Dellphinus

with cartridge bearings, and not Phil Woods (love to have em, but can't afford em)?
32 or 36 hole, and will take 25-38 tires?
26"?
?

bwgride

Unclear whether you want 26" or 700c, but 26" are generally believed to stronger for the same number of spokes. I would also recommend you buy wheels with 36 spokes -- no need to skimp here.

After a brief search on the web I've found that most recognized makers of hubs (DT Swiss, American Classic, Chris King, Phil Wood, White Industries, etc.) charge $200+ for just the rear hub if it is cartridge and compatible Shimano cassettes. Add another $100+ for the front hub, and you have wheels starting at $300 for just the hubs. I guess if I was going to spend that much, I would add another $150 and just get the Phil Wood hubs.

Personally, however, I would not spend that much when basic Shimano hubs will perform the same and last a very long time. Difference, as you probably know, is that Shimano hubs are cup and cone rather than cartridge. All my hubs are Shimano, and I've found removing the bearings and cleaning the hubs to be an easy task that takes me about 30 minutes (which I do about every 2 or 3 years, or whenever I feel like it).

While not the cartridge bearings you seek, I put together a custom wheelset at Universal Cycles (any decent on-line bike retailer can do something like this, e.g., AEBike.com):

https://www.universalcycles.com/wheelkit_new.php

"Your Kit Contains the following items:

Front Rims = Alex Adventurer Rim (26 Inch x 36 Hole)
Rear Rims = Alex Adventurer Rim (26 Inch x 36 Hole)
Nipples = Brass Nipples (Silver 12mm)
Rear Hubs = Shimano FH-M585 LX Rear Hub (36 Hole - 135mm Spacing)
Front Hubs = Shimano HB-M580 LX Front Hub (36 Hole - 100mm Spacing)
Spokes = DT Swiss Champion Spokes (2.0mm Silver)"

Your Total: $158.36

Of course this wheelset is customizable, so it's easy to select whatever parts you want. The point with this example is simply to show that for $159 one can obtain a complete wheelset (that will be very strong and last a long time) for less than the cost of just a rear cartridge hub I noted above. I would feel comfortable riding cross-country fully-loaded on these wheels.

I would recommend checking spoke tension and tightening any nipples that seem loose; if touring, it is a good idea to learn to do these things in case you don't currently work on your own wheels.

If uncomfortable, Peter White offers similar wheels (Shimano LX hubs, 36 double butted spokes, Mavic rims) built for about $340 and his wheels are often viewed as the standard by which others are compared:

https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/wheels.asp

Takara

You are wasting time like crazy. War, food shortages, economic crisis loom. Put two wheels, any wheels, on your bike and go touring.

The Smokester

I have 4000 miles on Velocity Aeroheats rims with 36 hole Shimano XT hubs and DT spokes laced 3 cross on my LHT and am very satisfied.

Dellphinus

That's the plan, but I've got to have wheels that will survive the bomb craters and IEDs, be efficient enough that I can roll for miles with little to no food, and not need servicing for years and years, since all the bike shops and parts stores will be out of business!

freemti

I thought they had a bike shop at the Thunderdome?

Black Shuck

Sun CR18 rims, Shimano Deore LX hubs, DT Swiss Alpine III spokes, 36 of them, handbuilt wheels ofc. Not with cartdridge bearings, but i peeked inside mine after 6000 km, 1700 of it loaded touring on mixed roads(even some forest paths and lots of rain) and the grease looked nice still, didn't bother changing it just adjusted them a bit and they roll very well still. Hit a pothole at 32km/h on monday and didn't need to true them after :-)

[Edit: spelling]

chucko58

What's the big deal with cartridge bearings? In my (somewhat limited) experience the Shimano hubs are as durable as anything out there, and cheap.

tmac-100

I have purchased new style and old style PW hubs on e-bay. My loves are balck anodized 48 hole ones for cassettes that were built into bulletproof wheels for expedition type touring. In addition, I have several sets of 36 hole hubs just waiting for a build up into lighter wheels.

By watching EBay, and waiting, you can get them at reasonable prices. My 48 spoke black ones were about $200 off list price and they were new. Either no one wanted them or didn't realise how good they were..

In the meantime, get whatever and start riding :-)

cyccommute 

Cannondale put a cartridge bearing hub on their T800 in 2003. Not a bad hub, although I did have a bearing go bad before my 2005 ride. Not a big issue to change it however.

There are other cartridge bearing hubs out there but most of them are going to be priced about the same as the Phils. Look on Fleabay and you might be able to get a deal on the front one. A new front is around $90 which isn't that expensive for a good hub. Not Shimano cheap but it has features the Shimano lacks.

For good, inexpensive wheels, I'd use Shimano XT hubs, DT Alpine III and an IRD Cadence VSR rims (rear) in 36 hole. The offset rim makes for stronger wheel with less dish. The Cadence rims are kind of hard to find but the offset drilling is worth the effort. I have Ritchey OCR on my touring bike with Alpines and they are bullet proof!

Save your pennies and go with something inexpensive now and dream of Phils in your future. It can happen...I building my second set of Phil wheels now

robow

cycco, do you feel the XT are worth the difference above and beyond the LX hubs. I was told the LX might be slightly heavier but more durable in the long haul? Curious on your thoughts or experience. One last question, does anyone have a favorite Mavic rim in 26" x 36 hole for touring such as an XM 719 or XM317 ?

ricohman

Mavic A319 36 hole. Strong, well built wheels. Use some quality spokes and some Shimano hubs and go touring.

climbhoser

Velocity Dyads. Love those wheels.

I thing XT are perfect for years. Do it.

cyccommute 

I think the seal on the cassette side is a bit better on the XT then the LX. Otherwise there's little difference. I'd probably still choose the XT over the LX for swank factor

And the Mavic touring rims aren't bad. I have an old A719 on the front. Either it or the A319 would be good.

BlueDevil

How about good touring wheels to fit on a very standard road bike? What is the widest rim/tire a typical road bike brake can take (lets say, an Ultegra brake)? Will a 135mm hub fit a normal road bike? Or should I be looking at something like a Shimano 105 hub? Any good suggestions for making this work?

jcbryan

Velocity Dyads or Sun CR18's, 36 hole or more. LX or XT is fine if your near any bike shop.

jens5

Dyads are great. Never a problem and they accept large tires.

Rowan

Dyads, and if you ask, I think Velocity will make up the wheel with cartridge bearing hubs, but only in 32H configuration.

I went through an ordering process with a bike shop in Australia (home base for Velocity) and Velocity sends the bike shop order direct from the factory. I could have had the cartridge bearing 32H hubs (Formula hubs rebranded, I think), but at a pretty hefty premium of $AUD250 per pair (which was almost the price of the standard 36H wheelset!!). I settled for the standard cup-and-cone ones in 36H because wheel strength through spoke count was more important to me than hub configuration.

The wheels were well built, pinged a little on the first 50 metres, and have been true now for almost 800km.

TheBrick

HI I was just looking for hubs and found these DMR revolver sealed casset hubs. (You don't have to use the disk so the fact that it is disk compatible should not matter)

https://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/?a...=8506&brandID=


I have the single speed version on a mtb and it is solid and well sealed. Add whatever rims you want good spokes and build.

TheBrick

US site for you.

https://www.jensonusa.com/store/produ...=FRGLUK&cc=GBP