Rear wheel taco'd, recommendations for good commuting wheelset?
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Rear wheel taco'd, recommendations for good commuting wheelset?
Any recommendations for a good commuting wheelset?
I've been riding on some Shimano bottom of the line cheapies, after about 2000 miles the rear wheel broke a spoke about 1/4 mile from home. I should have gotten off and walked, but I just biked home... a few rides later, having replaced that spoke, another one broke. This time I got off the bike as fast as I could, but the rim still seems bent just enough that it's impossible to true.
I don't need anything super lightweight, I'd much rather get something reliable that will hold up to my 200lbs + hauling a Burley trailer with a kid, and I just simply don't have to think too much about other than occasionally check that the spokes are still tensioned. Ideally not too expensive, but I am willing to pay for durability. 8 speed shimano gearing.
I've been riding on some Shimano bottom of the line cheapies, after about 2000 miles the rear wheel broke a spoke about 1/4 mile from home. I should have gotten off and walked, but I just biked home... a few rides later, having replaced that spoke, another one broke. This time I got off the bike as fast as I could, but the rim still seems bent just enough that it's impossible to true.
I don't need anything super lightweight, I'd much rather get something reliable that will hold up to my 200lbs + hauling a Burley trailer with a kid, and I just simply don't have to think too much about other than occasionally check that the spokes are still tensioned. Ideally not too expensive, but I am willing to pay for durability. 8 speed shimano gearing.
#2
contiuniously variable
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Could always get high spoke hand built touring or tandem wheels if you're really worried.
edit: or good mtb rims.
edit: or good mtb rims.
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If you want something cheap then Sun CR-18's are one of the best budget rims out there, they are strong enough to be used for loaded touring...
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Two broken spokes and you're throwing away the whole wheel?
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Just laced up a set of 700c/29er Sun Rhyno Lite rims for my commuter. Before that, I beat the crap out of the 26" Rhyno Lites when commuting by MTB, and even more when I transitioned that bike to trail duties. They've never given me a problem. This is the wheelset that's on my MTB (actually, I have 2): Sun Ringlé Rhyno Lite / Shimano Deore 525 Mountain Wheelset - Mountain Wheels . I actually bought them from my LBS for $160 a pair, figured I'd rather give them the money given that the Nashbar set would be pretty much the same cost with shipping factored in. Your LBS should be able to order you a pair.
Whatever wheels you buy, don't just true them/get them trued. Make sure you get them tensioned properly. Uneven tension is why you broke another spoke after you replaced the first one (the wheel may have been true, but I'm willing to bet the spoke tension was not close to even throughout the wheel). On that note, your current wheelset may just be in need of a retensioning.
Whatever wheels you buy, don't just true them/get them trued. Make sure you get them tensioned properly. Uneven tension is why you broke another spoke after you replaced the first one (the wheel may have been true, but I'm willing to bet the spoke tension was not close to even throughout the wheel). On that note, your current wheelset may just be in need of a retensioning.
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My bad on not replying sooner--the day after I posted I couldn't find my message, so I thought it didn't post.
Thanks for all the replies.
Yeah--uneven tension was definitely the problem--I suspect it was an issue from the get-go and that's why the first spoke broke. Both of them were on the cassette side.
How do I tell whether I can just keep my current wheel and re-tension/re-true versus getting a new wheel? My thought when I started this thread was I bent the rim while riding it, but maybe it's still salvageable?
Also, any idea how much it should cost for the LBS to re-tension the wheel?
I normally DIY my bike, but I lack the patience to true wheels (doesn't help that I don't have a truing stand), and I obviously screwed up this past time when I replaced the first spoke.
Otherwise I'll check out some of the above recommendations. It's a 700 road wheel, I generally run 700x25s on them.
Thanks for all the replies.
Yeah--uneven tension was definitely the problem--I suspect it was an issue from the get-go and that's why the first spoke broke. Both of them were on the cassette side.
How do I tell whether I can just keep my current wheel and re-tension/re-true versus getting a new wheel? My thought when I started this thread was I bent the rim while riding it, but maybe it's still salvageable?
Also, any idea how much it should cost for the LBS to re-tension the wheel?
I normally DIY my bike, but I lack the patience to true wheels (doesn't help that I don't have a truing stand), and I obviously screwed up this past time when I replaced the first spoke.
Otherwise I'll check out some of the above recommendations. It's a 700 road wheel, I generally run 700x25s on them.
