Wheelset
 

So I'm building a bike and I was looking at a pure fix wheelset. I've been up here long enough to know that everyone says pure fix stuff is junk. I'm not looking to build a track bike or anything over the top I just really liked the aesthetics of their wheelsets and I was wondering if they would actually give me any real grief commuting. I request reasons other than just they are junk. Why are they junk? I know there is probably better for my money but I want to mostly make sure I'm not just throwing it away for something that'll break in no time

What do you like about their wheels? The depth? The color variety? Does reliability and quality matter less or more? There are certainly better options out there.

For example:
https://www.retro-gression.com/colle...track-wheelset

Yeah the depth and the color variety are what had me interested in their wheels. I'm using the bike to commute so I'd like them to be reliable. I just wasn't sure exactly how "junky" the pure fix wheels are.

I dont know if theyre junk but i know those deep Vs are heavy. And most preferred rims now are wide, 23 width rim or more. I read somewhere that usually deep V with 32 spokes are to make up for the bad quality of the parts (hubs, rims, spokes, etc). I could be wrong though. I think you can get decent quality rims at lower prices.

Yeah I looked at the pure fix wheels for those reasons. Color and depth. Being I am going to use the bike to commute I would like it to be reliable. I just wasn't sure how reliable the pure fix wheels were. Im willing to sacrifice some function for form but I don't want to ride on utter garbage either. If they are absolute junk I would go with a different wheelset (like the ones you posted) but if the pure fix wheels are decent enough to not really give me any hassles I wouldn't mind them

I'm not dead set on anything though. My frame should be back from powdercoating mid next week hopefully, I gotta take it to my LBS to get my headset pressed in. I'm going to browse there and ask them questions as well. Currently there are some h+son sl42s on my local cl with gatorskins on em for 225. I've considered those as well. They have been up there a bit so I could probably talk him down

I'd recommend calling or emailing them and asking about their hubs. It's not clear from their website whether they use loose ball or cartridge bearings. In my experience, low-end loose ball bearing hubs can be a real hassle, needing frequent cone adjustment and getting easily pitted. If they're cartridge, they'll probably be reliable enough for light riding and commuting use.
You may also want to factor in the cost of getting them trued by a local shop, though. I wouldn't trust Pure Fix wheels to be very well-built out of the box.

Thanks. Yeah it even says on their website to have the wheels serviced by your local shop prior to riding 😂 I appreciate the feedback. I'll send them an email. I can always swap the hubs if they are an issue down the road. Thanks again

no experience with the purefix wheel set but my bike came with a pair of deep v rims stock. personally not a fan of the aesthetics and they were heavy, swapped them out for other wheels i had and sold those boat anchors asap. i'm sure they're ok for puttin around as long as your not riding gravel and jumping curbs, but i don't think the design would afford you any more in durability then a lighter wheel set.

*edit: buying the purefix wheels with the intent on swapping hubs down the road is a terrible idea. i doubt the rims and spokes are worth the effort to relace to new hubs.

I appreciate the replies and inputs. So next question. Does anyone have any experience with the h+son sl42 wheelset

Deep wheelsets are silly for commuting. I would not want one especially with some of the winds I have experienced on my commutes at different times in the year. Plus the ones usually used on fixed gear bicycles are heavy and sometimes meh quality. Certainly a deeper section rim and a high flange hub can make for a stronger wheel simply on the fact you have shorter spokes but with todays modern rims and good quality spokes and hubs you can build something plenty strong that is decently light.

H+Son makes from all reports, decent quality rims that can be laced to any number of hubs. I again wouldn't go deep section but the Archtypes are good option and with a quality sealed hub laced by a professional hand you will have a very long lasting durable wheelset.

For anyone whose wondering. I think I'm going to get those h+son wheels on my cl it's the wheels orgin8 sealed bearing hubs dt swiss 2.0 spokes 32 hole. Dura ace lockrings and 15t and 18t all city cogs on gatorskins. I talked him down to 200 for the lot. They have less than 100 miles on em. I'm picking them up when I get paid tomorrow.

Definitely the better choice, and with tires too! Ride and enjoy!

Love a story with a happy ending.

Thanks again everybody. I appreciate the help. When I made this thread I was preparing to be crucified for even considering pure fix stuff 😂 y'all have been very helpful. Next I gotta figure out my bottom bracket and crankset and ill have everything needed to complete the bike. I've debated about just using the stock ones but if I'm building up I think I should go ahead and upgrade.