Reliable replacement for Aksium that stranded me.
 

So I had an Aksium today that a spoke pulled through the rim. It left me stranded in the middle of nowhere in rural Wisconsin. I managed to find someone to drive me 25 miles back for $40 cash I had. I tried messing with a spoke wrench tightening the other drive side spokes and loosening the NDS spokes. I got it to where I could roll it without the tire rubbing the chainstay but the minute I tried riding it it started rubbing and given it already took some clear coat off the carbon with just a few rotations It would have destroyed the whole frame and tire if I tried riding it.

So now I am looking at replacements but it freaks me out that one broken spoke could strand me. I have 32 spoke traditional wheels where a broken spoke just meant open the brake and make your way back. However, my carbon frame seems to also have very narrow clearances for the wheel/tire. I also should not have trusted the wheel since it had 12k miles on it but showed no signs it needed to be replaced. My friend has a Ksryrium hub crack at 4k miles but fortunately was close to home.

I guess my question is what should I replace it with so that I am not in that position again? That really had me shaken. I am considering buying a set of classic Open Pro Ultegras or building my own out of traditional spokes and hubs.

Riding light, low spoke wheels is worth a rare inconvenience. Besides it is hard to believe that the wheel could not be straightened sufficiently to be rideable given the availability of a spoke wrench. If you know a bit about building wheels I would spend some time practicing on the broken Aksium to learn how to get it reasonably true. That skill could come in handy again in future.

I'm a rookie in the cycling world (6 yrs) , but 12k out of a wheel doesnt sound half bad . FWIW, I run Shimano RS10's (13k), and they are bombproof, so far !

One can also choose to ride light, 28-32 spoke wheels, easily lighter than those Aksiums. How much lighter will depend on the budget.

Seems like you already answered your own question. With my 32 or 36 spoke wheels it's never been hard to continue a ride despite a broken spoke. Even with very tight clearances a bit of tinkering with a spoke wrench gets things true enough.

For the case of a broken spoke as opposed to your rim issue another solution is to carry a FiberFix spoke. It works to replace a broken spoke of any length and is flexible so you can install it on the DS without removing cassette/freewheel. Never actually had to use one on my own wheels but have helped other riders with it. Intended to be a temporary fix until the proper replacement spoke can be obtained and then the FiberFix Kevlar spoke can be reused. Mine is currently on loan to a friend who's on a short tour and has had some recent spoke issues.

I've built nearly a dozen traditional wheelsets. There was literally no way to make the wheel ridable with a spoke wrench and not destroy the entire frame. I tried tightening the neighboring DS spokes and loosening the NDS. It still would rub the chainstay whenever it was ridden.

I think I am going to get a set of 32 spoke Open Pro Ultegras.

Nothing wrong with either (I have a set of those wheels from about ten years ago) but you can find lighter but just as stiff rims and far lighter but just as reliable hubs. Build with butted spokes (and even aluminum nipples) and you can shave nearly a pound from that 'standard' wheelset.

example?

Hubs: http://www.wheelbuilder.com/american-classic-road-hubs/

Rims: http://www.bikehubstore.com/Kinlin-XR19W-Clincher-Rim-p/xr19w.htm (or IRD Cadence if you want more drilling options)

My commuter bike wheels are built with basically the above (I used the MTB disc version on the AC front hub) and have been extremely reliable for 25k miles. I did crack the front hub on a pothole in the rain at night but continued to ride that wheel for another couple weeks before discovering the damaged flange.

I do not baby my stuff and frequently carried 20+ lbs. on my rear rack (had over 30 lbs. on it a few times). I used 32 spokes front and rear with all DT Revolution spokes except for Competition spokes on the drive side rear. Total weight of the wheels is around 1450 grams.

Open Pros are the very latest in 1990s wheel rim technology ;)

I'd much sooner build with Pacentis or HED Belgium or Belgium+, or H PLUS SON Archetype....lots of good durable rims out there. The Kinlins recommended up thread are pretty good too

Hubs....I wouldn't use Am Classic. DT makes nice hubs, or Bitex, or White Industries/King if you want something blingy.

I'm sorry to pooh-pooh your idea, but Open Pros are nasty, old fashioned, obsolete rims. If you want more spokes, fine, but there is no need to have such a disfunctional rim. Kinlin XR-200s in 28/32 or 32/32 spokes will save you a bunch of weight and give you modern design, stiffness and durability. Don't throw out the baby with the bath water.

Yes, the Kinlins with Bitex hubs will save you a bundle of both money and weight. Your only extra weight will be in those extra spokes. NTTAWWT

At least the spokes you can get locally without waiting for a special order for 3 weeks.

One to two years is horrible life.

Bike Hub Store will have your order to you in just a few days. If you order Novatec hubs from BDOP, you will have them in two days. None of that 3 week stuff.

And if you're on a multi-day organised ride you're hosed. Utterly.

