Originally Posted by
2frmMI
Hate to dampen the enthusiasm and excitement about the very cool/lucious new ride, but I'm compelled to suggest that you stock a set of more reliable wheels. There are plenty of reports of failed Rolfs. Our 320-350 lb team (depending...) suffered failure of Rolf rims part way through a deluxe tour in Italy. We loved them right up 'til they failed. If they fail anywhere but where you can quickly get Rolf service/parts, you are in trouble, and I guess they WILL fail. Failure in Italy doomed our tour. We now ride Phil Wood/Velocity when critical, Rolf only when close to home. Must ask what kind of wheel is that?
Thanks for the advice. I totally agree - our experience has always been iffy with spokes/rims and we know all about how hard it can be get parts from some Bike Friday tours. My risk assessment is that it isn't worth it to take Rolfs or sweet sixteens on tour. So I have a 40H deep-V Phil Wood rear wheelset ready to go before we start packing. The plan for the Rolfs is to ride the heck out of them closer to home - if the durability is an issue, I'll consider some White/fusion/36H wheels as a lightweight set.