j-roe

I checked through old threads but couldnt find anything to help me. Basically, i'm converting a bianchi brava to a single speed and also trying to beef it up a little. I weigh about 250 lbs. and i want to get the strongest/most durable/lowest maintenance rims i can. Maybe i'm making to much fuss over weight but i'm riding in the nyc metro area (gnarly potholes, accident potential, etc.) and I'd hate to throw down good money on rims that crumple or bend after the first hard hit. Based on friends recommendations, aesthetics, budget and some online investigation I've narrowed it down to Mavic (either open pro or cpx 33) and Velocity (either fusion, aerohead and maybe deep V) I'm looking for total quality and craftmanship, so any recommendations are appreciated but these rims are basically the extent of my budget. I wont be doing any racing. Just commuting and pleasure riding. thanks for taking time to help a brother out. Josh.

jbpence

well, i run about 215, and i use a velocity fusions and think, depending on spokes (i use sapim cxrays) that you'd be fine.

personally, i prefer hand built wheels, so dont know about mavics

oopfoo

I also have a big fat ass (6'3" and 235#), and I've been riding Velocity wheels for a few years. I've been very happy with them, even compared to the big-name Mavic and Campy wheels that I own. I have Aerohead, Niobium, and Deep V's all in 28/32 and love all of them. I also have a pair of Spartacus that are probably a little too light for me to use regularly, but it's still a pretty nice wheel.

In general, the quality of the rim is as good as anything Mavic produces. The finish, to me, is even superior to the Mavic. It's less encumbered by decals and generally has a smoother, more polished look.

I'd say that anything 28 spoke or up will be bulletproof for you. The Deep V is a heavy rim, but it's very good looking in person and makes a seriously heavy-duty wheel. The Aerohead is a little lighter and still makes a good wheel. Either try the Velocity-built sets (I have one, and love it), or Give Mike Garcia a call (oddsandendos.com) and he'll build you what you need.

Hocam

Anything that says "touring" or "trekking" in the description will be pretty bombproof because it's made for a 180+ lb. rider, 30 lb bike and 60 lbs of luggage. So any touring or trekking rim with 32 or more spokes laced 3x will be equally as bombproof. Most people also build touring wheels on mountainbike hubs for extra-bombproofness.

IMO mavic and velocity are equal with quality.

Mr. Beanz

So you can't handbuild a Mavic?

I'm about 230, run a Deep V in the rear and a CXP 33 in the front. I've tried handbuilt OP's but had nothing but bad luck. One split on the braking surface, spokes pulled thru on anohter. Different builders. Not to mention they are too noisy for me. That ticking sound from the inside weld bead on the seam just drove me nuts. Also had a friend about 220 that thrashed his handbiuilt OP's.

I've put over 11,000 miles on the Deep V with no issues. A bit heavy but very stiff and responsive for my weight. At my weight, I can feel OP and paired spoke technology wheels (20-24 star pattern) flex when I stomp on the pedals.

deadly downtube

i've been rolling on 36 spoked mavic touring rims (t519 i believe) for the last 15,000 miles... coda expert hub in the back, shimano 105 in the front... i've abused them so hard and i haven't had them trued once.. very happy with hand built wheels. i've put 2 fully loaded cross USA trips on them, still true! i'm 172lbs

j-roe

wow, thanks everyone!! i think i'm gonna go with velocity fusions, seems like a good compromise. all your input has helped a ton! love hearing from veavy riders, gives me hope. all my riding buddies are around 150 lbs. and it gets frustrating, LOL ... cheers

waterrockets 

FWIW, you don't need quite as beefy of a rear wheel on a single speed because of the symmetrical tension on the rear wheel. So, Fusions will be pretty strong for you.

The spoke count is also important, and there's no reason to go below 32h.

I've got 32h front, 36h rear Deep Vs, and I was only 200 when I built them. I wanted a 30k mile set of wheels, and at 10K miles so far, I think they'll make it easily. I'll probably lose the braking surface before the wheels start to lose spokes to fatigue. I really like my Deep Vs, and I race on them.

BlackTaloN

6'2 and 235#, down from 250. I've been commuting to work on my Ultegra/Fusion hand-builts. They stand up to pretty much whatever I throw at them, including the DC road "repair" that flattened my tire at 25mph on a botched bunny hop. The wheels wear Panaracer Stradius tires, usually pumped up to 100-105 psi.

For a little variety, I've even done the commutes weekend wheels, a set of Craigslist Mavic SSC's... black (first gen, I think, looked barely used). These wheel's rock Pro 2 Races, which ride like butter and still have a lot of flat resistance. Same 100-105 psi range as my usual wheels.

Basically, any of the wheels you listed are bombproof. It all depends on how you ride em. I'm pretty easy on my equipment, but I do think I managed to throw off the stock alex 298 wheels that came with my bike. I say think, because they're hidden in the shipping box I got with my Fusions and still have a 9speed cassette on em.

If price is an issue, get the open-pro/ultegras from Performance, but have the shop techs retension and true them for you. Otherwise you can get a nice handbuilt from many online outlets, and they'll be happy to listen to your concerns and how you ride to put you into the correct product. I originally wanted deep-vs but the guys at bluesky suggested the fusions for my intended uses.

Happy hunting.

San Rensho 

36 hole, 4 cross rear, 3 cross front will be bomb proof. I swear by 14 straight guage, but others argue butted spokes are stronger.