Got settlement and ordered new bike, now no money and low spoke count wheels
 

So i got my settlement for the bike that was totalled from a car hitting me. They gave me $1000 to settle the property portion. Lawyer said it will be sometime till the rest is figured out.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...Lesson-Learned

I went back and forth between getting the Caad 10 and the Motobecane titanium. I also looked at the Scott S20 and Allez elite. Local LBS wouldnt really work with me on the wheels for the Caad. Offered me a $100 credit for the ones that came on the bike and they would build me a $500 set of wheels. They wouldnt take anything less then MSRP on the Caad10. It just put it out of range of what i wanted to spend on an aluminium bike. I saw the reviews for the Motobecane Titanium in the road bike forums and they were all postive so i pulled the trigger. Ordered this one: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...heat_rival.htm

I am still just below 300 and this bike, like the caad, has a low spoke count wheel (Aksium Race Wheelset). I am not hugely concerned (well maybe i am) , all riding is on a MUP and no real turns to speak of, though rear is only 20 spoke :(. Is there anything besides having the spokes retensioned, I should do to try and make these things work for the next 8 months (rest of settlement)? I ordered up some 28 wide tires to switch out. Not sure if it will help but it was the size i was riding on the other bike so i thought i would do it. All suggestions are appreciated.

It's good you got a settlement. I say wait and see on the wheels. If the spokes break or you have to constantly get it trued then I would look into purchasing something or having it built.

+1 I'd get them checked to make sure tension is even and in range then ride them till you have problems.

The Aksium Race wheels are pretty inexpensive, fairly heavy wheels. But they've gotten good reviews here on BF. The usage reports all say they are sturdy, and don't break spokes or go out of true very easily. I got one on sale to replace my cracked back wheel, and now I use it as a winter wheel, so I keep my good wheels away from the winter potholes and salt.

It should be fine.

I weigh 265 and ride Aksium's. I had them for three years. So far they are still going although I didnt put mega miles on them. Dont let those wheels hold you up, just find a wheel builder later on and have a set of 36 spoke wheels lace up in the future. I believe hand built wheels ride nicer anyway.

At about 235 lbs, or possibly a hair more now that we're in the dead of winter, I ride Fulcrum Racing 7s, which have 24 spokes in the back and 20 in the front. In about four months I've put 1,600 road miles on them. They're great wheels. A Clyde on low-spoke-count wheels isn't necessarily asking for disaster.

thanks guys all this is promising. I was having good luck with http://bikeisland.com/cgi-bin/BKTK_S...ls&ProdID=1776 on my last road bike. 36 spoke and i abused them a little bit without issue. Probably go that route again once i get another influx of cash. Maybe save a few bux if I have no issues with the 20 spoke.

Is it possible to just buy a new rear wheel and move the existing one to the front ? Or does that have to be done in pairs?

My bike+rider+stuff weight is over 250#. I am using the Dura-Ace wheels that came with my women's bike. 7500 miles no spoke issues despite some crappy roads that will launch water bottles from the bike cages. I am careful to avoid potholes etc and to unweight when going over bumps. YMMV if you are strong enough to put more torque on the wheels with faster accelleration or higher overall speed.

get the caad and ride that wheel for a while. save some money and just purchase the rear wheel. bought a 36 hole velocity wheel 105 hub from prowheelbuilder 2k miles ago and still true to this day. cost shipped was less than $200.

Ive been riding Aksiums - 20 spoke - for a year now. 2000+ miles and never had a single issue. I started out at 316lbs and only recently got into the 280'lbs. I think they are a great wheelset for clydes. :thumb:

I am just under 260lbs myself, riding 16 spoke on front and back, with not too many problem after over 2000miles on them so far. As Seattle Forrest said, " A Clyde on low-spoke-count wheels isn't necessarily asking for disaster."

Happy trails! :)

Bought a bike over a year ago that came with aksiums and they have been very good wheels.. Have held there true and feel very solid when putting down some torque.. I would just ride them and take them in to your shop and have the tension checked after a few months on the road.. I have the older Aksiums which are 24 spoke, the newer models are 20 spoke..

You could also sell the aksiums or keep them as backups and look at a 36 hole setup like this

http://cgi.ebay.com/Ultegra-6700-Mav...item27b7f0da33

^ This. I've never even trued mine, and they have about 5000 miles on them.

My experience is that if the rims are strong ( the "aero" aluminum rims that are 27 - 30 mm deep are good examples - the extra depth can make them very strong), it's possible to make a low spoke count wheel that's just as strong or stronger than a traditional wheel with lots of spokes and a box section rim. The Neuvation M28 Aeros are an example of this approach - it's a strong reliable wheel (I used one for more than 10k miles, and it's my trainer/emergency wheelset now). However, I was stranded when I did break a spoke after a recumbent crashed into me just over the finish line at the Tour de Tucson a few years back - I couldn't get the wheel true enough to ride back to the hotel with the limited number of spokes remaining.

The reason I like my more traditional wheels is that when something goes wrong (and it eventually will if you ride enough) the traditional wheel is more likely to be kludged together to limp back home (wrapping a broken spoke around the adjacent one), and to be repairable at any bike shop.

I used Mavic Ksyriums for a while, and they were very strong - the Aksiums seem to have the same reputation. Ride them until you wear them out or they start breaking, then worry about replacing them.

JB