Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - need advice on rear wheel for a super clydesdale!

I apologize in advance if this has been covered before, but I am using my cell phone as my internet browser.

Here is my situation, I have an old schwinn le tour road bike that I am in the process of converting to a single speed/fixie. I want to change my wheel set over to 700c instead of the 27" I have now. What I need advice on are the components I will need to have an absolutely bomb proof rear wheel built. I figure I would get a flip flop hub so I can try both ss and fixie, but I don't even know what kind I need. So any help will be greatly appreciated.

So you know, I am 6'5" and weigh just over 350lbs. Hopefully less by the time this season is through.

Deep V rim (shape = uber strength), 36 spoke.
MTB hubs are stronger than track hubs, so get a MTB disc brake hub and bolt a cog to it.

Deep V rim (shape = uber strength), 36 spoke.
MTB hubs are stronger than track hubs, so get a MTB disc brake hub and bolt a cog to it.

Does that really work? Any cogs/hubs that work better for this?

Yes, it really works.
I'm using a nashbar singlespeed hub with a generic bmx cog bolted onto the disc brake mount now.
It's designed as a singlespeed cassette hub so with my configuration it's flipflop fixed/free.

... or you could just get a Kogswell hub, they are rated for offroad use. Then you don't have to get a special bolt-on cog. Also, you won't have to stretch the dropouts out to 135mm.

Other options for rims include most 29'er, cyclocross, and touring rims. All require excessive durability and strength. High spoke counts (36 and higher, if you can) are your friend.

on ebay a month or so ago, there was a phil wood-deep v with 40 spokes. that prolly would have done you nicely. but it's long gone.

so this post is far from helpful.

If you have the money check out the Level Component hub, its about 220 bucks (which includes a 16 tooth cog). A deep-v with a high spoke count laced to one of those would live longer than I would riding it.

this seems so obvious. Buy a Phil Hub. Not only are they considered bomb proof, they have your name engraved on them. Sure it'll make for an expensive wheel, but you can keep it for life, and use it on every fixed/Singlespeed you own. If my name was Phil this would be a no-brainer.

Is that $220 for a hub and cog alone? If so, then I don't think I could afford that.

All the suggestions for the deep v I didn't understand at first. But now I realize its a Velocity rim and the deep v is a particular kind. That makes sense now. So from what I have found about this rim I can get 40 spokes or 46 spokes I believe and that would make a strong wheel. But all the hubs I have seen only go up to 32 or 36 holes. Where Do I find a hub that has equal amount of holes to match the rim?

I just saw your post mattface. I wil have to look into that hub more. He even signs his "P" like I do. That would be really cool. But my question about how many holes on the hub still stands. I don't understand what I will need.

Phil wood hubs are going to be up around 200 bones as well, more once you put a cog and lock ring on there. I wouldn't get all in a tizzy about using the highest end components. Just get a Surly or even a formula hub drilled for 36 spokes, and some beefy rim. I'd reccomend using one meant for tandem bikes or touring, as they're meant to carry your weight and more. There are a ton of options, most around $30-40. The biggest factor is going to be getting somebody who knows what they're doing to build the wheel. Let us know where you are geographically and we can reccomend a good local wheelbuilder. The builder will probably be able to get the parts and make some reccomendations for you as well.

velocity dyad tandem rim laced to a surly or similar heavy duty hub. no need to drop $350 on a wheel.

wow that stuff is pricey. I appreciate you providing an option on the other side of the spectrum. I am in Southern California, in the San Fernando Valley, and more specifically in Chatworth (the porn capitol of the world) Your assistance is greatly appreciated.
I am sure there is an answer for this somewhere, but if the rim is for 40 holes, do they drill 4 more holes on the hub? or is there a way to use a 36 hole hub with a 40 hole rim? sorry if it sounds ridiculous.

is the dyad rim beefier than the deep v?

it's probably stronger, as it's meant to hold the weight of two riders and comes in 40 and 48 holes, so if you find an appropriate hub, you can build a pretty bomb-proof wheel.

The dyad (or any other touring/tandem rim) is way beefier than the deep V. You're getting reccomendations for the deep V because 90% of the people on SS/FG think that there are about 3 rims in the world, and the deep v is the only one worth having. They're good and all, but mostly they're just in style right now; see the 1001 threads about people looking for them in red or pink or mauve or taupe, followed by the 1001 threads about how awesome their new colored deep v's look.

A hub has to be drilled from the factory for the same number of holes as it will have spokes, else the holes won't be even. Technically you could drill out a 20 hole hub for 40 spokes, or lace a 40 with only 20, or other math games like that, but the moral of the story is that if you have a 36 spoke rim you need a 36 spoke hub. I would get a 36, but I wouldn't mess with a 40; I don't even think you could get a fixed gear hub in 40h unless it was some weird old stuff, and there are plenty of people with tandems using 36 hole stuff without problems.

