Originally Posted by
pursuance
So you're an admitted shill for Trek. I'm OK with that... but the HD racks on the 920 would seem to dictate 36 spoke wheels IMO.
My next bike will be a Jamis Aurora Elite that comes with 36 but I gotta pair of 32 spoke A23 rims for a second wheel set.
I'd never build 28 spoke for touring/utility use.
Please have Trek offer full spec info on site, like weights. Thanks.
EDIT: Just looked, the 520 has 36 spoke hoops and the 720, the light weight, has 24 and going by those numbers the 920 should have 18?
Thanks for reiterating why I chose to respond to this thread. I rode Trek for ten years before working for a dealer. They ain't perfect, but they are solid.
You will rarely to NEVER see true weights or even numbers relating to weight from most bike companies. Reviewers will post them, but anything you get from the Mfr. is going to be a lie!! To ask for that kind of info is IMO naive as even the in/out reps will not give them out. That's why we have a good scale and get real world numbers ourselves when bikes come out of the boxes.
The wheels are 28 hole designed for off road use with no rider weight limit. I have never seen one come back from a weight based failure. Crashes, poor maintenance, yes, but personally I don't see an issue. I have been hammering 28 spoke wheels for years off road and have yet to do anything other than a little truing or tensioning. (A set of A23 wheels is what I toured with on a carbon cross bike last year on the PCH from Tillamook Oregon to LA. No problems with 32H either.)
Who in their right mind is going to overload this bike and then try to use it for its main intended purpose which is off road? Not I. My self imposed limit for either type of terrain is 35 pounds, 30 if I don't take a tent and Bivy instead...
If 36H wheels are your bag or needed for peace of mind, go for it!! I am not saying this bike is for everyone. I am saying its the bike for me. In the end, that's all that matters.