Subject: Re: Heavy Duty Road Wheels Posted by: Cyco on December 15, 2002 at 04:49:33: In Reply to: Re: Heavy Duty Road Wheels posted by Pete on December 14, 2002 at 05:30:11:

Message: >>Can anybody recommend a touring/training wheelset for bigger riders. I weigh 225 lbs.(~100 kilos)and can produce >1000 watts of power. Alot of wheelsets aren't up to the task and are rated up to 180 lb. riders. Any help appreciated. >>Talk to your local tandem riders. You're in a similar weight and power zone. You will probably find a lot of 36 spoke 3-cross lacings but you are (I assume) limited to a 130 mm rear axle rather than a typical tandem's 135 or 140 mm. >If you read some of the earlier discussions you will see that "Cyco" is over 90 kilos and can get away with some more radical stuff because he builds his own wheels. I prefer more spokes and offset rear rims (which help equalize left and right-side spoke tensions and are available from Bontrager, Ritchey, and Matrix) but the only offset 36 hole rims I've run across are at Rivendell Bicycle Works (rivendellbicycles.com) who had a set of Bontrager Fairlanes (something like 520 gm) made up for them. They have Shimano-compatible wheelsets already built up or can sell the rims to you or your local wheelbuilder. >If you want stronger traditional (bent) spokes in the rear than a 14-15-14g (2 mm-1.5 mm-2 mm) you can try to find some 13-15-14g DT Alpine III or 13-14g (either Sapim Strong or Wheelsmith DH13). Their 13g (2.3 mm) heads should still fit 2.4 mm hub holes. They are all intended for tandem, loaded touring and downhill use. But I've never had the mass or power output to need to try them... Sapim spokes seem to be rare in the USA, except on the USPS team bikes. Good luck. Pete, try Velocity for offset (and standard) rims in any drilling you ask for. I have ordered them from 0h (to create a 19" trials rim) through to 48h, but normally they start at 12h, depending on model. I have had great success with the Alpine III spokes for heavy / abusive (hardtail freeriders) riders.