bikecommuter13

Do you think Sun/Shimano Cr18 are good commuter wheels? And is this a good price?

bmthom.gis

Sun CR18s are awesome rims for the price. I rebuilt a pair of wheels on my 3 speed using them. They aren't light, but pretty damn sturdy. Low end hub, couldn't tell you anything about it but I'm sure it works just fine

fietsbob

Assume the wheels need some hand tensioning and truing .. they are likely wholesaler machine built wheels ,
Just retailed, Boxed and shipped to you.

caloso

What's the step up in price to Tiagra hubs?

bikemig 

I'd ride them and I'd buy them at that price. Stainless spokes, shimano hubs, and strong rims; what's not to like about these as commuter wheels? Pay attention to post no. 3 if you buy them; they are likely to need some adjustment on your part but that's not hard.

pdlamb

At that price you're getting spokes (and maybe one hub) free. As fietsbob notes, they'll probably need to be tweaked, but that's decent parts at a great price.

Moe Zhoost

Don't know about these hubs and spokes, but I have CR-18 rims on my daily commuter and, with over 10,000 miles on them, they have proven themselves to be great rims.

This seems like a great price - so go for it.

kingston 

What bike are you putting them on?

bikecommuter13

Fuji Sportif

kingston 

Those wheels are decent commuter wheels for the money, but they aren't right for your bike. CR18 rims work best with a 28C or larger tire which might not fit on your bike, and the rear hub is 135 OLD. You might be able to get a different spacer to make it work, but either of these will work much better on your bike for just a bit more money.

ALEX R400 32H RIMS SHIMANO 5600 105 HUBS ROAD BIKE WHEELSET
NEW SUN ASSAULT BLACK SHIMANO 8-11SP DT ROAD WHEELSET

bikecommuter13

Thanks for pointing out the potential problems. I am using 25c tires right now, but I can use 28c also. What does 135 OLD mean? My bike has a 9 speed cassette. I carry anywhere from 20 lbs to 40 lbs regularly. I was thinking a 36H wheel might be better suited for carrying load...

Bike Gremlin

Rear droputs are spaced at 135 mm.

Road rear hubs have 130 mm spacing, while MTB ones have 135 mm spacing.

Most road bikes have rear dropouts spaced at 130 mm, though many new frames come with "universal" 132.5 mm width - which means they can accommodate both 130 and 135 mm spaced hubs. 135 gives a wheel more lateral strength and if the frame can accept 135 mm, I'd go with it for commuting.

Also, 36 spokes and 28 mm tyres - if there's room for them - great choice for durability.

kingston 

Over-Locknut-Dimension

Your bike likely has road spacing at 130mm so the 135mm hub you're looking at won't work the way it is. You'll have to measure your frame to be sure. I couldn't find it quickly on line. It may have the universal 132.5, but I'd be surprised if it does.

That hub has a big spacer on it so you might be able to replace the spacer and axle with smaller ones and re-dish the wheel. It's not hard, but it's a lot easier to get a hub that's the right size to begin with. Niagra has good customer service, so they might be able to help you over the phone or e-mail. They probably won't do the work for you, but they will be able to sell you the parts and tools if you don't already have them.

You're right that a 36h wheel will be stronger, but you're going to have a tough time finding one in that price range with the right sized hub. Most people aren't looking for heavy-duty wheels for their road bikes, so inexpensive heavy-duty wheelsets normally have a 135mm rear hub, which is why I asked what bike the wheels were for in the first place.

Darth Lefty 

I gotta ask: is anything wrong with what you have now? Are you chasing "reliability" when there's nothing broken?

kingston 

My guess is that the OP is looking for a commuting wheelset to save the light-weight ones for road rides. Certainly nothing wrong with having multiple wheelsets for the same bike.

Darth Lefty 

Maybe but I don't think so, not on a sub-$1000 aluminum Sora bike with house-brand wheels

bikecommuter13

One of the spokes snapped near the nipple a few months after riding. I commute with 20 to 30 lbs of load. I was thinking the current wheel set is not meant for carrying load, maybe I am wrong?

pdlamb

Wheels could be too light and fragile, or maybe not. One spoke breaking could be a metallurgical defect, or damage to that spoke, or the first spoke breaking in a wheel that wasn't properly built (tensioned adequately and stress-relieved). Either take that wheel to someone who knows what they're doing -- and not every mechanic does know -- or DIY with one of the resources available today, whether it's Brandt's book or one of the web sites. If a second and a third fail, it's time for all new spokes and/or a new wheel.

fietsbob

Wheels , particularly on commuter bikes are a consumable.. dont form attachments to consumables..

irwin7638

I have Cr 18 rims with 105 hubs on my Hillborne. I've been using them for about 5 years on just about any surface you can imagine with 32mm tires. They seem pretty bombproof.

Marc

kingston 

The Hillborne is spaced for a 135mm rear hub. Did you put spacers on your 105 hub to make it work?

irwin7638

Yes.

Darth Lefty 

Like I said, the suggested replacement is perfectly ok. It will be better if someone goes over it. The suggested wheel set is probably no better or worse than what's on the bike now in quality, but having more spokes does slow down spoke failure. Beyond that they can be improved with all the clever things wheel builders do (even tension, de-stress, unwind)

Darth Lefty 

Also, I saw that REI has CR18 with Deore hubs on sale now for $90
https://www.rei.com/product/770557/d...0c-front-wheel
https://www.rei.com/product/770555/d...00c-rear-wheel