Only a few days? If my R45/Belgiums ever break spokes in the morning I can go to the LBS and get new DTs and be riding again by lunch the same day. You seem to think waiting days for spare parts is some sort of high feature.

When did the subject become repairing a broken spoke during a multi-day ride? We are talking about building a pair of replacement wheels. Of course you can get spokes anywhere for an emergency repair. Or just carry a few spares. The Kinlins and Bitexes don't affect that.

Why not American Classic? When I built my wheels, I considered both DT and Chris King but neither could come close to the weight and cost of the ACs and offered nothing I could use to justify their higher cost and weight. I know little to nothing about Bitex so perhaps they are even more cost effective than ACs.

Am Classic hubs have had durability problems IMHO....also way back they had design problems (2004 or so to 2008 maybe?). For years they had "features" where the freehub would explode or low quality bearings and the not so odd hub shell failure. But they were *light*. Those days are mostly gone judging by the lack of mad raging forum posts about such things, but the micro hubs tend not to lace into as strong a wheel as other hubs... or maybe people just don't buy their product much anymore after all the fusterclucks. But IMHO for the money there are better options.

BHS hubs (made by Bitex) are light and cheap too Road Hubs and make for good strong wheels builds. Been reliable for a while. Kings and Whites are blingy, but for price/performance BHS/Bitex is the sweet spot.

I mean shoot a King R45 Belgium+ 28/28 build can be 1525-1550 grams IRL....which for just about anyone is light enough....and such a build isn't even trying to be lightweight.

ive had great luck with my BHS kinlin wheels and bitex hubs. i run the wider xr31ts, but strong as hell.

Anything but Open Pros, look at some DT tubeless ready rims, build the rear wheel with offset rim. I run Aksiums but my frame fits 32mm tyres with room to spare. I'll never own a frame that barely fits 25mm tyres.

how about these Kinlin sets on ebay

Free Shipping Kinlin XR200 Alloy Wheelset 22mm Clincher Alloy Wheelset | eBay

They cost less than the parts I would need to build them myself. Good rims from what I've read Novatec hubs are acceptable. People say the Aksium hubs suck yet I've had no issues there.

nevermind only 24 spokes on the rear.

Why not get one of Bdop's wheel kits and build yourself another set? They are a great value and you can go as high as 28f-32r on the spoke count if you like. They ship fast and have nice components.
DIY Alloy Road Wheel Kit III
At $320 dollars you even get CX Ray spokes. That's $150 retail value just in the spokes.
Those wheels would be in very nice upgrade from the Aksiums you have been riding.

Search around enough and just about every new company trying to push the limits of a design will have had their share of failures and pissed off customers. I have two sets of wheels with AC hubs (one set from ~2005 on my lesser used road bike and the other from 2009 on my commuter which I've referenced here). If they had constant problems in the past, they've either corrected them or I've been lucky.

Hmmm, I'll call BS on this. While taller flanges might produce a stiffer wheel for a track cyclist, I highly doubt most road cyclists will feel any difference between widely spaced small flanges versus slightly larger, but narrower flanges. And this BHS copy of that hub (SuperLight Wide Front Hub) has the following statement: "According to my test builder, also a racer, this hub produces an incredibly stiff wheel. "

The Bitex hubs seem like good value for the money, no argument there. They are quite light and very cheap. I may have to give them a try some day.

It is fairly light but when you can build a set of wheels 200 grams lighter and for far less money, it doesn't make for a very attractive option, IMO. I considered both King and DT hubs when I built my wheels but looking at the weights and prices, the American Classic hub option (was Bitex even available in 2009?) simply made so much more sense to me. And I haven't regretted the decision.

Some wheels are more durable than others, but no wheels are forever. If you ride wheels until they fail, then all your wheels will strand you sometime or another. Just decide what compromise of weight, durability and cost you are comfortable with and go for it.

All wheels will eventually fail ie break a spoke or have it go through the rim but a bike should still be ridable with a broken spoke. I've ridden a 32 spoke wheel with a broken spoke and all I had to do was open the brake. With a 20 spoke aksium it was not able to be ridden even with adjustments and a spoke wrench. That is unacceptable to me. My friend had a Ksyrium hub fail at only 4k miles and leave him stranded (close to home fortunately). I'll stick with 32 spoke wheels.

SO far I'm looking at TheBikeHub store's Kinlin XR200's 32 spoke rear with their generic hub and Dan's Comp sells Sapim double butted spokes for 0.40 each. I may need to purchase an Aksium just as a backup to get me through the rest of the season. This wheel build is more of a winter project.

Why should a wheel be rideable with a broken spoke? Why should a bike be any different than a car. I mean, it isn't wrong, but it isn't necessary either. You have a problem, you get help.

But don't get me wrong. I support your decision completely. If that is what works for you, that is what you should do. Personally I value the low spoke wheel more than the assurance of being able to get home. I can deal with a little inconvenience.

You can get Laser spokes for not much more. They are far superior to regular double butted spokes. Much more durable besides being much lighter.