Originally Posted by
mrkm
I'm upping the budget a bit to include a pair of custom wheels/tires. Aside from number of spokes and tired width, should I be seeking out anything else?
Lastly, is it maybe worth it to upgrade the brake pads if I go the non-trucker disc route?
I'm still open to other options (read: companies), just happen to have done most research on Surly's and checking them out today.
If you go with an LHT I don't see any need to get separate wheels. Tensioned properly, you should have no trouble. My current LHT is two years old. It's been ridden fully loaded for some 1,000 miles. Some of those miles were on unpaved roads in Montana that were very rough in places. It also regularly tackles the bumpy streets of Philly. I have never had the wheels trued or otherwise worked on aside from the initial set up.
I had a previous LHT that was stolen. It, too, saw hundreds of miles of fully loaded action. One day I accidentally bent the RD hanger a bit. I neglected to get it fixed in short order. One day I was training for a mountainous trip and decided to see what the lowest gear felt like going up hill. The bent hanger sent the RD into the spokes. The force was so great that the RD cage exploaded into many small pieces and the hanger twisted. The wheel, however, was only slightly tweeked.