Yet another wheel building thread
 

I know, this subject was discussed a lot, so sorry for repetition.
It's time to replace my wheels and I'm looking for good components list.
I'm commuting every day, all year round - so it should be a strong wheelset. I'm not that heavy - 85kg (190lbs) and want it to be relatively light - at least lighter then my current deepVs. Front wheel is disc brake, rear is fixed.
I don't want to spend a fortune, but I'm not on tight budget either. Basically looking for best bang for the buck.
So, here is my list:
1. Front Hub: SRAM X9 QR. This is the lightest hub for my purpose I've found so far. Probably this is a wrong forum to ask anyway :lol:
2. Rear Hub: Novatec or Origin8. I guess they are just re-branded formulas, but for some reason they are lighter than other reincarnations of the same design. The difference is negligible tho.
3. Rim. DA28, A23 or XR-270. DA28 is the heaviest, but cheapest and I can find them locally for the same price, which saves me a lot on shipping.
4. Spokes - whatever I can find locally. 32 front and rear, 3cross. double butted. black. Most likely DT Comp or Sapim Laser.

Please critique or add to that list.
Thanks!

novatec makes their own hubs, they really do compete against formula.

you might want to take a look at tomicog or velosolo. two wheels with the same rim and hub will simplify spoke lengths.
also, you might want to try shimano centerlock hubs with 6 bolt adapters. They have lower flanges, which makes them lighter.

novatec hubs are better.

Are you sure you need high spoke count 3 cross? Going from 3 to 2 is a large drop in wieght, down to one is even more.

This is actually an interesting comment. I've never seen less then 3 cross disc brake wheels, but it does not mean anything. Any ideas on how suitable is 2 cross to tangential load of disc braking as well as occasional curb hops?

i have two cross 24 spoke 26 inch wheels. id say stick with three cross and at least 28 spokes with 700c.

if you have 32h on your 700c wheel, 3x gives the best angle.

2x is for 28h to 20h 700c or 32h 20" wheels.
or if you're using something like a powertap with 60mm deep 700c rims.


It's not that you can't do it, but it's about as clumsy looking as radial lacing on a 32h wheel.

radial 32 spoke is blasphemy and should be posted only in the jackass thread.

I build 2X 700c/32h wheels all the time.

With a Disk??? the spokes get loaded pretty heavily on disk brake wheels

No. I missed the part about the disk brake.

I really dig the A23s, the theory behind wider rims makes a ton of sense to me. Given that these are for street use and will be used on the street, 32h 3x makes a ton of sense. In all honesty, depending on a couple factors I might even go 36h rear if this is a set not being used for competition that you want to hold up for years and years. The factors include your position on the bike, if you have a rack that you carry panniers with, if you carry a heavily loaded backpack, etc. Each spoke weighs about 6g so adding an extra four in the rear would add 24-30 grams but for a commuting wheelset could make a ton of sense. Also, go for brass nipples for sure.