to be Ultegra. They're not too expensive, too heavy, or too anything. They're an all around great road hub. If it's a 135mm hub you're needing, Deore will work, but XT will outlast them. I ride a Deore hub on my brevet bike, and at 250-ish pounds I got over 7500 miles on it before needing to do any maintenance servicing.

So, you can pick and choose components and have someone build you a wheel, or you can go with the stock selection which comes on the bike. If you go that route, take them to a trusted shop and have a few things done to them...
- Tensioned: Bigger riders will need a higher tensioned wheel to keep from busting spokes
- De-stressed: This is just good practice for wheelbuilders. De-stressing the spokes means that the builder has taken the care to ensure spokes are not wound from the build process, and are as seated/settled as they can get without having ridden a couple hundred miles on them.
- Trued: You may think, "Well, duh"... but a machine built wheel isn't necessarily straight, true and round. Bringing it in and getting assurance that these 3 things will be done can make a "meh" set of wheels into a set which will last for a few years. I rode the stock 32h Alex DA16 rear wheel on my Cross Check for 18 months before replacing the rim due to a worn braking surface. It was still in true.
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