Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Do I weigh too much for the stock wheelset? WTF?

So i am about to get an 09 Caad 9.6 but I have been told by several people that I am too heavy (260lb) for the stock wheelset.....I am at the end of my budget on the bike and don't want to have to get a new wheelset just because I weigh too much for the original ones on my soon to be brand new bike:notamused: Is this true or are they just rumors.....I really hope that this is just a few misinformed people:(

NM, waste your money!

what wheelsets are out there that will be strong enough yet aren't too expensive?

I would go for the Mavic Aksiums; they're lighter for 2008 and are an excellent entry level of Mavic's road wheelsets.

http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/16787-365_MAVAK8-3-Parts-75-Wheelsets/Mavic-Aksium-Road-Wheelset-2008.htm

You really have to keep an eye out for PricePoint, Performance, Nashbar and Competitive to snag a better deal.

NM, waste your money!

NM, waste your money!

NM, waste your money!

if those mavics are good I may get em......I wonder if my lbs would be willing to give me a discount on the bike if I let them keep the stockers

if those mavics are good I may get em......


Misinformed people?:p

Here is a links to what I believe is a good set of clyde wheels. The price seems to be good also. I have seen the same wheel with ultegra hubs for $200 on this web site. What do you think Mr Beanz?




http://store.bicyclewheels.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=B&Product_Code=RWN1&Category_Code=RWN

So i am about to get an 09 Caad 9.6 but I have been told by several people that I am too heavy (260lb) for the stock wheelset.....I am at the end of my budget on the bike and don't want to have to get a new wheelset just because I weigh too much for the original ones on my soon to be brand new bike:notamused: Is this true or are they just rumors.....I really hope that this is just a few misinformed people:(
Mac, in the NW it's going to be especially advantageous to get the lightest, most durable wheels to climb. I'm always going to recommend Mavics (in this case, the Aksiums) because I've had such good experiences with them. They are not the lightest wheels, so road cyclists always chime in to say "go lighter with something else."

Just to give you an idea, I'm 210 and have been riding Ksyrium ES's on the road bike and Crossmax's on the Hardtail for awhile, often in NYC. I rode these when I was 20 lbs heavier with no problem, as well. I consider the Aksiums to be even more durable, but heavier than the Ksyrium ES's, but you'll still notice a big difference climbing with these wheels and a good set of Gatorskins or GP4000's. Good luck.

Misinformed people?:p

What are you saying? OP doesn't need new wheels or these aren't the right kind:notamused:

At 260lbs I wouldn't buy a 20 spoke wheel. For the OP I would ride the original wheels until I had too many problems with them, and at that point I would get a handbuilt set with 32 spoke front and 36 rear. I like the Mavic OP/Ultegra hub combo from Colorado Cyclist, and a lot of people here have had good expereinces with Deep V. The most important thing is to get a set that is hand made by someone who knows what they are doing. A lot of the wheels that you see are factory made and not well tensioned.

You should be good on the stockers for awhile. I'm 265 and have the same bike. I have a few hundred miles on it, including a few good knocks to the wheels including a set of rail road tracks that were sticking up way higher above the pavement than I thought. I'm hoping to get a couple thousand miles out of them. We shall see. . .

You should be good on the stockers for awhile. I'm 265 and have the same bike. I have a few hundred miles on it, including a few good knocks to the wheels including a set of rail road tracks that were sticking up way higher above the pavement than I thought. I'm hoping to get a couple thousand miles out of them. We shall see. . .

I'm 245# & ride the stock 20/24 spoke wheels on my '06 Giant OCR Limited. I haven't had any problems to date. I do recommend however, after a few hundred miles to get the spokes/wheels retensioned & trued. It may not look like they need the maintenance, but it will go a long way to increase the lifespan of the wheels & prevent broken spokes. Just my $0.02.........

I weigh about what you do. I got years out of CXP33 rims with nothing more than having them trued up in the Spring.
http://www.coloradocyclist.com/product/display/25350/

The big question is do you really need a lightweight set of wheels if you are just training on them.. You would be better served to get a set Velocity Deep V or Fusions.. Open Pros or DT Swiss RR 1.1 or RR 1.2's.

