Thread: Wheel Advice
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Old 12-31-10, 01:58 PM
  #6  
FBinNY 
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: New Rochelle, NY
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Bikes: too many bikes from 1967 10s (5x2)Frejus to a Sumitomo Ti/Chorus aluminum 10s (10x2), plus one non-susp mtn bike I use as my commuter

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Bikes are basically engineered around rider weights of less than 200#s. I'm not saying that you're too heavy, since there's lots of safety margin, but that you should exercise some judgment whenever considering components intended for competition, or where saving weight was a design consideration.

For some perspective, not that long ago 36 spoke wheels were the norm, with the British prefering 40rear/32 front. Over the years (with no significant improvement in the technology or materials, 32 spokes become the norm. In all fairness that's generally adequate, and I find that my 32 spoke wheels hold up about as well as my 36 spoke wheels used to. (I weigh 190#s)

Given your weight, I'd definitely go with a set of properly built 32 spoke wheels (14g DB stainless spokes, decent hub, medium weight double wall rim). I'm not saying that well built 28 spoke wheels won't hold up, but that given that you weigh more than 20% more than the high range of design weight, buying yourself some extra margin of strength can't hurt.
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