BayBruin

I've been through a couple back wheels. The first one was because it was a stock Bontrager Race Lite 24 spoke count wheel that the LBS said would be fine. The next one I trashed because I did some DIY wheel truing and over tightened the spokes and cracked the eyelets. Now they set me up with what they said was a nearly indestructible wheel. Velocity Dyad 36 spoke count. It hasn't had any major issues but it does lose it's true after about 3-4 commutes (32 miles round trip). The LBS built the wheel, the LBS trues the wheel....but that just doesn't seem like a good hold of true. What are your thoughts? Do I need a better wheel? A better re-tensioning of the spokes? What?

I have disc brakes (Trek Portland) so I do have some leeway before it hurts the bikes performance. Also, my hubs are DT Swiss mountain bike hubs 340 or 440...can't remember right off the top of my head. When I commute to work I have full, double sided panniers with clothes, gear and laptop computer. The total load with me and all the stuff I carry on the bike is probably 350 pounds. Please let me know your throughts. The front wheel has been perfect and barely ever needs truing.

Homeyba

Sounds like you need a better wheel builder.

Mr. Beanz

+1000....I posted in your other thread, a lead mechanic doesn't mean he's a competent wheelbuilder. I've had pros at pro shops build a Deep V that didn't survive the first 40 miles.

The shop should have retentioned your wheels at about 200 miles. After that, you should have beenn trouble for for thousands of miles. IfF they didn't hold the true after the initial tesnion readjustment, then you need to find another wheel guy!

Too many riders are too nice to speak up. To me, it's about riding my bike. If you can't do it right I will find somebody that can even if it means doing it myself! Which has actually turned out to be the best thing I've ever done when talking about bikes!

EKW in DC

Yeah, something's off. It shouldn't be giving so much trouble so regularly. I just got a Dyad built up around a Deore LX rear hub from Handspun for my bike. I've been commuting with it for a week now. That's 75 miles and it's still perfectly true, despite a couple good sized pothole-shaped objects I've hit accidentally. I'm probably gonna run it a few hundred miles and then have it retrued/retensioned, at which point I'm hoping to be in the "good for thousands of miles" club. I did a lot of research and the Dyad is a great wheel, so I'm also guessing something's wrong with the build/builder.

BayBruin

Thanks for the advice. I posted something similar on the mechanics forum and got basically the same info....need a new builder. Thanks again Mr. Beanz. I'll ask the mechanics forum if they know any excellent wheel builders in the SF Bay area. Pretty bike friendly place so I would imagine there are some really good ones around. The shops I have near me are: Livermore Cyclery (both Livermore and Dublin locations), Dublin Cyclery, Performance (doubt I would find a master wheel builder there but I guess I shouldn't jump to conclusions), California Pedaler, Montano Velo, and many others but these are the ones I have visted previously. My current LBS is near my work in Walnut Creek.

Homeyba

You might try Livermore Cyclery. They have some good people working there.

mkadam68

I was thinking you also need a "touring" wheel. Velocity's have a good rep and all, but your moving 350 lbs. on them. You might try a 40-spoke wheel, extra wide rim, on 700x32 tires. Now that being said, I'm with everyone else: new wheelbuilder. He should have asked you how you ride and recommended something appropriate, instead of a 24-spoke Bontrager in the first place.

Bearbig

True you need a better builder. I've had great luck with Mavic A319 wheel with 32 spokes. Before my LBS turned me on to the Mavic I pulled the spokes out of 2 Richie wheels.