Originally Posted by
Doug64
My opinion closely follows what seeker333 posted.
I think the utilitarian version of "classic" touring wheels use some combination of the following components: Shimano LX or XT 36 spoke hubs, DT or Wheelsmith spokes and Alex, Mavic, or Velocity rims. There are folks that talk about Phil Wood and White Industry hubs, but those are at the high end of the spectrum. I'm sure that there are several other good combinations out there, but these are the components that seem to come up the most. They are also the components most manufacturers use as OE on their touring bikes...
Guilty as charged. I had a set of wheels built on Phil Wood hubs back in the mid-'80s and finally retired them a few years back because the rear flange had worn out. The darn things only had 250,000 miles on them, much of it loaded and often off-road under my 190 pound body. Some things are worth the extra expense.