Megaton

I'm planning on roaming the world riding a heavy loaded touring bike for the next 5 to 10 years and maybe longer if possible.

For that purpose I bought a Surly World Troller size M.
I weight 175 lb and I'm planning on using the full capacity of a complete set of Ortlieb panniers 2 front, 2 back and handlebar plus extra gear on top of both racks, front and rear.

Could any of you help me get the best of the best for my wheels?

Here is the list of the components I would like to use on 2 wheels plus spare items for the journey:

A. (2) Rims Andra 40 559(26") 36H for disc brakes Andra 40

B. (72+ 5) Spokes SAPIM STRONG Diameter: 2.3 - 2.0 mm Strong | Sapim

C. (1 front & 1 rear) Hubs Shimano DEORE LX 36H for disc brakes (black if possible). Avoid the XT series, I understand they use alloy. I've been told LX series have all steel components and proven better for touring. Available pretty much everywhere in the world.

D. (4) Schwalbe Marathon Mondial HS 428 Double Defense 55-559 (26x2.15) folding. Marathon Mondial HS 428 | Schwalbe North America

E. (4) Tubes Schwalbe AV13 STANDARD Tubes: Group 13 | Schwalbe North America

Could any of you give me a quote?

If you can't build wheels, please tell me where should I go.

Thank you,
Roberto

fietsbob

Tried any Local Bike shops in Metro Los Angeles ? .. I doubt you want to ship all your Parts to OREGON + the return shipping.

But I or My Mates at The LBS can do the labor.

My quote: "Wherever you Go, There You are.."

dabac

Don't overthink wheels.
If you get anywhere near the intended usage, you will wear your wheels out.
Or damage them beyond repair in some sort of accident.
Or have them stolen or vandalized.
Buy good, then replace as needed.

One option is to go for something common and inexpensive instead, then simply plan on replacing when needed.
Sun CR-18 comes to mind.
If you can do your own wheelbuilding it's an inexpensive, fairly self-reliant way forward.

Reading the blurb about the Andra rim, I fail to see what makes it special.
Plenty of rims have directional drilling.
Nothing special about a pinned seam either.
Not saying that it's bad, just not seeing anything supporting its claim to fame.

And "strong" for a spoke is a bit of a null word.
Features that make a wheel good at resisting collapse aren't entirely compatible with features that makes a wheel survive huge mileages.
At some point you need to decide on your compromise.
And while accidents are random, mileage is a promise.
I think those spokes are overkill for a 36H wheel, at least on the non-drive/non-brake side.

When I've built wheels for my 6000-miles-a year commuter I've used either offset rims or thinner spokes on the NDS.
Or both.
While not carrying your loads, my rear, using different spoke gauges is now onto its 3rd rim with the same hub and spokes.

if I wanted one wheelset good for an unlimited mileage I'd probably look for a 36H, double-eyelet rim, then build it up with different gauge spokes.

Don't understand that LX/XT thing.
The flanges and center part of the hubs are aluminium on both.
The body is steel on both.
Usually, the axle assemblies are very, very similar.
Only difference I've seen with an kind of regularity is a slightly better seal on the body end of XT hubs.

Why not consider a one-wheel trailer?

Apart from the added strain on the bike, a full set of panniers + top load will make the bike quite unwieldy to ride.
Very difficult to carry even short distances if needed.
You're not losing much in manual handling by going to a trailer.
But you would cut the strain on the bike considerably.

trailangel

In LA area.
Wheelbuilder.com - Handcrafted Precision Custom Bicycle Race Wheels

""I've been told LX series have all steel components and proven better for touring.""
Who told you this? I always hear this "I've been told" ..but nobody can ever remember who told them... like you are making it up.

FastJake

Spokes seem like overkill to me. To get a spoke that thick up to proper tension you'll be putting a lot of stress on the rim. I understand you're using a heavy rim but I'd still worry about eyelet cracking. I'd use 2.0/1.8/2.0 instead, but I'm not a wheel expert.

Your hub information is wrong. You're probably thinking of XTR, which use a titanium freehub body and the new ones might use larger diameter aluminum axles instead of the traditional steel. I'd avoid the XTR for a touring bike, but there will be virtually no difference between LX and XT since you're not using a thru-axle system.

Everything else looks fine to me. IMHO if you're going to be on the road for the next 5-10 years my strong recommendation would be to learn how to build wheels and do it yourself. It's a skill that's very likely to come in handy at some point during your tour. Even if it's not to fix your bike.

andr0id

Wheelbuilder is very good.

