Originally Posted by
veganbikes
I am sure you could reuse Bontragers. I didn't know those were needing to be reused but for me unless it was from Keith I am less interested. Bontrager before Trek is what I can get behind.
A good hub is still a good hub. We are far too eager to just throw out the old to buy new. I know that I suggest just buying cheap wheels if you are just going to use the same components as a cheap wheel to build one but these hubs are worth keeping. No they aren't the same as the boutique hubs you've mentioned but they don't have the same price tag either.
Originally Posted by
veganbikes
A good durable rim is always handy for a long term handbuilt wheelset. There is lighter options on the market and with today's tubeless technology you can get a strong rim with less weight but if durability is concerned a little extra weight never hurt nobody.
Durable in what terms? A heavier rim is just that...heavier. It doesn't mean that it stands up to much more than a lighter rim. It's only slightly less prone to cracking and the thickness differences are minimal at best. Based on the volume of aluminum used, a "heavier, thicker" rim is usually only about the thickness of aluminum foil thicker (I've done the math elsewhere). Since the material is aluminum and the shape of the rim isn't round, that doesn't add much to to the durability.
As for tubeless rims weighing less and being stronger, I doubt that claim. There isn't anything inherently different between a tubeless ready rim and a "regular" rim. In fact, most rim can be made tubeless.
Originally Posted by
veganbikes
You could carry the tool for the proprietary nipples but I think stuff like that for touring isn't as good. Splines are a great idea and if everyone was on that bandwagon it would be excellent but we aren't yet.
Why don't you think they are good for touring? If you are carrying the tool, you can remove the spoke if needed. And you aren't likely to lose the spoke in the event of breaking a spoke. Even if you did lose the spoke, you can always replace it with a square one.
Originally Posted by
veganbikes
Aluminum nipples are fine for a lightweight wheel build for racing and things like that but I wouldn't want to use it on anything else neither would any of the folks who have built wheels for me and many many many others. Brass works just fine and has worked just fine for a long time, why fix what ain't broken.
Square aluminum nipples are a dumb idea in my opinion. They are too light for the duty and they are too soft. But brass isn't all that wonderful either. It's only slightly harder than aluminum and has a tendency to round off at higher spoke tensions. In other words, I consider square nipples "broke" no matter what material is used. Splines solve all the problems with square spoke nipples. For me, it's not about the weight...you save milligrams by using aluminum...it's about the function. They simply do the same job better.