Deep V's
 

Would 32 hole velocity deep v's make good touring wheels? IT seems like the deep profile would make them very strong, am i deceiving myself?

32 on 26" would make strong wheels. Hard to see why one wouldn't go for 36 spokes. One of the nice things about that make is they offer some 40s and 48s. The deep Vs do have more of a girder effect and it does make for stiffer sections and stronger sections between the spokes. Tourists are still carrying extra spokes, aramid spokes, so the spoke problem hasn't disappeared, more spokes are still better. It depends on how close your touring mode is to just regular riding or whether it is more towards an expedition mode, and how well your wheels are built. Elite built wheels make a huge difference.

36 spoke you say. 700c would be good at 36 spoke?

It's too narrow. For touring from Velocity you want the Dyad. Sadly, I believe it's lighter than the deep V, but it can take wider tires.

I have the 26" version and I've been using some extremely wide tires (2.35" big apple). I think the 700c version is narrower by a few mm, but I know a couple people who've been using 700x38 tires without any trouble. ymmv.

what would be the ultimate touring rim in a max of 36 spokes?

I have great success with Mavic A719.

I'd go with the Dyad based on Peter Jon White's experience. He prefers it over the Mavics and says the Dyad is "virtually impossible to crack".

I've heard the 719 is good though. In my experience Mavic makes some great rims and some with tendencies toward cracking at the eyelets. I've beat the daylights out of some low spoke count Mavic road racing wheels and they truly amazed me. On the other hand I've had one set of Mavics used for mountain biking and one set for touring crack.

Dyads.

Alex DH22.

On 700C you want a minimum of 36 spokes. Sure you will hear stories about wheels that took a trashing at some tiny number of spokes. 36 is really the minimum for light shallow rims like the legendary MA2, so one knows it provides adequate spoke support. If you peel away spokes you "need" to go to rims that have structure. That seems to be Brandt's view.

If you are buying all new parts go for 40 on 700C, though most people won't want to queer the resupply situation. I basically build to tandem numbers, that's my weight, and the upper end load weight, it could be as high as 300 pounds on the bike. The fact is that tandems are just bikes, like most bikes they may not get riden all that hard or long so I don't think tandem numbers are crazy for touring bikes if your weight is 200 or up. If you are 150- 200 with no more than 50 pounds gear, go 36 spokes, and if you are 150 down you could go lighter on the spokes, though I don't actually see the point. All estimates are for 700c go down one measure for 26". I don't try to save weight by reducing the number of spokes, you could get better performance by switching to a light inner tube (not recomending that either). Wheels are the defining part of any bike, and the last part you should compromise.

I'm feeling bad about all this right now, I just bought a Rohloff Speedhub which is 32 spokes. I'm going to a 26" rear wheel and the flange is really high on the Rohloff. I am assured that I can't break it. And that is probably true, though I don't much like it.

38s on Deep Vs sounds like trouble to me.

On a 32 hole rim with a rohloff, I'd be more worried about spoke breakage. I don't know how much concern you should have over that, though, because I don't know jack about MTB stuff/sizes.

+1

I run Velocity Deep-V's in 26", 36h, built by Peter White on my LHT. He told me that he would not worry about giving me (200 lbs, and fully loaded) a 32h Deep-V rim for touring. Apparently, he uses 36h for tandem MTBs if I remember correctly. I still went with 36h just because I figured that 4 extra spokes wouldn't kill me and would be a good idea. I ran Continental Travel Contacts (26x1.75") across Canada last summer without so much as a flat tire or a bump on the rim.

roholffs only come in 32 hole... guess they havent been having much trouble.

thats actualy why i was planning on buying 32 holed rims is so that later i could cut out the hub i buy now and put in a roholff. When i get some (lots) money.

You want 36 spokes for touring minimum. Also, drill the rims for schrader. You'll be happy you did.

Yeah, I was wondering about drilling. My touring bike is schrader, and it irks me... I so love my slender presta valves. Man I'm a dork.

Oh yeah, if you do run Presta valves on your Deep-V's, you might want to think about either long-valve tubes or valve extenders or something. I have Conti tubes in my rims right now and the Presta sticks up just enough to "lock onto"... but the pump has to be perfectly straight, heh.

*edit* I guess the same would go for Schrader valves too, I never really thought about it.

I don't drill my rims for SVs and have never regretted it. I'm certain that I never will.

On the other note, Peter Jon White and Schwalbe USA sell tubes with longer valves.

I thought that having SVs, was that you could put extra air in your tyre at a serv'o?

I have had two sets of Deep V's on my commuter bike. Twice the nipples were pulled through the rims. I'd keep a lighter load on the Deep v's. Agree with the Mavic's A 719. Rugged.

I built a front wheel using a 700 Deep V and a Shimano dyno hub....it works great so far...i switch the wheel between my commuting fixie and my trekxtracycle (trek w xtracycle on it :)...i'm going to take the trek (sans xtra) on a tour of oregon this august.....