Others can help you out with wheelbuilders in your area. That's about the end of the advice I would look for on this forum, your wheelbuilder will have much better advice about what you should use and what he can get you for reasonable $$.

Phil wood will drill it any way you want.

never been there, but this place comes highly recommended:

http://www.bicyclekitchen.com/

they can probably answer a lot of your questions, and since it's a co-op they probably won't try to sell you a bunch of **** you don't need.

one more concern when switching from 27s to 700s is your brakes. if they have enough room to slide the brake pads down to fit a 700c wheel, then you're solid. they might not reach all the way down, however, and you definitely don't want your brakes to squeeze on your tire. in that case you'll likely find this article very helpful.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/home-drop.html

good luck and enjoy!

Lots of good stuff going on at the kitchen, but this guy needs a real wheelbuilder. Anybody?

You also need to keep in mind that a symetrical track (or ss) wheel is significantly stonger than a dished wheel for gears. You should be fine with a 36 hole setup. I would also highly recommend having a really good wheel builder build it for you. Ask a good local shop or other folks from LA. Get some big tires too, at least 25's. This will help protect your rim.

Phil wood will drill it any way you want.

yup, and they warranty their stuff for life (and they're rated for offroad too).

a velocity rep told me that the Deep V is actually stronger than the Dyad, but the Dyad is lighter. for what it's worth.

The OP seemed to indicate that he didn't have the budget for high dollar solutions... Phil is well worth the money, but if you haven't got it....


When I started riding my bike, I weighed 300 lbs, which isn't too far off 350. I bought an entry level Specialized tourer (Sirrus) and it has worked fine for me. It's got cheap 36 hole hubs and wheels and I've never had serious trouble. It will be well worth your time to learn how to true a wheel because 350 lbs WILL knock them out of true.

Deep Vs and other strong rims will work fine. A tandem rim would probably be worth the investment, but I doubt it will be that important in the end. If you take it easy on the wheels and avoid potholes and jumps you should be fine.

The most important thing, as others have indicated, is being sure that they're built well.

edit: I highly recommend Velocity rims, especially in this case. They warranty their products very well and (from what I've seen) would be willing to work with you if you should find a way to trash your rim.

Im 200 lbs 6' 4"
My recomendation is to get a good 32 hole rim with eyelets. (mavic open pro DT 1.1 etc)
Lace it to a solid hub . surly or phill or paul.
dt swiss alpine 3 spokes.
Have it built 3 cross by a qualified wheel builder, ride it for a month.
Then re true and have it tied and soldered.
I have a set like these and have not had to true them in 3 years over 11000miles.

as nice as the Phil Wood hubs are, I cannot spend that kind of cash right now. I still need some other things to complete the schwinn and other projects. I appreciate the advice and I may use it in the future for a different build, but I want to do this first one on the les expensive side.
Thank you for clearing up the hub/wheel hole questions I had.
My brakes have some adjustment room on them and I tested a 700c wheel in my fork already, so I am not worried about the reach.
So from the information I have gathered so far, I am looking for a Dyad or Deep V rim. I have seen the Iro High Flange flip/flop hub for $45 on their site. Is that a good hub, or could I go for even cheaper?
As far as spokes go, should I be looking for the thickest guage?

I really appreciate all the information everyone is providing.

At most shops you're going to get a discount on a custom wheel for buying the stuff there, so stop worrying about sourcing the stuff yourself. Like I said, find yourself a good wheelbuilder and they will hook you up.

a 36 spoke wheel should be sufficient, but if you want to go 40, you could do it with an old English track hub. English bikes used 40 spoke rears very commonly back in the day, so there are plenty of vintage track hubs with that configuration. Probably easier, and durable enough just to do a 36 hile formula hub 3x to a beefy rim. There are some nice wide 700c rims on the market popular with the 29er crowd for off road use. So you could build up some beefy ****, and run nice wide tires to further absorb impact.

I have seen the Iro High Flange flip/flop hub for $45 on their site. Is that a good hub, or could I go for even cheaper?
As far as spokes go, should I be looking for the thickest guage?

I can recommend the IRO from personal experience. I'm not terribly heavy, but I skid a lot and have no complaints. Below that price the hub quality becomes a safety issue more than a performance one. I don't think you'll find a decent track or fixed gear hub for less.

As far as spokes, Sheldon has some good stuff to say here:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=192318

He's post #9

The link is not working for me. and what does it mean to lace it up 3x

yeah, the forums get funny this time of day. try it again in a few minutes.

