Bicycle Mechanics - How tough are 32 spoke wheels?

Hello all,
I just upgraded my MTB (hardtail, with front sus)to road components (Tiagra 52-39) and along the way had to do the wheels (old casette was 7, now 9). My old rims (Alex bottom end) were 36 hole. Unfortunately the budget only allowed for 32 hole Tioga (double wall rim). I weigh quite a bit (225) and carry a cummuting load of around 6~8kgs which includes the weight of the rack and pannier.

My question is, Am I OK with these rims or should I have gone a bit further and got some Mavic (3x the price) rims instead?

My commute is all on road but I do need to go up and down on the side walk (meaning 2~3 inch bumps)sometimes to avoid being killed by guys that just couldn't live with themselves if they don't make that next red light 30ft away :rolleyes:

Happy Holidays!

Si

A wheel has alot to do with how, and who built it. I have used 32 spoke wheels for over 8 years. Ranging from old school shimaNO DX hubs with Araya rims, shimaNO LX Parallax hubs to Mavic 217's etc, to my current Sun Rhyno Lites with Nuke Proof hubs that I can run over, through whatever I feel like and have no worries.

Thats reassuring. The guy that put it all together for me was pretty clued up and I am very pleased with the performance since. I dont think he would have sold me junk (They have eyelets too and variable thickness spokes, sorry don't know the terminology) It's just that you dont see too many guys my size on bikes here and thought perhaps it was a lack of experience on his part rather than a deliberate 'poor sale'

Cheers

Though I'm not familar with the Tioga rims, it sounds like a decent rim with dble wall construction and eyelits which is something a lot of wheels now leave off in a feeble attempt to save weight. The only question I have is whether or not 32 spokes will be adequate for you. You will be able to tell if you always have to true them to keep them in shape. My rims are 36 hole which are an overkill since I only weigh 160, though I do use lighter DT Revolution spoke on front and DT Competition on the rear, but I rarely have to true them. Todays rims are better made then when I bought my 36 hole hubs back in 1979 which was what all the racing people recommended back then to keep wheel flex down on hard climbs or sprints. My Suntour Superbe hubs have over 130,000 miles on them but they still roll very smoothly and I could not justify tossing a set of good hubs just to go with less spokes, so these hubs have seen 4 sets of rims, the latest rims is built similar to yours but made by Torelli which also cost 1/2 as much as Mavic.

tioga rims are ok...
these are the XC 32h right? I have seen them around..

What hubs are you using? They play a huge part..
I don't think you will have problems with 32h rims as long as it has been built well...

I use 36h rims, but have a radial pattern(not as strong as the 3x).. I do 2~3ft drops and I'm 200lbs..
I know a guy who uses those 16spoke wheels for XC.. its still true after a year of punishment...

You should be fine with those wheels. The 'double butted' spokes are a nice touch, but if you find that the wheel isn't staying true or you're breaking spokes, you might switch to a straight gauge spoke.

Butten spokes are better at distributing stress than straight ones, so will last longer than thicker straight ones.
It sounds counter-intuitive to make something stronger by removing material, but its good engineering practice.

Butten spokes are better at distributing stress than straight ones, so will last longer than thicker straight ones.
It sounds counter-intuitive to make something stronger by removing material, but its good engineering practice.

I agree...

removing material removes/reduces stress concentration (k) in a specific part of the spoke, which makes the spoke stronger....

"the weakest link rule still applies" :D :D

They are on Deore hubs.

Thanks for the input guys, its reassuring :)

Si

haha and there are guys like me who send 32 hole wheels out of true in a day. It depends on weight, your riding, your skill, the build etc...I have a hadley built 36 hole and it kicks ass. My 32 hole Mavic 321d has held up almost 1.5 years and recently went out of true. Now take my Sun rims (I forget the name but they sucked) I warped them in 1 ride...so many factors too count so little time.