I usually build my own, but I had them build up a PowerTap hub I sent in for servicing because the pricing was very fair.

It's only 28 hole, and after a year with about 4000 miles on it it is still dead true.

mconlonx

Common build components:
Schwalbe tubes, as spec'd
Schwalbe tires, as spec'd
Velocity Atlas rims

Budget items:
DT Swiss Competition spokes, 2.0/1.8/2.0
Shimano Deore hubs

Better items:
DT Swiss Alpine spokes, 2.3/1.8/2.0
Shimano XT hubs

Budget wheelset: $622
Better wheelset: $707

Bill Kapaun

You might consider the Sun Rhino Lite XL.
It's a favorite of Clydes.

Plimogz

I do not know about the rims. I do not know about LX vs XT, but having ridden several sets of 756 XTs, they are very reliable. Whatever you do, re-grease the bearings of whichever Shimano hub you do get and make sure they are properly re-adjusted before you ride them; as they often come from the factory too tight and can promptly destroy themselves if ridden in that condition.

What I am pretty sure of, is that your spoke choice is overkill. For a 36 spoke 26" wheel, I think you would be quite safe with double butted (2.0-1.8-2.0) all around. I do like using DT Comp (which is double butted 2.0-1.8-2.0) on the disc-side front and DS rear, and Wheelsmith DB (which is 2.0-1.7-2.0) on the non-disc front side and NDS rear. These spokes are not quite so expensive and build strong 29"er wheels which carry my 250#s and baggage without complaints.

If you are intent on building super strong, overkill wheels and willing to splurge on spokes to max out strength, consider DT Alpine IIIs (2.3-1.8-2.0)on the Non-Disc-Side front and Non-Drive-Side rear along with your Strongs (2.3-2.0).

Although I think that with any of these spoke choices, the likeliest cause of potential failure will be the quality of the wheelbuild and not the thickness of the spokes.

fietsbob

Nowadays New XTR has gone Racing weight weenie to aluminum axles . (& tinier balls)

Look down market just enough to get a Hub with the regular 10x1 steel threaded axle.



Our Town Is on the Main Pacific Coast route .. the Shop will sell you a wheel they have in stock ..

Its Very Busy Then.. nobody wants to wait for custom Ordered stuff & a rebuild, so fancy hubs get Mailed to your house

& the ride away on something functional, and continue the trip.

Megaton

Dabac,

Thank you for your input, it helps to learn more and see things from another perspective.

I own a BOB Ibex Plus FS Trailer and I love it! Of course that was my first choice, I used it daily for 6 years.
But then I started to read and educate myself about global bike touring for extended intercontinental trips and it was clear that taking the trailer was not a good choice. All the memories came back of those situations when I recognized that the trailer was more a problem than a solution.

During my travels I'll take at least 4 flights, 2 international across the pacific, 1 regional and 1 across the atlantic.
I'll get aboard a number of ferries and boats, some trains and trucks. When you take a trailer is like riding 2 bikes at the same time. And the costs of flying will go to the roof.

mstateglfr 

https://www.universalcycles.com/wheelkit.php has a custom wheel builder site where you pick the rim, hub, spokes, and nipples. They have dozens of rims and hubs for 26" disc.
Built To Order Wheels email.
Custom Wheel Building call.


Any chance you have thought about a dynamo hub for your front wheel? All 3 of the above have them from multiple companies. You can charge electronics while riding or use it to run a headlight. Seems pretty useful if you are going to be roaming the world for the better part of a decade.

HillRider

Not addressing your wheel issue but think long and hard about how much stuff you pack on the bike. I've seen stories of touring riders who load their bikes with 100+ pounds of luggage but wondered how much fun that takes from the ride. Every extra pound is that much more to drag up every hill. Go through your planned load and ruthlessly eliminate what isn't essential.

RubeRad

I second these recommendations. If you email peter white with this description of your needs, he will come up with a professional recommendation of rims/spokes/hubs for you, and he will be able to build them up as well as anybody else in the world. The skill in tensioning/truing the wheelbuild is at least as important as parts selection for ultimate reliability.

Also he will be able to incorporate a dynohub (and sell you lights to go with it), which is a great idea for a super-extended self-supported tour like you are considering.