You can get the Deep V or Fusions from Wheelbuilder.com for under 300.00.. Deep V come in 3 cross 32 hole or Fusions which are a little lighter weight come in 36 hole 3 cross.. You can of course have a shop build a set for you but that would end up bringing the cost up to 350 to 500.00 for a custom set of wheels..

http://www.wheelbuilder.com/thumbnail.asp?offset=0&deep=3&cid=37

What are you saying? OP doesn't need new wheels or these aren't the right kind:notamused:

Here are a few discussions that will hopefully help you decide:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=7378509&highlight=aksium#post7378509
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=6955552&highlight=aksium#post6955552
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=6294895&highlight=aksium#post6294895
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=5711302&highlight=aksium#post5711302
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=5506132&highlight=aksium#post5506132

So i am about to get an 09 Caad 9.6 but I have been told by several people that I am too heavy (260lb) for the stock wheelset.....I am at the end of my budget on the bike and don't want to have to get a new wheelset just because I weigh too much for the original ones on my soon to be brand new bike:notamused: Is this true or are they just rumors.....I really hope that this is just a few misinformed people:(

It's actually both, true and rumour (huh?, let me explain)

Given a rider with a 36 spoke wheel and weighing <150lbs the zone of usable spoke tension is very wide, but as rider weight increases and/or the spoke count decreases, that zone narrows, a 20 spoke wheel with a 260lb rider is going to have that zone of acceptable spoke tension razor thin around the optimum spoke tension.

Most bike shops don't have a good wheel guy who can get a wheel to that zone of acceptable tension for a larger rider with lower spoke count wheels, with spoke tension too low, spokes allow the rim to flatten slightly, which bends the spokes, and when you constantly bend a piece of steel wire back and forth rapidly it breaks. The constant flexing can also cause micro-cracks in the rim itself, it generally results in wheel failure at some point. This is why people recommend heavier duty wheels.

However some bike shops have a good wheel guy, who trues and tensions every wheel out the door, they
get the spokes to the right zone of tension, the spokes keep the rim from flattening, and the spokes don't get bent and the rim doesn't crack, so they say that all this talk of heavier duty wheels is so much male bovine excrement.

So yeah, it's true and false.:D

ruh roh Mr. Beans had a hissy fit :P.......I am just going to stick it out with the stockers till they break I think....i would get them retentioned and trued after a couple hundred miles but idk how to guage when that is....thanks for all the responses and I am sorry if i offended you Mr. Beans :p

ruh roh Mr. Beans had a hissy fit :P.......I am just going to stick it out with the stockers till they break I think....i would get them retentioned and trued after a couple hundred miles but idk how to guage when that is....thanks for all the responses and I am sorry if i offended you Mr. Beans :p

By the way what are the stock wheels, I hope they are not alex brand.. The problem with low spoke wheels is that if you break a spoke, you better have cab fare money..

Here are a few discussions that will hopefully help you decide:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=7378509&highlight=aksium#post7378509
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=6955552&highlight=aksium#post6955552
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=6294895&highlight=aksium#post6294895
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=5711302&highlight=aksium#post5711302
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=5506132&highlight=aksium#post5506132

Nope, no hissy fit here. Just named good rims like the V and CXP 33's. But seems the OP is looking for cute looking wheels that aren't any better than the stock junk. I opened up the first link, guy has an Aksium in the front and a V in the rear. Wonder why! Second link the guy's ride was equipped with Aksiums. He's taking them off and selling them on Ebay! Wonder Why! Last review I read on Aksiums, the guy says he has had no problems after a year with the wheels, but he's been off the bike for 10 months!:p...That's enough wasted time! I always laugh when rider give durabilty reports with a couple hundred miles of good luck! My reviews are posted after 16,000;thumb:

OP is 260, that's a little different than 210. I know I can't afford to throw away a few hundred bucks to learn a lesson, maybe he can!:roflmao2:

The stockers are Shimano WH 500A.....the reason I was looking at the mavics was because your suggestion seemed like you were giving the option to build a set and I was looking for a built set....it is a great option and I might go that direction later down the road

I have the same wheels on my CAAD9 and no problems so far. I weight 230-235. I have about 6-700 miles on them.

Having just the rear is not very expensive and much more durable. The front will last a while.

