[KMan]

From your replies here and on the wheelbuilding forum I have narrowed down my race wheelset - let me know if you see any thing amiss or would offer a suggestion different.
I've pretty much decided to try the AC hubs due to weigh. Limited use and hoping they stay together.

Dirt Boy - if you read this I replied to your PM about Tune hubs and am waiting on your answer about service in the USA. I would love to use the Tune Hubs but I am afraid I will have no means to get them fixed if they break. The AC does at least have good customer service.

Wheelset #1:
American Classic Disc Hubs - 355g
Stans Olympic Disc Rims - 350 front - 380 rear = 730g
DT SuperComp spokes w/ alloy nipples = 326g (including nipples)
Final weight will be aproximately 1411grams (plus Stans yellow tape)

Question:
At 185 lbs would I be ok using a lighter spoke? Mike G mentioned in another post T Revolution, Wheelsmith XL14, or Sapim's Lazer. Build would be typical 3x f & r.

This would save me another 40 grams leaving a final weight around 1370ish

I am ok trying a ligh wheelset, but don't want to go "over the edge" so to speak!

KMan

 

[jean-seb]

Question:
At 185 lbs would I be ok using a lighter spoke? Mike G mentioned in another post T Revolution, Wheelsmith XL14, or Sapim's Lazer. Build would be typical 3x f & r.
KMan

Hi !
I, at 170lbs, have been riding with DT revolution with disc brakes for a couple of years without any problems. I almost never had to true them (touch-ups only) and they have never felt flexy at all.

My setup is;
WTB LaserDisc Lite hubs : 146g front, 262g rear
DT Rev (2/1.5/2mm) : 32+32 260mm 3cross : 275g
alloy nipples : 64x 12mm : 20g
Mavic 317disc rims : 390g front, 386g rear
=1479g complete wheelset w/o skewers or rimtape.

Bottom line is, DT revolutions are strong enough.

Jean-Seb

 

[CulBaire]

From your replies here and on the wheelbuilding forum I have narrowed down my race wheelset - let me know if you see any thing amiss or would offer a suggestion different.
I've pretty much decided to try the AC hubs due to weigh. Limited use and hoping they stay together.

Dirt Boy - if you read this I replied to your PM about Tune hubs and am waiting on your answer about service in the USA. I would love to use the Tune Hubs but I am afraid I will have no means to get them fixed if they break. The AC does at least have good customer service.

Wheelset #1:
American Classic Disc Hubs - 355g
Stans Olympic Disc Rims - 350 front - 380 rear = 730g
DT SuperComp spokes w/ alloy nipples = 326g (including nipples)
Final weight will be aproximately 1411grams (plus Stans yellow tape)

Question:
At 185 lbs would I be ok using a lighter spoke? Mike G mentioned in another post T Revolution, Wheelsmith XL14, or Sapim's Lazer. Build would be typical 3x f & r.

This would save me another 40 grams leaving a final weight around 1370ish

I am ok trying a ligh wheelset, but don't want to go "over the edge" so to speak!

KMan

In talking to the Aussie distributer- and builder (and top gun endurance racer) of Stans wheels he recommends against using light spokes for people of real weight such as ourselves- himself is 84kgs and I am 85kg's (thats about 185lbs for you imperial system folks) and he strongly recommended against using anything lighter than the Supercomps for a wheelset I was looking at; and he uses supercomps himself. Mine where to be used as race only and pretty much the exact same build as you'll like yours are to be. Of course different builders are going to say something totally different, someone like Mike G, might have absolute confidents in building a lighter wheel for your weight.

In reading the thread in the Wheels and Tyres Forum, I think using lighter spokes may be limited to the fact that they can only be tensioned so tight. I don't know about you, but I like my wheels nice stiff, and can't stand flex thats why I opted against using stans rims.

Having said that, as a race only wheelset, they will be well sweet 1425g is hell light in any respect. Anything lighter and you'd have to wonder about the reliability of the wheels, I dont know how it is in North America but in Australia some of our XC and Enduro courses get mighty rough and if you're not a finese rider you will soon have yourself a taco with anything lighter.

