A couple of days ago I had two adjacent spokes break at the alloy nipple making the wheel unridable (out in farm country, no cars, no cell service - an epic and cold adventure). The wheel is a Zipp alloy wheel and Zipp 108 hub laced to DT bladed spokes, 28 hole - 2009 vintage. The LBS says the wheel should be relaced since the spokes are over-tightened, which likely lead to the breakage. I weigh 160 lbs. The front wheel is my main training and racing wheel. My other wheelset are Ksyrium SLs; I don't like the Ksyrium's much, but they make good spares.

If the rim is salvageable I can have the wheel relaced with bladed spokes for about $75, more if a new rim is needed. My rear wheel is a DT Swiss RR-465 laced with bladed spokes, 32, to a PowerTap SL hub. This wheel seems to be laced well, but it's the same 2009 vintage. I'm addicted to power, so unless I reuse my Powertap, or get a newer Powertap, Quark, or Garmin Vector, etc., my current rear wheel is essential to my training and racing.

I realize the cheapest solution is to have my current wheel rebuilt with bladed spokes; the LBS uses DT bladed spokes. But . . .

1) If I rebuild and need a new rim, what should I get?

2) Is it worth the expense to go with Sipam CX-Ray spokes instead of the DT ones?

3) Should I just replace the whole front wheel and sell the Zipp 108 hub (what are they worth?)? If so, which front wheel? 20 or 24 hole? From whom? Are there good deals out there? Awhile back I was considering a wheelset using Stan's Alpha rims, CX-Ray spokes, and Alchemy hubs. But this option was pricey and necessitated a Quark powermeter purchase - currently not an option. Since I live in Colorado and ride a lot of mountains, I don't want carbon rims, and I don't want to go tubular.

4) Buy a whole new wheelset either using my PowerTap SL or selling mine and buying a new PowerTap SL (The G3 is too pricey) as part of a new wheelset? Any good deals available?

5) Other options?


Thank you. Michael

I'd figure out what you want in a wheelset and move in that direction. What I mean by that is don't buy or re-lace anything now that you know is temporary and that you will replace. If you can't afford the whole set now, then at least buy/build the front that you want to be on. You have the luxury of a back up front (and rear) so you can consider this for a bit.

If you build it, build it the same as the rear, if you buy it buy it the same. If you're unhappy with it, get a new set, of front and rear. Point is unmatched wheels look weird.

Both the front and rear wheels are three years old. While spoke tension on the rear wheel appears to be good, and the wheel is true, I'm a little concerned that what happened to the front wheel will happen to the rear wheel. Another LBS told me that spoke fatigue was the likely cause for my broken spokes/nipples. So, I'm a little concerned that if I keep the hub and replace the spokes and rim (which rim?), in the near future my rear wheel will see the same fate. Perhaps I should deal with that problem when the time arrives. Then again, perhaps this is the time to buy a new wheelset, or have both wheels relaced with new spokes and rims.

I really want to get rid of the heavy Powertap hub. I have my eye on the new Garmin Vector, but it's not out until March and I really don't want to be an early adopter. Quarq is an option too, but buying both a powermeter and new wheels is too expensive for me right now.

If I decide to rebuild the Zipp 108 front hub (28 spoke) and the Powertap SL rear hub (32 spoke), which rim and spokes should I use. The LBS suggested Mavic Open Pro, but I want something a little lighter. I'm not sure if I want to spring for Stan's Alpha rims, so what's a good choice for a lightweight rim like the Alpha but not as expensive, and reasonably durable for a 160 pounder? With my current hubs, I'm stuck with 28/32.

Velcity a23, or kinlin niobium (depth of your choice).

How is the durability of the Velocity A23 compared to Stan's Alpha 340 rims? The Stan's rim is 75 grams lighter than the Velocity rim. The weight savings of the Stan's rim may justify the price premium as long as both wheels are equally durable.

IRD Cadence (not the Aero)? It's made by Kinlin and a little beefier than the XR-200. If you go much lighter than an Open Pro (425g) you get into climbing specific rims and you will loose durability. The DT Swiss RR415 is a nice compromise but it's almost as pricey as the stans and heavier. I happen to like Velocity Aeroheads but again you are back to Open Pro weight.

But really, if your are going to ride these for a while spend the extra $20 a rim and get what you want. Since these are high spoke count/low profile rimmed wheels they are not aero so if you want to save money go back to a round DB spoke. Use light weight Sapim Lasers or DT Revolutions on the front and non-drive side and stick with DT Comps or Sapim Race on the rear drive side.