Colorado Cylcist has built sets of the CXP 33's. Sometimes on sale for about $300. 32 hole Ultegra hubs are dern good! Some riders wait for coupon specials that take the price down another 50 bucks or so.:thumb:

Nope, no hissy fit here. Just named good rims like the V and CXP 33's. But seems the OP is looking for cute looking wheels that aren't any better than the stock junk. I opened up the first link, guy has an Aksium in the front and a V in the rear. Wonder why! Second link the guy's ride was equipped with Aksiums. He's taking them off and selling them on Ebay! Wonder Why! Last review I read on Aksiums, the guy says he has had no problems after a year with the wheels, but he's been off the bike for 10 months!:p...That's enough wasted time! I always laugh when rider give durabilty reports with a couple hundred miles of good luck! My reviews are posted after 16,000;thumb:

OP is 260, that's a little different than 210. I know I can't afford to throw away a few hundred bucks to learn a lesson, maybe he can!:roflmao2:
You seem to really dislike these wheels; ok, so stay away from them... :innocent:

260 lb vs 210 lb represents virtually no difference when the wheel does not have a published weight limit.

BTW, here's some pretty positive reviews, although I do see the heaviest rider is 235.

http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/wheels/wheelsets/mavic-inc/PRD_368965_2490crx.aspx#reviews

i think a set of cxp-33s are in my future....now I just have to decide between the 650c or 700c, 32 hole or 36 hole, and a three cross or two cross lacing pattern...I am feelin better about this now:D

You seem to really dislike these wheels; ok, so stay away from them... :innocent:

260 lb vs 210 lb represents virtually no difference when the wheel does not have a published weight limit.


http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/wheels/wheelsets/mavic-inc/PRD_368965_2490crx.aspx#reviews


I don't dislike anything. I just know that low spoke count wheels don't last under big guys. I've had shops try to sell me 20 spoke wheels claiming they are just as strong as Deep V's.:rolleyes:...Published weight means nothing when a clyde is out 3 or $400 bucks!:mad:

I had a cool looking set of aeroblade low spoke count wheels. Lasted about 8 months (5,000 miles). They look cool but if it means spending $400 every 9 months, I'd go with a V.

Show me a review of lowspoke count wheels from a 260 lb rider with 10,000 miles, I'll be impressed!;)

i think a set of cxp-33s are in my future....now I just have to decide between the 650c or 700c, 32 hole or 36 hole, and a three cross or two cross lacing pattern...I am feelin better about this now:D



Hunh?????? How can you go 650 if your roadie is equipped for 700 wheels? The brakes are placed in a certain postion on the fork to accomodate the proper size (bosses). Usually 650 is for tri bikes, not interchangeable.

<--newbie and didn't think about width when looking at it :p

<--newbie and didn't think about width when looking at it :p

Not the width, I believe the diameter of the rim which translates into the height of the rim!:D

If you have a bike with 650's it sits lower to the ground than the bike with the taller 700 wheels.

Rim width deterines what size of tire is allowable, 700x 20's- 700 x 28 for example. Pretty common for a roadie.

700X 38 (fatter tires) pretty common for a hybrid. Not set in stone but a good idea.

Deep V's may be a little narrow but I have 700x 28's on our tandem. More than enough for a single roadie.

Plentyof bigguys go with a 700x 25 on a fast roadie, I use 23's no problems. Sight seeing roadies mayb go with 28's for comfort and cushion (if they fit since some roadies have tight forks)

260 and dropping? You'll be fine witht CXP33's and 700X 25 tires. If you don't mind a little rougher ride you might go with 23's. Especially when your weight drops. I'm 245 and use 23's no problem.

So i am about to get an 09 Caad 9.6 but I have been told by several people that I am too heavy (260lb) for the stock wheelset.....

Expect the rear wheel to eventually fail. I had Shimano WH 560 wheels on my bike (better grade than the WH 500) with 20 in front and 24 in the rear. I weigh 230. My rear wheel developed cracks after a year - twice. I also broke a spoke in the rear. Shimano warranteed the wheel both times (I have a good LBS). Alas, it just wasn't going to do the job. I never had trouble with the front wheel. At 260, I would expect you'll have more trouble than I had.

Low spoke count generally means lower weight capacity but not necessarily. The Mavic Kysyrium SL wheel is low spoke count and its virtually bulletproof. Its spokes are really big.