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CR-18s are cool. My old cross bike has a pair. 20 mph? No problem. Potholes? No problem. They won't win a race for you but if your goal is bombproof, affordable, and cheap there probably isn't a better deal.
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I will second the CR-18's if you want a super strong and inexpensive option. If you hubs are in good shape you can even reuse those and then you are only paying for spokes/rim and labor if you are not doing the build yourself.
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LBS prices I would guesstimate like $25-40 to true, maybe $10-25 to replace one spoke (possibly each, also depends on drive side or non-drive side), maybe tune is free with spokes, or vice versa.
I have no personal experience, but I've heard good things about Nashbar's Vuelta Corsa HD. At $149/pair they certainly are cheap!
At 200# you (and I) just need to make sure your rear wheel has at least 32 spokes.
I have no personal experience, but I've heard good things about Nashbar's Vuelta Corsa HD. At $149/pair they certainly are cheap!
At 200# you (and I) just need to make sure your rear wheel has at least 32 spokes.
#12
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
One should not let their low price make one think that these are a budget rim... Sun paid off their tooling costs for these decades ago and the CR18 is a high quality rim that I use a lot for folks as well as on my own bicycles.
My expedition bike rolls on 36 spoke CR18 rims (26 inch wheels)...
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Well, I was just about to ask a similar question. Time for me to purchase a set of CR-18s; thanks, guys!
On a side note, I'll be putting these on a CX bike. What's the widest 700c tire they can handle?
On a side note, I'll be putting these on a CX bike. What's the widest 700c tire they can handle?
#14
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Wheels need regular service ignoring them is often why they start failing ..
Jeff ..hauling a load .. make the wheel 36 spoke 3 cross .. steel axle freehub . keep the tension and truing up ..
a 48 spoke wheel is possible ..
for above question I have a CR 18 rim rolled down to a 406-20" size . I have a 1.75" tire on it.
so you can use any tire that will fit in your bikes frame ...
Jeff ..hauling a load .. make the wheel 36 spoke 3 cross .. steel axle freehub . keep the tension and truing up ..
a 48 spoke wheel is possible ..
for above question I have a CR 18 rim rolled down to a 406-20" size . I have a 1.75" tire on it.
so you can use any tire that will fit in your bikes frame ...
Last edited by fietsbob; 07-27-14 at 01:38 PM.
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Woot, time to slap a 700c x 42 in there!
#16
aka Phil Jungels
I have an Alex Adventurer, 36 hole, that has been bulletproof over thousands of miles.
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Wheels need regular service ignoring them is often why they start failing ..
Jeff ..hauling a load .. make the wheel 36 spoke 3 cross .. steel axle freehub . keep the tension and truing up ..
a 48 spoke wheel is possible ..
for above question I have a CR 18 rim rolled down to a 406-20" size . I have a 1.75" tire on it.
so you can use any tire that will fit in your bikes frame ...
Jeff ..hauling a load .. make the wheel 36 spoke 3 cross .. steel axle freehub . keep the tension and truing up ..
a 48 spoke wheel is possible ..
for above question I have a CR 18 rim rolled down to a 406-20" size . I have a 1.75" tire on it.
so you can use any tire that will fit in your bikes frame ...
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I have a cyclocross bike with Fulcrum Racing 7 CX wheels. I am a Clydesdale again (sigh, hopefully not at the end of the season), and ride them on unpaved paths to work, which often have ruts which I bang on. Have trued them only once in 3000 mi, but it really wasn't necessary. These are 20 spoke front, 8/16 back and I must say they are awful bombproof and I really like them. I can vouch for this series, they are a Campy spin-off, and not that expensive (< $235 pair). I like them better than the Mavic Axioms I have on my other bike.
Last edited by GeneO; 07-27-14 at 04:22 PM.
#19
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built a 48 spoke (phil) freewheel hub wheel, some touch up truing after it was built and as it settled in was done ..
a bit of on the road truing when 1 spoke broke , to compensate for its absence of tension..
YMMV , not every one has the same experiences , some people never look at their wheels at all ..
some seem to buy expensive bikes with out any mechanical skills at all . they seem to find this site ..
a bit of on the road truing when 1 spoke broke , to compensate for its absence of tension..
YMMV , not every one has the same experiences , some people never look at their wheels at all ..
some seem to buy expensive bikes with out any mechanical skills at all . they seem to find this site ..
#20
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I have a mavic A-719 36 hole rim with a shimano 105 rear hub. Touring rim, hand built, 10,000 miles on it so far. Works for my lard but( 235 lbs) and bad MA roads.
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07-24-19 06:06 PM