Tandem Cycling - Building a tandem wheel

As I metioned in my "Dealing with Potholes" thread, my tandem is now in need of a new front wheel (and probably a new rear wheel eventually). We're running a cheap machine-built wheel for now, but I'm going to build up my own wheels by hand when I get the chance.

I'm new to tandems, so I'm looking for some recommendations as to rims, hubs, spoke counts, lacing patterns, etc. The bike is a Burley Samba, which takes 26" wheels. Our team weight is about 340 lbs, and we'll be using the bike for commuting, running errands, and leisure riding. We don't have the luxury of sticking to well-maintained roads, so the wheels need to hold up to potholes and such.

I'd like to keep this reasonably priced -- the wheels need to be sturdy but they don't have to be super-light or have top-shelf parts.

Do you know how to build a wheel? Assuming "yes" to that, the standard Shimano tandem hub is OK and cheap, Mavic rims are sturdy and DT spokes are durable. BUt you probably knew all that!

Ditto..

Shimano XT / HF08 hubset. 32hF/32hR, 36hF/36hR, or a combination thereof, would be OK for 26" wheeled bike.

Super durable rims include Sun Rhynolite, Velocity Aerohead, Mavic T519 or whatever they're marketing as a 26" trekking / tandem rim these days.

DT or Wheelsmith spokes (double butted is my preference) laced 3x would be more than adequate.

Keep your eye on the net I bought a new set of Velocity Deep V's 26 inch on new 40 hole Hugi's for $250 a month ago. If you go the Sun Rhynolite route - Harris Cycles $39.98 plus $8 shipping per rim. Most machine made rims are hand tensioned at the end but they might have not have used LocTight or some other nipple prep compound, but usually they use good components - especially with tandem wheels, and Burley usually has good wheels. Pop hole are pot holes even with well made wheels - the bain of my existence has been railroad tracks.

As I metioned in my "Dealing with Potholes" thread, my tandem is now in need of a new front wheel (and probably a new rear wheel eventually). We're running a cheap machine-built wheel for now, but I'm going to build up my own wheels by hand when I get the chance.

I'm new to tandems, so I'm looking for some recommendations as to rims, hubs, spoke counts, lacing patterns, etc. The bike is a Burley Samba, which takes 26" wheels. Our team weight is about 340 lbs, and we'll be using the bike for commuting, running errands, and leisure riding. We don't have the luxury of sticking to well-maintained roads, so the wheels need to hold up to potholes and such.

I'd like to keep this reasonably priced -- the wheels need to be sturdy but they don't have to be super-light or have top-shelf parts.

If using 26" wheels, then 36 spokes will be strong enough. On the hubs- Plenty of Good Tandem hubs about, starting With Shimano XT Tandem and going up. When looking at the rims, stay away from anything that is classed as lightweight. Look at the "Freeride/Downhill" quality if you want a rim to last.
My own type of riding is aggressive offroading and my wheels are over the top for you but I have Hope Bigun hubs, 36 straight gauge spokes and Mavic D521 rims. In the UK Hope hubs are used a lot and I know of several tandems using the Hope "BULB" hubs with no problems.

What's the difference between a regular hub and a tandem hub?

What's the difference between a regular hub and a tandem hub?

They cost more....

Seriously though.

Rear hub width: Contemporary tandems use 135mm, 140mm, 145mm, and 160mm drop-out widths, vs. the 130mm used on road bikes and 135mm used on MTBs.

Internals: Heavier, stiffer, and longer axle is the biggest & most important difference, sometimes accompanied by more robust engagement mechanism parts or a steel cassette carrier if the standard models use aluminum.

Hub body: Usually a bit beefier and often times featuring wider and taller flanges. The wider flange spacing allows improved bracing angles to take advantage of the tandem's wider rear drop-outs and axles. The taller flanges are a common tandem hub feature in that they:
1. Have more "meat" for the bigger loads associated with tandems
2. Accommodate more spoke holes, e.g., 40 & 48
3. Allow you to use 4x or 5x spoke patterns for a more durable, compliant wheel (Note: low flange hubs are usually limited to 3x), or
4. Allow you to use a shorter spoke to get a stiffer 3x wheel

Finally, tandem hubs will usually come with the option of left-side threading to accommodate an Arai drum brake or, more recently, an optional disc mount for bolt-on rotors.

Just saw this ad at www.tandemmag.com/classified and thought it may be of interest...

FOR SALE 04/30/06: WHEELSET: 26-inch tandem wheelset w/145mm rear spacing: Shimano XT tandem hubs laced to Sun Rhyno Lite rims. 48 spokes f/r. Excellent condition and true. Includes Shimano QR skewers. Rear hub threaded for drum or disk brake (with adapter). $235 + shipping, or pick up in the Philadelphia area. Will trade rear wheel for a similar 160mm spaced wheel (or trade entire wheelset for a similar wheelset w/160mm spacing).
Brian Wasson
briwasson@verizon.net