And maybe if your travels take you to New Hampshire, you could drop in and say hi, and take advantage of his lifetime guarantee and get yourself a free truing while you wait!

squirtdad

Couple of thoughts

checkout the touring forum

If you have not toured before, do a shake down tour of length in the US first... California to Alaska that would let you fine tune what you really need in varying conditions.

as to wheels and components....some thought should go into how available parts will be in other parts of the world and how durable/reapairable/mcgiverable those parts are. as an example you may consider brakes other than disc. in that light

good luck on this venture

Brian25

I like the wheel direction that you have decided on. 36 hole 26"wheels are (in terms of density) like 40 hole 700c wheels. I would, as you have, ignore anyone who says they are overkill strong. Remember it is not going to be them who is stuck when spokes start to break and get stranded. You are (obviously) not going for speed. As far as tires go, I do not know how much road/ off road you see yourself doing. I am lighter than you and personally, if I were embarking on a trip of your intended magnitude, I would run smaller tires 1.25 or maybe 1.5, but I know myself and I would be 90% on the road. There is an old saying "saving a pound in your wheel/ tires is like saving five pounds in the frame" The smaller tires would make riding so much easier. (less grunting, more fun).

RubeRad

I wondered about 'overkill' as well, I mean for such an extended tour, overkill is probably what's desired.

FastJake said "Spokes seem like overkill to me. To get a spoke that thick up to proper tension you'll be putting a lot of stress on the rim. I understand you're using a heavy rim but I'd still worry about eyelet cracking," but it seems to me that thicker spokes would require less tension to still have a strong wheel, thus making no difference to the rim. Or, the same 'proper' tension applies that much stress to a rim, regardless of how thin or thick the spokes are.

But still, contact Peter White, he will give you a recommended wheel build and a quote, and if he says such and such spokes or rim or hub are best for your application, he will be correct.

Megaton

FastJake,

Thank you for your comments. Yes, I'm planning on learning how to deal with most common mechanical issues on a trip this long.

Megaton

Brian25,

Thank you for your input. I prefer rural over urban, and the first 3 to 5 years are going to be the pacific islands, Asia, the middle east and Africa. Judging by what I have seen following bike touring blogs from travelers in those areas pretty much is going to be dirt roads most of the time. I have no a set quota of miles per day in my mind. I plan on stopping to smell the roses

Megaton

HillRider,

In the coming months that's what is going to take place, check and double check my load and what's essential before I leave. To be honest with you, I like the punishment that a magnificent hill offers hehe

Megaton

squirtdad,

I have 2 test trips planned before I leave. One to take place late spring-early summer and the other one late summer-early fall.
Two destinations, the Florida Keys and Yellowstone. I don't know yet which one will be first and which one will be second.
Both will be from 5 to 10 days long where I'll put to the test everything.

Megaton

trailangel,

I don't have any reason to make it up or to lie, and I do remember where I read it.
This is just one example of many in the touring community: Which Hubs To Use For Bike Touring | TravellingTwo: Bicycle Touring Around The World
Read it through, all the way to the bottom, many of the comments also cite other reliable sources stating the same thing.
Maybe we are a bunch of attention seekers

Megaton

Thank you all for your input, my wheels are getting built as I type this reply. I got all my tires, tubes, and rim tapes already.

Now my question is about disc brakes.
Based on the specifications shared above, what should be the proper size for the disc brakes?
I'm planning on getting the Avid BB7, they list 3 options: 160mm, 180mm and 200mm.

Could you share your knowledge and expertise about this issue?

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you!

fietsbob

Disc surface area increases with the diameter, add the aluminum spider and heat sink on the pads
if you plan on dragging your brakes on descents..

my Bike Friday has 160 discs on both (20") wheels ..

dabac

Bigger rotors offers two(potential) advantages:
1) you get more braking power for a given amount of hand effort
2) you can brake more before stuff gets warm enough to cause problems

Particularly the DH crowd likes big rotors because it lets them get away with one, maybe two fingers on the lever.
They rarely need to do enough braking to have any heat issues.
A split second pinch here and there doesn't amount to much.

Watch a bit of Red Bull Rampage and try to judge how much action the brakes are getting...

Heat is a so-so thing.

The caliper will soak up heat too, so I'm not that sure on how much improvement a bigger rotor actually is.

On hydros there's no point in having a tepid rotor if your pots are boiling.

But you are running mechanicals. No pots to boil.

I started using 140/160 rotors on my bikes, as physics dictated that a bigger front was a principally sound idea whether actually required or not.

Tried 160/160 for ease of parts supply, but didn't like the perceived mismatch in hand effort vs braking payoff.

Settled for 160/180. Almost as easily available parts, and a balanced brake response.

For a go-anywhere bike I'd try to get by with 160/160 for ease of parts supply. IMO, it's the most common size used.