3x means each spoke crosses three other spokes. example:

nevermind it works now. I have not had a chance to check out sheldon's site, but in the thread they reference his site for wheel building. i hope it will explain a few more things for me. this is all very new to me.

that's okay, learning about it is an important part of the fun.

Actually with price im thinking 36 hole is probably the way to go. With a nice wide tire, say 700x35.

not to be contradictory, but you might have trouble with a 35mm tire on a deep v (if that's what you decide on). check with the rim manufacturer for maximum and minimum recommended tire size.

Good golly miss molly... where did you get that CAD'ed wheel from????

Mavic cxp33 are real strong and a bit lighter and priced about the same, maybe a even little less.
I agree with most everyone here in that your biggest concern is who builds it for you.

so does anyone know of a good builder that they can point me towards? Do you think its absolutely necessary to have someone locally build me a wheel? I only ask because of the possibility of no offering a local solution. So if there is a good builder elsewhere that is willing to ship to me, I am more than happy to give them a call and see what they can do for me.

http://www.sfvbc.org/members.php
That site should help you find a shop in your area

I'd imagine there are good wheelbuilders near you, I've heard there's a couple cyclists in SoCal. You could get it done elsewhere and have it shipped, but shipped wheels sometimes need to be trued afterward, and there can be other benefits to developing a relationship with a good local builder/shop. I would do some searching here or contact your local roadie club or collegiate cycling team.

i wouldn't go any cheaper than IRO.

with that being said, i wouldn't call IRO cheap.

they're inexpensive, but well made, and will probably serve you alright as long as they're cared for. plus, you can get a complete wheelset from IRO with their hubs already laced to deep vs.

i've been riding the iro/deep v wheels for the past couple of months, and they seem indestructible to me. granted, i'm a super feather-weight kind of guy (5'10" 125lbs), but these wheels are way beefier than i need.

i think the IRO hubs will treat you well, if you decide to go that route. they're a quality product, and i haven't heard much about them being prone to any type of failures.

a 36 spoke wheel should be sufficient... Probably easier, and durable enough just to do a 36 hile formula hub 3x to a beefy rim. There are some nice wide 700c rims on the market popular with the 29er crowd for off road use. So you could build up some beefy ****, and run nice wide tires to further absorb impact.

Yeah, I don't see what all the hubbub about hubs is - how many people have broken flanges on a hub, and how many times was it normal/careful riding combined with extreme weight? I'd say a suzue jr would even be fine, but for the price diff, might as well get a Kogswell, IRO, or Formula, and spend the extra dough on a nice and tough touring or tandem rim. As a heavy rider, I break spokes and bend rims, but I've never killed a hub, and I've been broke most of my biking career.

I'd bet even a Mavic MA3 would be fine, and if they're $35 canadian here, they're cheaper there for sure. I've never ridden one (or even seen them) but at that weight, 29" mountain bike rims would let you run wide (32mm or greater) tires and deflect a lot of the stress on the wheel with the higher air volume, not to mention being more comfortable. They're boutique stuff though, so will be more expensive, but possibly worth it.

I'm not an expert on wide tires, but at my weight I had a lot of trouble with flatting 1" and 1.25" wide slicks on my mountain bike - I think the width of the rim had something to do with it, using a tire with the same width of the rim. On road rims with narrow tires that are wider than the rim itself, I've had less of a problem except riding off road. All that to say you might want to consider what width tires you're going to run in conjunction with your rim choice; as a fellow clyde, flats are par for the course, but you can choose parts that minimize it.

I also think the voodoo about a "good" wheelbuilder is mostly bunk; unless I've been extremely lucky, any bike shop worth its salt at all should be able to build you a good strong wheel; I've killed every machine laces wheel I've had, and I've only put one of my 8 handbuilt wheels out of true, the rear on my mountain bike, and only after 3.5 years, and that's with practicing 3 foot badly landed drops. 4 built by the head mechanic who I adore, two built by the minimum wage doofuses they hire for the summer that crossthread pedals, two built by decent ham and eggers, all excellently built.

I'm probably 235 in clothes and shoes, and 250 with a bag with lunch, clothes etc, and I'm surviving very well thanks with handbuilt 32 hole wheels on my fixed bikes and my mountain bike.

That's my two cents. $50 Kogswell hub, $30 Mavic rim, $40 on a shop wheelbuild with double butted spokes. IRO and Velocity wheels are built by hand by Velocity as well; I haven't had the chance to really abuse my mountain fixed rear, but it was true and nicely tensioned out of the box, and still is after three months, and with me and loads like a 25kg bag of deicing salt on my back. Phil Woods are nice, but they're the Rolls Royces of hubs.