2frmMI

So, there is this whole world of 29er wheels that I don't really understand. BUT… what I do perceive is that they may be fundamentally strong (high flange hubs and wide rims), since they focus on CX and MTB. Therefore, would not these wheels be very appropriate for Tandem? Simply as a starting point for the debate, lets consider the following and argue the merits (but I'm fishing for alternatives, so suggest away!):
AmClassic: 29" MTB Tubeless (pair) - Mountain Wheels - Wheels
and
AmClassic: 29" All Mountain (pair) - Mountain Wheels - Wheels

Would these be good wheels on which to mount 700 x 28 tires (my frame will not accept larger than 28)? Strong? Light? Oh, yeah, I'm already in the world of normal rear spacing (130 or 135mm). For the record, I have no intention of going tubeless, so ignore that aspect. But I AM interested in disk vs. rim brakes…

prathmann

They wouldn't be my first choice. The rims are really intended for tires wider than 28mm although they may work ok with that width. But note that with the rim already 28mm wide a tire that has a nominal width of 28mm will probably end up a little wider on these rims and might be too wide for your frame. And I prefer to have more than 32 spokes in the rear wheel on a tandem after some bad experiences with touring loads.

nfmisso

I have not seen any reason to change from Velocity Dyad Rims (40H on our T50). The Dyad's 18mm inside width works with tires from 25 to more than 40mm wide. They are round and flat - many rims are not - which makes them very fast and easy to build into wheels.

waynesulak

"29er" wheels are just 700c sized bicycle wheels marketed to mountain bikers. Evaluate each wheel on its merits just like any other wheel. Most have 135mm hubs. Many also use wide rims and are made for disk brakes only so that may limit their usefulness on some (most?) road tandems.