Originally Posted by alanbikehouston
I have a set if "touring" wheels with 36 spokes in the front and 40 in the back. These wheels are twenty years old and have all 76 of the original spokes. On a regular basis, in these forums, I see posts from guys whose newest set of ultra-light wonder wheels has come apart after just a few weeks of use.
Last year, a UK magazine had an article about the wheels used in the one day Paris to Roubaix race. They look like my touring wheels, not like "wonder" wheels. The article said "wonder" wheels can not survive one day of severe use.
Your "Ferrari and Porches" example may be correct. My friends with that sort of car are always begging for a ride from someone with a car that actually runs - their Porsche is back in the shop - again.
Paris Roubaix is essentially Cyclocross. The set up they run on most bikes there is different from what they run in the majority of other races. It's brutal and they spend as much time in the dirt next to the Pave as on it.
Most of the folks you see standing by the road next to their bike either aren't doing the required maintanence, or they are silly enough to put race parts on bikes they use for touring, or they are too heavy for what they bought. I own a set of Zipp 303's, one of the lightest wheels out there, and they go on the bike when I'm racing or for the occasionally big climbing session. I don't use them for screwing around.
But my everyday set of wheels still come in at under 1300 grams, and I put a lot of good mileage on them, without any problems. I think a properly laced 32 spoke wheel cross three is more than reliable enough for everyday use on training rides, provided you buy quality, and you're not a Clydesdale (again see proper application).
I look at Road Bike Review from time to time and have to laugh at the folks who buy the lightest racing tire and ***** that they only got 1000 miles on them, or flatted after a few hundred miles. And did you think an 18 spoke, 400 gram wheel was a good idea for your touring bike?
But there are also a lot of high mileage carbon frames out there that are still plugging along, because they are inherently well built and designed, and the people who own them take care of them.
There's a lot of "ultralight" products coming on the market, and some of them are c**p. There's also a lot of inexpensive, heavy c**p out there too. It's important to make distinctions between the good and bad and not make blanket assertions about the quality of something based on weight or price.
You can even find light and inexpensive with some products. I've been roundly ridiculed for putting a Weyless carbon/aluminum stem on my race bike. I should have spent a lot more money and gotten something heavier I suppose, but I've been using these stems for years with no problems...at 130grams and $25 on sale, I'll listen to the derision.
If your friends can't afford a second car for everyday use, they shouldn't have bought a Ferrari or Porsche in the first place. I hope they make better decisions in their personal lives
