good online source for new wheels
 

So I started to put together a fuji cross bike (love the bike) that I had boxed up before moving and remembered that it had a broken spoke on the drive side, :crash:. Well it's the second spoke that I broke on the drive side; the rim is a 32 hole Ritchey ocr rim laced 3x cross onto a Ritchey hub. I thought the point of an off center rim was to minimize dish so that spoke breakage was less likely? Hah. I don't torture my wheels (too much) but who knows what the quality of the wheel build was.

So I'll eventually get around to replacing the spoke and trying to tension the wheel properly. In the meantime, I might as well get a 2d pair of wheels (I'll need a pair eventually for a frame that I plan on building up later this summer). What is a good online source for wheels? Any recommendations for wheels that will hold up better than the wheels I'm riding? I weigh around 200 lbs and I like to think I'm a reasonably good rider. I'm leaning towards shimano hubs (105s or ultegras) laced onto mavic open sport rims but I'm open to other suggestions. I'm also leaning towards 36 in the back and 32 up front since I want something that will last.

don't go november...apparently they stopped carrying wheels with higher spoke counts...liability is a *****

Williams Cycling 30X is what you are looking for. They are great wheels.

skip the open pros - they've been nothing but problematic for the last bunch of years.

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/
http://www.boydcycling.com/
http://www.psimet.com/
http://www.prowheelbuilder.com/
http://williamscycling.com/

Loads of options for you

I personally decided on a local build with Velocity A23s when faced with similar quandaries. I'm a little heavier than you, and went with 32F/36R laced to 105 hubs (because 105 comes in black, otherwise almost identical to Ultegra). The things are SOLID. Probably overkill, but I like overkill. I like that I'll never have to worry about them again, even if they are on the heavy side.

I have a friend riding Williams 30x every day who loves them as well.

The new Boyd with wider rims looks nice.

You really can't go that wrong with any of these options in this price range. I really like the local pro who built mine, super nice guy and I was very happy to take my business to him. There are several options online to get the same build done quite reasonably if you don't have a local pro.

They stopped making carbon clinchers with higher spoke counts. They're still making aluminum clinchers in all the same spoke counts, and still making carbon tubulars in all the same spoke counts as well. Since OP seems to be interested in aluminum rims, I think November would still be a perfectly valid option for him.

What are you using the rims for? Cross? Commuting? Road?

General purpose road riding.

Thanks for all the great options. I've always thought that open pros were a bit light for general riding for most people. But I'm thinking of going with the open pro sports which are a fair bit heavier at 490 grams (the open pros are 435). I haven't heard anything problematic about the open pro sports and I love my MA-2s and 3s which have held up very really well for a long time.

I read their blog about this...it makes no sense to me....an overweight rider abuses his wheels, and November reacts by eliminating their higher spoke count clinchers, and claiming that the low spoke count clinchers are more than strong enough for nearly everyone.

No, it's to discourage heavier riders from buying carbon clinchers at all. They're saying that if you're light enough to ride carbon clinchers in all situations, then you're light enough to use low spoke counts in all situations too. But if you're too heavy for low spoke counts, then you're also too heavy for carbon clinchers.

And it doesn't apply to aluminum rims, which is what OP was asking about, so it really doesn't apply to this thread.

November stopped a clyde build because their carbon rims are prob not up to the stress. Sometimes the manufacturer skimps near the spoke bed and that is why some carbon rims are not as strong as others. The Enve rims are some of the best here. Boyd also build his spoke beds to a high spec. He talks about this because he would rather have a $2 spoke break than a $300-$400 carbon rim crack from a spoke pulling out.

This is one of the reasons I stopped myself from getting generic china carbon clinchers. They are super light and there is only so many placed they can reduce material from.

I'd check out Velocity built wheels: http://store.velocityusa.com/product....1.791.0.0.0.0

I've been riding both road and MTB wheels by Velocity for several years, and have been delighted and untroubled by both pairs.

The road wheels are 32 spoke, 14/15 gauge DT spoked Aerohead with the OC rim in back and brass nipples and the Velocity Race hubs.

They're pretty darn light, and have held up under my 220lb mass over rough Michigan roads for three years now without failure or needing truing. They were about $550, IIRC, but were custom built with the rim and spoke color I wanted.

As an added bonus, IMO, since February this year all Velocity rims are made in their USA, and the wheels hand built here (in Michigan) too!

I've heard great things about velocity rims and I like the fact that they are now made in the US (even if it is MI, :p)

i just got my wheels from prowheelbuilder.com

i got velocity A23s w/ velocity road hubs.

really satisfied with them. i also called before i ordered and the person who answered was very helpful.

Do I have to take that from somebody from Iowa?!?! ;)

Just to be clear, I believe the rims are actually made in Florida, and the wheelbuilding/distribution center is in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

You're probably thinking the same thing I'm thinking right: Florida?!?! :rolleyes:

I hate to say it but I probably agree with your first sentence. Rivendell sells some stock velocity wheels that look pretty bombproof at $325: http://www.rivbike.com.

I really like Shimano hubs (and this is from a former kind of campy/suntour guy), though. I recently bought a cone set for a pair of 20 year old wheels, no problem.

Do they make flat wheels in FL?