Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Wheel Strength.

So, I'm on the lookout for a new wheelset and I'm wondering about wheel strength. What's the strongest road-style wheel setup I'd be able to find?
Not like ridiculously strong, but able to stand up to potholes and curbs and other city hazards.

clearly you could go with a well-built 36 spoke wheel... and take good care of it.

Get a wheelset that is has 36holes and is 3x laced front and rear to a rim with eyelets and one that is handbuilt by an experienced wheelbuilder. Decide from there on hub and rim choice since that's a personal thing. (how much do you want to spend?)

I'm looking to spend as little as I have to. Preferably no more than about 250.
I ask because I have the wheelset from a 1980's Schwinn ten-speed right now and the front rim literally caved in when I hit a pothole the other day. Broken spokes...bent rim...it was a mess.

I'm looking to spend as little as I have to. Preferably no more than about 250.
I ask because I have the wheelset from a 1980's Schwinn ten-speed right now and the front rim literally caved in when I hit a pothole the other day. Broken spokes...bent rim...it was a mess.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Formula-Deep-V-DP18-Track-Wheels-White-Sil-Deep-V-Fixed_W0QQitemZ290224324097QQihZ019QQcategoryZ58099QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://shop.irocycle.com/shop/product.php?productid=16345&cat=5&page=1

bicyclewheels.com (http://shop.greatdealsonbikes.com/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=GDOB&Category_Code=TR) has some very good cheap track wheelsets that will be plenty strong.

and both of the links posted by Gyeswho look good. Both Bells Bike Shop and Iro make very good stuff and the people (tony at iro and steve at bells) are great.

bicyclewheels.com (http://shop.greatdealsonbikes.com/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=GDOB&Category_Code=TR) has some very good cheap track wheelsets that will be plenty strong.

and both of the links posted by Gyeswho look good. Both Bells Bike Shop and Iro make very good stuff and the people (tony at iro and steve at bells) are great.

Get yourself some touring or cross rims like Sun cr18 or Salsa Delgado. As was stated above have them laced 36 spoke 3x to your favorite hub by a professional wheel builder and you will be in very good shape.

clearly you could go with a well-built 36 spoke wheel... and take good care of it.

yeah, clearly

There's a tradeoff between stiffness and strength, though. . . I got 36h Deep Vs (very stiff, less likely to get pounded out of true by my fat *****) that perform very well, but I quickly learned that hitting a pothole too hard with a stiff wheel could result in a dent rather than harmless flex (pulled out by my wheel guy though. . . he's awesome, good as new).

A 36 spoke, hand built, double butted wheelset should be plenty strong for just about anyone.

arrosp!....












oh nevermind.

Get yourself some touring or cross rims like Sun cr18 or Salsa Delgado. As was stated above have them laced 36 spoke 3x to your favorite hub by a professional wheel builder and you will be in very good shape.

+1 on the touring/cross rims. Someday soon (next couple of years) I'm going to build up a touring bike whose wheels will use Salsa Delgado Cross rims. I'm also going to build up a cross bike with Salsa Delgado Cross rims. I'm also going to cut the Formula hubs out of my utility fixed gear's wheels and lace them to Delgado Cross rims so that I can use them for single speed cross.

If you can't tell, I'm really impressed by these rims, and think they're probably the best option (for the price, especially) for 700c wheels where strength is crucial. Stronger than Deep V's, from what I've seen*, cheaper and less tacky looking, IMO.





*what I've seen is quite a few out of true, bent and dented Deep V's on fixed gear/single speed road bikes and a lot of true Delgados on cyclocross bikes that take very regular abuse from their owners on the trails around Santa Cruz.

I'll agree on 3 cross 36h lacing to stout rims. I've had good luck with Mavic Open Pro rims, and I ride over really nasty streets and cobblestones every day.

What I won't agree on is a cross or touring rim, unless of course you have both the frame clearance and desire to run tires at least 28mm. The Delgado for instance is a very wide rim which will have trouble accepting a 23mm tire; looking at mine I'd say 28mm is the safe minimum. OPs on the other hand will except 23mm-35mm tires.

I'll agree on 3 cross 36h lacing to stout rims. I've had good luck with Mavic Open Pro rims, and I ride over really nasty streets and cobblestones every day.

What I won't agree on is a cross or touring rim, unless of course you have both the frame clearance and desire to run tires at least 28mm. The Delgado for instance is a very wide rim which will have trouble accepting a 23mm tire; looking at mine I'd say 28mm is the safe minimum. OPs on the other hand will except 23mm-35mm tires.

A good point, especially re: clearance. Personally, I think a little wider tires are a good idea anyway if you're going to be riding over junk all day.

A good point, especially re: clearance. Personally, I think a little wider tires are a good idea anyway if you're going to be riding over junk all day.

True. I usually ride 28mm tires, but then again my frame/brakes have clearance for them. Many of the frames I see people posting about only have clearance for 23mm tires.

Good spokes are essential to a good wheelbuild. I prefer non-butted spokes for their rigidity. I'm really, REALLY tough on wheels. My road set-up (meaning my track bike set up for riding on the road) uses Deep-V's with wheelsmith 2.0 spokes, laced radially front, 3x rear to Formula hubs, brass nipples. Never even a creak. For the track I'm bulding a much lighter rim to the same brand hubs and spokes...most likely I'll be using some Open Pro's, but with alloy nipples.

36 spoke three cross crows foot builds a good strong wheel plus it looks funky!

Remember though that you old wheel where pretty week anyhow. No wheel will stand being bashed into curbs for long, you have to hop up or at least step the wheels up one at a time.

It could go without saying, but I've found that actually airing my tires up helps a lot when it comes to cushioning the blows.

I'll agree on 3 cross 36h lacing to stout rims. I've had good luck with Mavic Open Pro rims, and I ride over really nasty streets and cobblestones every day.

What I won't agree on is a cross or touring rim, unless of course you have both the frame clearance and desire to run tires at least 28mm. The Delgado for instance is a very wide rim which will have trouble accepting a 23mm tire; looking at mine I'd say 28mm is the safe minimum. OPs on the other hand will except 23mm-35mm tires.

This is true. If strength is a serious consideration, though, wider tires will help a lot to absorb a lot of the bumps on the road. If you want a higher-performance wheel, but strength still matters to you (and it always should), Open Pro's are great. I have a pretty new Open Pro wheelset on my Spicer that feels amazing and has been solid thus far.