Bike Forums - Wheel Build Question:

Bike Forums (https://www.bikeforums.net/forum.php)

- Bicycle Mechanics (https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-mechanics/)

- - Wheel Build Question: (https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-mechanics/1158263-wheel-build-question.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by masi61 (Post 20625177)

Just because you can mount these wider tires on 17mm width rims without issues does not make them optimal. When building fresh, I would think starting with the current crop of wider rims is going to have a potential for higher performance down the line as your sport riding advances more to quasi-racing level performance approaching that of tubular tires. I will check the Mavic article on compatibility though...

It doesn’t make them suboptimal either. In my experience it has zero effect negative or positive with one exception, narrow rims are lighter where you want and need lightness.

I’m also not sure what you meant by “performance approaching that of tubular tires”. Tubular tires are set on relatively narrow rims and they have a very round profile. Wide rims force the tire to have a flatter, squarer profile that is nothing like any true tubular tire I’ve ever seen.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdmc530 (Post 20624386)

@cyccommute
Only thing I have not decided on is the spoke nipples, going for black. Should I use brass or alloy version?

There was a day I only built with aluminum nipples figuring there would never be a problem using the highest quality available ... Wheelsmith and DT.

Then I started restoring vintage bikes and saw the error of my thinking ... I won't ever build with aluminum nipples again because they fatigue and break over time. Oh And they galvanically corrode to the steel spoke like a reverse frozen seatpost. But since they are easy to break you can replace them.
But it's several years out so if you keep that in mind they only offer a weight savings. I only use 4sided spoke wrenches on square nipples.

What a reverseal for me... Now I toss the aluminum nipples and buy (or get them free) brass nipples.

(I'm a secret closet fan of Shimano wheels with aluminum nipples at the hub with straight pull aero spokes and deepish dish rims, call me a hypocrite)