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Old 12-11-17, 01:51 PM
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SethAZ 
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,394

Bikes: 2018 Lynskey R260, 2005 Diamondback 29er, 2003 Trek 2300

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What he said.

If I looked this up right, the Mavic Aksum WTS disc wheels that come stock on that bike are 20 spokes both front and rear. That would be a bad idea for a guy your size.

For a guy your weight (just a little over my size - I was 284 this morning) keep in mind that more spokes is better within reason, and that the general trend in wheel marketing for many years now has been fewer and fewer spokes. So most of the commonly marketed wheelsets isn't really beefy in the way a really big guy wants/needs it to be.

Spokes is one thing, but there are so many variables that either extensive reading online, or a good conversation with a wheel builder, can give you better info. If you could find the ultra lightest rims in a drilling for enough spokes, for instance, it still might not be a good idea to use it. Really you want a durable rim, enough durable spokes, a durable hub, etc. in an appropriate combination.

For my own riding I've been on some 32/32 wheels I built several years ago. They have a few thousand miles on them and have been fine. My new bike also has 32/32 wheels (Stans No Tubes Grail ZTR wheelset), and I feel totally confident in those wheels. That said, I'm currently building what I hope is an ultimate wheelset for a very heavy rider who nevertheless wants some really nice wheels. I went with 36 spokes both front and rear. This was a conscious decision, as my mind kept wrestling with the temptation to go lower than 32/32 because I could probably get away with it. I don't want to be riding wheels that I think I can get away with, so I consciously turned away from that temptation and added some spokes instead. Kind of an "eff you!" to the temptations of Satan's low-spoke devils whispering in my ear.
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