Bob

Low spoke count generally means lower weight capacity but not necessarily. The Mavic Kysyrium SL wheel is low spoke count and its virtually bulletproof. Its spokes are really big.
Bob


I know about 6 riders, 220 and over that have developed cracks at the nipples on the SL's. Some were double century riders and some just darn strong riders. See, now I think those wheels are cool but $800 a set? I'd put them on my wife's bike but not mine!:D

One bud was talked into buying the next level up (red spoke) cause the shop guys said they were lighter, faster and stronger. He broke a spoke on the first ride. Foundhimself waiting for both sets to be retruned from Mavic.

Another downside is they need to be sent back to Mavic for service. Plus you can't just walk into a shop and buy a spoke.:(

Good thing about CXP and the V. You can walk into a shop and buy a spoke for 50 cents.

The only low spoke wheels that have a great track record with big guys are the Cane Creek Volos XL.. They were made specifically for clydes but unfortunately are no longer available.. I have 2 sets and they are great wheels.. Use them, abuse them and still true and solid..

A few hundred miles is nothing on a set of wheels.. I have wheels are that have 5-10,000 miles of use on them.. Most of them are higher spoke count wheels that I built myself..

For a good lightweight wheelset, I would highly recommend the DT Swiss RR 1.1, you can go 28,32 or 36 hole.. Put them on a good lightweight hub and you are good to go..

For total bombproof wheels, Velocity Deep V, 32 or 36 hole and ride forever with no issues..

I slammed a pothole with my deep V's, broke a spoke and the wheels were barely out of true.. Finished the ride with no issues.. Snap a spoke on a 20 hole wheel and you will be pressed to make it home..

i have two more questions and I'm done I promise :p when I was looking at the cxp-33s on colorado cyclist, I saw the choice between 2 cross and three cross lacing, what is the diff/what would be better for me? and the second question is should I go 32 spoke f&r or 36 spoke? I like to get stuff figured out before I come across it(sorry for all the newbie questions):p

The only low spoke wheels that have a great track record with big guys are the Cane Creek Volos XL.. They were made specifically for clydes but unfortunately are no longer available.. I have 2 sets and they are great wheels.. Use them, abuse them and still true and solid..

A few hundred miles is nothing on a set of wheels.. I have wheels are that have 5-10,000 miles of use on them.. Most of them are higher spoke count wheels that I built myself..

For a good lightweight wheelset, I would highly recommend the DT Swiss RR 1.1, you can go 28,32 or 36 hole.. Put them on a good lightweight hub and you are good to go..

For total bombproof wheels, Velocity Deep V, 32 or 36 hole and ride forever with no issues..

I slammed a pothole with my deep V's, broke a spoke and the wheels were barely out of true.. Finished the ride with no issues.. Snap a spoke on a 20 hole wheel and you will be pressed to make it home..

Something tells me you 'didn't' just start riding yesterday!:thumb:

I've read the 3 cross is supposed to be more durable (more crosses, the better up to a certain point). 32 up front should be plenty.

As far as the rear, some say 36 is stronger. I had a bud that had a 36 rear CXP fail on him. Might have been the builder's fault, maybe. Good builder is a big part of the durabilty factor. If you know you will drop weight, go 32. If you think it will be a problem keeping weight off later, go 36.

Don't go for the "I'll buy a smaller wedding dress size" cause I'll lose weight for the wedding.:D......Good thing I talked Gina out of it or we'd still be waiting to get married!:p

You should be good either way, 32 or 36 in the rear! 36 should be stronger in theory.

thanks for all the info this has really helped :) now all I have to do is get the new bike and ride the s*** out of it :D

I know about 6 riders, 220 and over that have developed cracks at the nipples on the SL's. Some were double century riders and some just darn strong riders. See, now I think those wheels are cool but $800 a set? I'd put them on my wife's bike but not mine!:D

I'll just wait and see how they hold up. I already spent my money. :-)

I had a freak accident with the wheels that impressed me. I T-boned a 400 lb wild boar at night going about 18 mph. The wheels showed no wobble or damage after the accident. They continued to roll straight and true. That's no acid test for sure. I'll see if they hold up for a year or two. If not, I'll get something else. they sure do perform well, though.

Bob

I talked to the Mavic rep at the Tour of CA and he said the Ksyriums SLs I was looking at were stronger than the 36 spoke Open Pros I was riding that day. So I bought a set for the new bike and love them. I have a few thousand miles on so far at 285lbs without a single hop or wobble. I actually thought about buying the lighter set for another bike I want to rebuild.

