Originally Posted by
kipibenkipod
But what I don't understand is:
26'' rim is smaller, hens with 36 spokes is much tougher then 700 36h. You will need 700 40h in order to have somewhat of an equal tough wheel.
Now, my girlfriend will need 26'' frame and I will need 700 frame. I'm much heavier then her, thus much prone to breaking a spoke! Also, it is very reasonable that I will carry more weight on my panniers.
You have built frames for different sizes of wheels, why not built different wheel to different sizes?
Now if we don't take into account the weight issue, I still want equalize strong wheels on the 26'' and the 700 frame. Is this not a logic request?
Thanks
Yes a 40 would be better. Unfortunately you don't find many 40 spoke rims or hubs out there and seldom are they going to be spec'd on any bike. It's a marketing thing. People who design and build bikes don't want to put down that the bike has more spokes. It's just not good for marketing to the bicycle crowd. Even though we touring cyclists are more interested in ruggedness than weight, the people who design the bikes really don't understand what we need. Hence you end up with some touring bikes with 32 spoke wheels.
In reality, touring bikes should have 26" wheels. They are tougher and only slightly slower. Or they should have 40 spoke 700C rears. But in the real world, 36 spokes will get the job done without too many issues. And rims are a little easier to find.