New Wheels - Yeah
#1
Thread Starter
Fail Boat crewman
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 675
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From: PDX
Bikes: Reynolds 853 Jamis Quest 1990s
New Wheels - Yeah
Rol Volants 
20 radial in front
24 2 cross in the rear
Kinlin 270 rim
Pillar PSR Bladed Spokes
Not sure about the hub manufacturer.
They are tight, true and slick.
The box came with a box containing 3 spokes and the QRs.
Will post pics with the bike when I get a new tube. The 27 mm deep rims are too deep for my valve.
I compared them to my existing rims and man oh man the Rols just seem to want to fly.
I can't wait to mount the cassette and let it run. The freehub is a little loud. Well louder than a shimano. It has a definite tick sound as the pawls engage.

20 radial in front
24 2 cross in the rear
Kinlin 270 rim
Pillar PSR Bladed Spokes
Not sure about the hub manufacturer.
They are tight, true and slick.
The box came with a box containing 3 spokes and the QRs.
Will post pics with the bike when I get a new tube. The 27 mm deep rims are too deep for my valve.
I compared them to my existing rims and man oh man the Rols just seem to want to fly.
I can't wait to mount the cassette and let it run. The freehub is a little loud. Well louder than a shimano. It has a definite tick sound as the pawls engage.
#3
Thread Starter
Fail Boat crewman
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 675
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From: PDX
Bikes: Reynolds 853 Jamis Quest 1990s
That's what I thought but all the reviews for Rol and Kinlin convinced me to go for it.
I am a light weight guy at 150 lbs so I don't see a huge problem and with a 220 pound limit I am not really concerned.
Time will tell.
I am a light weight guy at 150 lbs so I don't see a huge problem and with a 220 pound limit I am not really concerned.
Time will tell.
#4
Banned.
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,095
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people act like because you commute on a bike that you go through minefields. it's ********. I'm 250 lbs but when I was a 150 lb preteen I used to do all sorts of **** with all kinds of bikes, we used to jump 10 speeds of ramps and and we never even broke a spoke. If the wheel is built right, you'll be fine. I'd be a helluva lot more worried about getting a flat tire than having a wheel failure.
#5
Plays in traffic
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 6,971
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From: Rochester, NY
Bikes: 1996 Litespeed Classic, 2006 Trek Portland, 2013 Ribble Winter/Audax, 2016 Giant Talon 4
Agreed.
I commute on all of my bikes. One is 32/32, another is 28/32, and two of them have 20/24-spoke wheels. I don't have issues with any of them. It's all about the build.
Enjoy your new, lighter wheels. I know I really enjoy the days I can my bikes with the lighter wheels.
I commute on all of my bikes. One is 32/32, another is 28/32, and two of them have 20/24-spoke wheels. I don't have issues with any of them. It's all about the build.
Enjoy your new, lighter wheels. I know I really enjoy the days I can my bikes with the lighter wheels.
#6
Thread Starter
Fail Boat crewman
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 675
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From: PDX
Bikes: Reynolds 853 Jamis Quest 1990s
Thanks guys. The tension feels right and Pillar has the tensions for the spokes on the website so if I get a notion I can always check the build.
They are straight with no wobble and mounting the dillos on them was like buttering toast.
The rear hub is as noisy as a King. Not buzzy like bees, more of a click buzz. It isn't really annoying and I can already see the benefits of buzzing down a hill and people hearing the freewheel. They will probably think they are back in the blitz of WW2.
Compared to my old hubs from 1997 and wheels from the same era these wheels spin up with less perceived effort on the crank and when they get up they like to spin.
They appear to be narrower than my CXP21s. Oddly they feel about the same weight, maybe a little lighter.
They are straight with no wobble and mounting the dillos on them was like buttering toast.
The rear hub is as noisy as a King. Not buzzy like bees, more of a click buzz. It isn't really annoying and I can already see the benefits of buzzing down a hill and people hearing the freewheel. They will probably think they are back in the blitz of WW2.

Compared to my old hubs from 1997 and wheels from the same era these wheels spin up with less perceived effort on the crank and when they get up they like to spin.
They appear to be narrower than my CXP21s. Oddly they feel about the same weight, maybe a little lighter.
#8
Just built myself a set of commuter wheels. 36 spoke Wheelsmith 2.0, 3x lacing, 26" Velocity Synergy rims. Stout. Not that heavy... compared to stuff like Sturmey Archer hubs with Chukker or B43 rims... Don't plan on having issues with the wheels.
#10
I sometimes commute on low spoke count wheels.
It hasn't been a problem but if a spoke does break, you may not be able to straighten the rim enough by adjusting the tension on the other spokes to ride home which would be a drag. I recommend you get an emergency spoke replacement.
You can use it to replace a spoke even on the drive side of the rear wheel. They don't take up much room in your seat bag either. It came in handy last Fall on group ride when one of the guys was doing stuff you just shouldn't do on a road bike. He went off into the woods to go over this drop. Suddenly we hear a not so great landing followed by a "ping ping ping ping" and a slew of obscenities.
It hasn't been a problem but if a spoke does break, you may not be able to straighten the rim enough by adjusting the tension on the other spokes to ride home which would be a drag. I recommend you get an emergency spoke replacement.
You can use it to replace a spoke even on the drive side of the rear wheel. They don't take up much room in your seat bag either. It came in handy last Fall on group ride when one of the guys was doing stuff you just shouldn't do on a road bike. He went off into the woods to go over this drop. Suddenly we hear a not so great landing followed by a "ping ping ping ping" and a slew of obscenities.
#11
Thread Starter
Fail Boat crewman
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 675
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From: PDX
Bikes: Reynolds 853 Jamis Quest 1990s
First 10 miles with the wheels and they cut 2 minutes off the commute. I managed to maintain an average speed of 1 mph faster uphill than my previous wheels. Downhills are oodles faster prolly 5-10mph. To make it better today was head wind day. So I managed that in a head wind.
#13
Unfortunately I didn't screw the cap on tight enough one day and I lost it on the way home. Now I'm slow again.Seriously though I've heard that new wheels is one of the few upgrades that can make a significant difference. In my case it was pretty slight. For awhile I kept my bike hanging from the rear wheel in the office. The bearings were definitely much better than my old wheels. I could spin that front wheel and it would go, go, go and go some more.