I think you are always going to have a problem wanting to combine your race and training wheels into one set. If you are going to have your current hubs rebuilt I would stick to the durable side and a little heavier. You are already fighting against a high spoke count and heavy PT hub. Might as well make them the dedicated trainers with a sturdy rim.

Then, sell your Ksyriums and use the money to help finance an economical set of light weight race wheels. Something like this: https://www.bicyclewheelwarehouse.com...-/prod_34.html is cheap or bump it up to the Race or Podium build. Builders like Psimet or Excel sports can build you something similar, too.

buy two spokes and retension the wheel

You're probably right - with the high spoke count limitation of my existing hubs, they should be built strong and sturdy, not lightweight. Ugh. The problem is that I already have a strong and sturdy spare wheelset - my Ksyrium SL's. They're old (10+ years), so the most I can get by selling them is $200. So, I consider the Ksyrium's my bomber wheels, though I rarely ride them, even in the winter or on my trainer (I like the power reading of the Powertap). So, most likely I want a lighter set of wheels. Here a a couple of options:

1) Keep my rear wheel "as is", and hope it lasts awhile; or just replace it when it fails. I still may buy the Garmin Vectors in March or April. Then I can buy a lightweight wheel without the Powertap. If I go this route, I can now spend about $400 (wheelbuilder.com) and buy a new wheel consisting of Stan's Alpha 340 rim, Sapim CX-Ray spokes, and maybe the Alchemy Elf hub. Can I build such a wheel cheaper than through wheelbuilder.com? Also, should I use 20 or 24 spokes? I would then try to sell my 28 hole Zipp 108 front hub (no idea what I can get for it).

2) Buy a new lightweight wheelset using a new Powertap SL hub, but with 28 spokes, not 32. Where and for how much?

3)

The rim is too badly bent. And even if it could be salvageable, replacing the two spokes will just recreate the ticking time bomb. The wheel is also 3 years old and well used.

Any additional thoughts?

It's going to have to be your call.

It seems a lot of your options are based off your pt hub. So I would ask yourself if you need it for racing. If not, keep the hub you have and use it with a good training set. Since your rear is still rolling you only need to get a front built to go with it for now. And then look for a light weight race set.

But if you think you need power during races then figure your best option to get it: lightweight Pt wheelset or quark or vector. Sell and buy what you need to to get there.

Thank you. I'm not sure if I want to buy a set of wheels just for racing. I race maybe a dozen times per year - mostly tt's and hill climbs - so I can't justify a race only set of wheels.

I have the Ksyrium's for winter riding and bad roads (though rarely used since it's ridings sans power). I'll ride the Ksyrium's more when I eventually buy a Quarq or Garmin Vector power meter? In 30 years of riding this is the first time I've broken a spoke (nipple). I'm not hard on wheels. Therefore, I'd like a fairly lightweight set of wheels for both training and racing.

My thinking now is to keep riding my pt rear wheel and get a new, lightweight front wheel. I'll likely use either DT Aerolite or Sapim CX-Ray spokes. Rim choice is likely between Stan's or Velocity a23. I like the Alchemy hub, but perhaps there's something similar and cheaper. Now to find the best price for such a build. Ideas? Other choices? 20 or 24 spoke?

Here is a cheap, light hub with dimensions similar to an Alchemy front: https://www.bikehubstore.com/SuperLig...b-p/slf78w.htm. It's made by Bitex. I have a set of wheels with A23 rims and they seem a bit heavier than advertised, maybe more like 440. It doesn't bother me, but if you are looking to build a light wheel I don't want you to be surprised. Since you have a DT rear I would consider a DT 415 for the front.

As I mentioned earlier www.psimet.com is custom builder who frequents these forums. He has a good reputation and prices and builds with all of the brands we've been talking about. I'd ask him for a quote.

While I've only heard good things about psimet, his backlog is horrible. While I'm not in a hurry, I don't want to wait 2-3 months to get new wheels.

I've been wavering a lot on what to do - I wasn't planning to buy wheels right now. My current thought is to use my Zipp 108 front hub and rebuild it laced to the Velocity A24 rim with either DT Aereolite spokes or the next level down (???). I might consider having my rear Powertap hub rebuilt too (similar to the front) so that it won't succumb to the same fate as my front wheel (though rebuilding it now may be a waste of money). I'll have my LBS rebuild both wheels; I get a 20% discount since they're my team sponsor.