Originally Posted by
gdg22042
I'm riding a 2006 Trek Project 1 Madone, and I seemed to have worn out the rear freehub on my bontranger race lite wheel (wheels were standard with the bike). I took the wheel to my normal LBS. They thought they had the hub in stock, but after looking around for 25 minutes, then concluded they didn't.
I then took it to my back-up LBS, who said they too didn't have the freehub in stock, and didn't think they could get it because the wheel is 5 years old and the particular freehub on the wheel might not be made anymore -- which may or may not be the reason the first LBS didn't have it in stock after all.
This is why you build wheels with standard, serviceable components. I have 15 year old wheels on their second (front) and third (rear) rims for which I can still buy bearings, freehub pawls, etc.
Question is, given my weight and usage, does anyone have any recommendations for a reasonably priced wheelset? While I do an occasional triathlon, I wouldn't say I'm a racer by any stretch, and I certainly don't need to grind every gram out of the bike for speed's sake (a few less hamburgers works just fine and is a lot cheaper).
32 hole Shimano Ultegra hubs (better bearing quality than 105, adjustable cup and cone bearings that should last a very long time, coined spoke holes in the flanges, etc. nice but not sexy).
Velocity rim of your choice - Deep V, Fusion, A23 (Mavic is getting out of selling rims to builders at some point, and Velocity rims are both less expensive and available in more colors).
DT Competition 2.0/1.8 butted spokes. You can use DT Revolution 2.0/1.5 spokes if you want to play the weight weenie game but there's more windup to deal with.
DT brass nipples. You can use alloy nipples if you want but better lubricate spoke threads and rim sockets with anti-seize.
Ideally you learn to build wheels (read Jobst Brandt's _The Bicycle Wheel_) and do it yourself using hubs from an on-line European source (where retail is lower than US wholesale ) plus other parts sourced on-line.
That way when you bend or wear out a rim a replacement costs you $50 for the rim and you can have it done as soon as you get around to it instead of $70 at full retail, + $45-$90 in labor, + $32+ for new spokes because they don't trust the ones you already have.
Or you find a reputable wheel builder.