George

I weigh 195# my touring bike weighs 30#. If I carry a load of say 40#., would the Velocity Fusion wheels be good enough for 265#. I have a disk brake 3/32 on the front and back. Thanks for any replies.

socalrider

Fusion would work OK but I would look at Deep V rim for a little stronger build.

sstorkel

The wheels won't disintegrate, but they won't be ideal. If your bike will accept larger tires, I would look for a slightly wider rim. I used Velocity's Synergy OC rim when I build wheels for my touring bike. I normally use 700x32 or 700x35 tires. Higher volume and lower pressure yields a cushy ride even with luggage on-board. A narrow, high-pressure tire might not be as pleasant...

George

I have the wheels already and they have 32mm Panaracer TG tires on them. I've never toured with them and I really didn't but them for that purpose. I starting to think about using them for touring, rather than buying another set. They are a nice riding wheel with those tires on them. Thanks everybody for the replies.

socalrider

how many spokes 32 or 36 hole rims..

George

32 front and rear

marcusbandito

The fusions build up into a nice wheel. 36 or mote spokes is the standard for touring so your rear wheel might be slightly under built for the job.

sstorkel

Says who? A well-built 32-spoke wheel will be fine. My touring bike uses 32-spoke wheels and I've never needed to true them, let alone had a problem. Then again, I built them myself so I know the job was done properly...

marcusbandito

Yes, to say that 36 spokes is the standard for touring wheels is a generalization. A well built 32 spoke wheel can handle loaded touring fine if the assembled parts are up to the task and it was put together properly. Depending on the weight of the rider and the amount that they are going to carry even a 28 spoked wheel can actually do the job to if it is put together properly as well

gyozadude

280 lbs personal weight. plus bike at 27lbs plus rack and panniers, tools, clothes, etc. 12 lbs. I'm at over 320 lbs loaded. I ride both 32H fusions (hand built - Tiagra el cheap hubs) and the other set of 36H Alex DC19s on some Joytechs (even more cheap). Both get 32C rubber. 1500 miles and not much to report. No spokes out of whack. No re-truing. Wheelsmith 14g stainless spokes used on both. So I think they're okay for you. I don't know if either would fit a tire wider than 32C. For that, I have some older Mavic MA-40s I use with 35/38C tires and they work great.

marcusbandito

Yeah, wider rubber helps too.

George

Thanks gyozadude, the way it looks, I guess I shouldn't have to worry about it. Oh I do have 32 mm Panaracier's on the wheels. Pretty nice ride.

maidenfan

I'm 245-255 on any given day. For my commuter I went with 36 spoke Velocity Chukkers, a bit taller and wider version of the deep V.

Barrettscv 

I have 32 hole Velocity A23 on my road bike and Cyclocross bike. But I have 40 hole Velocity Dyad on my touring bike.

The 32 hole Velocity Fusion should be OK with 265 LBS, if you stay on smooth roads. If some gravel is expected, change the rear to a 36spoke Velocity Dyad with Shimano hubs. The front will be OK with the 32 hole fusion, but not the rear: if the roads are rough.

gyozadude

If a wheel is built by a competent builder, at your size, and the gear, I think you're okay with 32H Fusions and 14g spokes. I'll be the first to admit, I have purchased dirt cheap Alex RP15F rims (single wall) and built them up with "no-name" spokes and ridden on those wheels for months and months when I was 316 lbs. And it's really about putting on some 32C or 35C rubber that actually is 32mm or 35mm wide and not to over-pressurize them, but put them up to the max on the sidewall and stay there.

Where I see rims coming out of true and spokes breaking on the bikes I work on is simply because the spokes were too loose to start with and allowed for cyclic fatigue, usually failing near head/elbow. Yes, I do see overshifts beyond the big cog into the spokes causing lots of damage too, but nothing a cheap plastic spoke protector won't prevent next time. But the main point is that at your size, you have options on lots of rims and some spoke combinations. Get make sure the wheels are well tensioned and they should last barring any manufacturing defect.

CliftonGK1

I'm now a bit lighter than the OP's fully loaded estimate of 265 pounds, but that's right around where I was when I started my weight loss last year. By the time CX season rolled around, I was more like 215-ish, but I trained all summer on a pair of IRO Cold Fusion rims which were then my race wheels for the season.

Cold Fusions (from a few estimations) are just unbadged Velocity Fusions. Same weight, same dimensions, same colour availability, etc.
Mine are 32h drilled, mated to high-flange IRO hubs with DT Champion 2.0 spokes. Barely needed truing all year. Never broke a spoke.
Take a look at some of my POV race footage for an idea of the abuse I've put these wheels through over the course of a single season.

The only concern I'd have with a heavy load and touring on a 32h wheel is regarding disc brakes. I'm not really familiar with discs, but I understand from principle that you're putting added strain on the spokes through the braking forces, unlike with a rim brake. Maybe a seasoned touring veteran will have a better answer for this, but would a 32h wheel be a good choice for a heavy-loaded disc touring rig if there's a big potential for long braking or repeated strenuous braking?

George

Thanks for the reply Clifton. I didn't have the time right now to watch your while video, but I'll watch the rest of it later. If those Fusion can take that kind of beating I shouldn't have any problem. Since I posted this threat I lost another 5#, so that makes me happy.