American Classic hubs: I have been using my 2005 front and 2004 rear for well over a year now, and they have seen many, many races and trail rides. I have not touched them. Only now am I begining to have troubles with them, as cassette body is all cut up from running Dura-Ace and XTR cassettes being alloy it cuts up pretty easy. I am currently looking either for a replacement part- or a newer 225g rear hub when building my new wheelset... Still mechanicly perfect though, it works fine, just takes a while to get cassettes on and off.

The newer ones apparently have bearing issues- however I believe they have std sized bearings now, so finding good quality bearings to replace them should not be an issue.

Hope that helps
-Cul

 

[NoMud]

Somewhat anecdotal, I know.....

I'm 175lbs, and must say I didn't get on with DT revolutions. I had a wheelset built up with DT240s disc hubs and DT rims - the DT revs (I went against the builders advice here) were noticeably flexible. When I tried to get the wheel tensioned (inappropropriately perhaps) I snapped several spokes on a rough ride. I had the same weel rebuilt by the same builder with Supercomps and have had no isuues.

 

[NoMud]

Somewhat anecdotal, I know.....

I'm 175lbs, and must say I didn't get on with DT revolutions. I had a wheelset built up with DT240s disc hubs and DT rims - the DT revs (I went against the builders advice here) were noticeably flexible. When I tried to get the wheel tensioned (inappropropriately perhaps) I snapped several spokes on a rough ride. I had the same weel rebuilt by the same builder with Supercomps and have had no isues.

 

[jakeplazma]

Hey KMan,

Have you talked to Dave Thomas over at SpeedDream yet? Considered to be the best wheelbuilder by even his peers I think he would be a great resource to gather some info... Even if you're not gonna use him to build your wheels he'll chat on the phone for however long it takes to get you pointed in the right direction. FYI, I believe he can service the Tune hubs... If he hasn't started servicing them yet then Jeremy at Alchemy Bicycle Works can. Jeremy is the NA distributor for Tune.

Cheerio!

 

[psinsyd]

My thoughts exactly...

Hey KMan,

Have you talked to Dave Thomas over at SpeedDream yet? Considered to be the best wheelbuilder by even his peers I think he would be a great resource to gather some info... Even if you're not gonna use him to build your wheels he'll chat on the phone for however long it takes to get you pointed in the right direction. FYI, I believe he can service the Tune hubs... If he hasn't started servicing them yet then Jeremy at Alchemy Bicycle Works can. Jeremy is the NA distributor for Tune.

Cheerio!

Yep, I was going to suggest talking to Dave too! After I rode the wheelset I received from him, I instantly decided I will be getting any future wheelsets from him! He's a great guy and an amazing wheelbuilder. I just talked to him about a month and a half ago, and we spec'ed out a wheelset using Tune hubs that he was estimating would come out @ 1345g. My weight consistently hovers right around 155-157lbs, and I'm sure with a 1345g wheelset, there definitely would be a rider weight limit.

Anyways...FWIW, Dave is definitely worth talking to when deciding on a wheelset, and definitely worth talking to before you make any purchase. His prices are also amazingly reasonable.

Thanks!

 

[drunkle]

a heavier wheel is going to retain more energy and make cruising easier. but a lighter wheel will accelerate faster. a heavier wheel helps lower the bike's cg while the lighter set raises it. what is the optimum? is there an optimum? is lighter all important? aside from durability issues.

 

[chris m]

I'm only 155lbs, so not necessarily a good data point for you guys (though often ride with a 15lb+ pack), but my current self-built wheelset is DT rear, AC front disc hubs, X317 rims and half and half Sapim Race and Laser. I have the Laser on the right front and left rear, ie the side with least spoke tension, since the other side is dished. I reckon this actually makes for a better wheel than all Race spokes, since you can tension them up just as well (as the Lasers are lower tension, so aren't limiting you), but you also balance the stretch of the spokes on both sides (the Lasers will stretch more for a given tension) meaning that the lower tension spokes are less likely to go slack, and the rim should move less laterally for a given radial force. The one downside to pre-built wheels for me is that nobody makes them this way!