Rant
10-15-09, 11:50 PM
#26
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Grid Reference, SK
Posts: 3,768
Bikes: I never learned to ride a bike. It is my deepest shame.
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I don't doubt that many people break spokes on Alex rim wheelsets (I'm guessing I'm the guy who says you're wrong?) I just don't attribute it to the rim. Alex Rims are stock on soooo many bikes these days. From their DA16 (the cheap answer to RR1.1s or Open Pros) to Adventurers (the wish-I-was-a-Dyad), they're everywhere... and they don't actually suck as much as people claim if the machine built, mass produced wheels are de-stressed and properly tensioned and trued. It's just like buying a machine built, non-boutique wheel from anywhere else; it's gonna need some TLC before it's really ready for the street.
Stock wheels are too often undertensioned, unevenly tensioned, not de-stressed, and never brought in for a 250 - 300 mile "check up" to assure things haven't gone awry.
Stock wheels are too often undertensioned, unevenly tensioned, not de-stressed, and never brought in for a 250 - 300 mile "check up" to assure things haven't gone awry.
I have swapped out every wheel I have that has failed over the years with Alex rims and I have yet to have one of those break a spoke or otherwise fail.
My bikes:
Road bike:Front original Araya (from 1992), rear Alex DH22 installed 2004; ~2000km/year
Commuting bike: Front and rear: Front and rear original Alex DH22 installed 2006; 3000 km/year mostly on dirt and gravel roads
Mtn Bke: Original WTB rims from 1997 were starting to wear thin at the breaking surface, replaced with Alex XT16 rims 2006;
The durability has nothing to do with the rims, BTW. It is all about spoke tension.
Me: 6'4" 240 - 270 lbs, ex-racer, I ride as fast as I can everywhere I go; I pride myself of riding everything on a trail as long as I don't think I am likely to hurt myself.
10-19-09, 01:47 AM
#27
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Portland, Or
Posts: 395
Bikes: | Surly Disc-Trucker| unknown city bike |M80 Raleigh |09 Trek 1.2|
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Which is also why these new rims will be going a to a new shop/wheel builder
. Guess I'll just have to try new shops, till I find the right one.
. Guess I'll just have to try new shops, till I find the right one.
10-19-09, 10:12 AM
#28
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Columbus, OH
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Bikes: '08 Surly Cross-Check, 2011 Redline Conquest Pro, 2012 Spesh FSR Comp EVO, 2015 Trek Domane 6.2 disc
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When I first moved out here I lucked out with wheels, because the LBS wheelsmith used to wrench for a pro team, and he built their DH wheels so he knew how to make 'em nuke-proof. I was pretty bummed when he took a gig with another team and left the shop. 
That's when I learned how to build my own wheels.
That's when I learned how to build my own wheels.
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