Originally Posted by
headloss
You may not need stronger wheels, just a proper rebuild of the wheels you have... that said.
The first is your best bet, beyond that, not touring-specific but all solid wheels.
Wheels don't need to match... 70% or so of your weight is on the back wheel.
Aero spokes are useless. Butted spokes are better than standard.
You can use any rear wheel with a road hub with 130 O.L.D. hub spacing for a road bike... so think Tiagra, 105, Ultegra, etc.
32-36 spokes is what you are aiming for.
Popular touring rims are Velocity Dyad, DT Swiss TK540, Mavic A719 or 319... search for those rims and you'll find more wheel sets.
Aero spokes are useless?
Perhaps you'd expand on what your basing your opinion on?
Very happy with my Son28/Rohloff combo with Sapim CX-Rays and 36H Dyad rims thank you very much.
A few thousand kms now, almost all of it heavily laden touring with perhaps a quarter off road conditions and plenty with the addition of a trailer.
No issues
I took my wheels in to be checked recently as I've a extended tour coming up.
No adjustment of spokes needed was the verdict from a wheel builder who was not the person who built up the wheels much to his chagrin.
This is my second touring wheel build using CX-Rays and Dyad extrusion
.
My first was an extended across Australia tour starting in Mudgee New South Wales, taking in a fair bit of South Australia and finishing in Western Australia towing a Carry Freedom Trailer as well as panniers on a Moulton APB (406 Aeroheats).
Again no issue with the wheels despite the "useless" spokes
Happy to recommend wheelbuilder.com in California if like most seem to be in here, your in the States.