Ride it stock, if you have wheel trouble, upgrade. I doubt you will need to.

I'm a big guy, 225 lbs. at the moment. I rode Alex ALX 330's (stock wheels on my Specialized Allez Elite) and have performed ok for over 1000 miles. The ALX wheels have 24 spokes front and 28 spokes rear. They required truing a couple of times, which I do myself.

The ALX wheels are known to be fragile and short lived. Mine are still ok and there's a reason why: I lift my butt off of the saddle when I see any kind of non-smooth pavement ahead. If you do this, your wheels will last much longer. You might be able to make your stock wheels last a long time if you avoid holes and lift your weight off of the saddle.

That being said, I wanted a more robust set of wheels so I got a pair of Ultegra hub/ Mavic Open Pro 32 spoke wheels from Bicycle Wheel Warehouse. http://www.bicyclewheelwarehouse.com/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=37

With shipping they were $255 and I'm happy with them. They ride much better than the Alex wheels, the bike feels solid and things like riding without hands isn't scary anymore... People who use this "universal bomb-proof" wheelset can rack up thousands of miles with no problems at all. Yes, there are more sexy wheels out there, but they can give up quickly and as a previous poster said, if you break a spoke with one of the reduced spoke count wheels, you are done...

Mine are still ok and there's a reason why: I lift my butt off of the saddle when I see any kind of non-smooth pavement ahead.
...

Ummm, I think a bigger reason is that most shortlived wheels will fail at about 4,000 miles. If you've had to true them twice within 1,000 miles, you better retension them or you're in trouble.:eek:

Haven't had to true my wheels in over 15,000 miles (3 years).

Ummm, I think a bigger reason is that most shortlived wheels will fail at about 4,000 miles. If you've had to true them twice within 1,000 miles, you better retension them or you're in trouble.:eek:

Haven't had to true my wheels in over 15,000 miles (3 years).

You don't understand. The Alex wheels (which I referred to truing twice) are built soft and fall apart under riders half my weight. They are very inferior wheels. Check out the comments at roadbike review. Do a search on eBay and you'll see that nearly nobody buys the Alex wheelsets up for auction. Are your 15k wheels Alex 330's??? I believe you are trying to compare apples and oranges.

I true wheels when there is any noticeable runout when checked in a quality wheel building stand, not when eyeballing the rim clearance near a brake pad. Most people wouldn't consider going to the trouble of keeping their bikes wheels as true as I like mine. I have built several sets of wheels over the years and I have found that there is little one can do with wheels that have material and/or design issues found in mass produced "built to price point" wheels. Thus my change to an Ulegra hub/Mavic Open Pro 32 spoke wheels.

Ask any wheel builder if unweighting the saddle doesn't help with wheel longevity. It helps and there is simple physics to back it up.

Are your 15k wheels Alex 330's???

Yes!:D

Haven't had to true my wheels in over 15,000 miles (3 years).


Are your 15k wheels Alex 330's???


Yes!:D


Mr. Beanz: -- Do you ride Alex 330's with 15,000 miles on them or Deep V's (on all 3 of your roadies) with 16,000 miles as in your post yesterday ???

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=482723&highlight=deep+v

" I've got them on all 3 of my roadies.......
I picked up one Deep V on a clearance table for $25, built it myself ......
I had to order the V's on the tandem from a shop......

Tough wheels. The Lemond rear wheel has 16,000 miles and the front has 15,000 no problems! "


16,000 miles on Deep V wheel ----- 15,000 on the Alex 330 wheels, ??????

:p:p:p

I'm 240lbs, riding on a set of Xero paired-spoke wheels on my Giant FCR2. They haven't budged out of true in the 300 miles or so I've ridden on that bike.

I would suggest that you just ride the bike the way it came, keep an eye on the wheels, especially the rear, and if you start breaking spokes or knocking the wheels out of true / round all the time, THEN worry about replacing them.

Also, you could just sell the OEM wheels on Ebay to help fund the new ones if you decide to go that way.

I had a freak accident ............ I T-boned a 400 lb wild boar at night going about 18 mph.


Freak Accident !! :eek: Are you kiddin' me!!!???

And I thought I had it tough where I ride