Front wheel or not?

[Moodyman]

After three spoke breakages in 9 months, I've finally decided to fork out on a 36-spoked handbuilt rear wheel using Rigida Sputnik on Sapim spokes.

Am wondering if it's worth replacing the front wheel at the same time.

The current wheels are 32-spoke low-end Bontragers. The front has always run true and carries no loads whereas the rear carries me (17-stone) and my panniers.

Do over 100 commuting miles a week.

 

[Moodyman]

After three spoke breakages in 9 months, I've finally decided to fork out on a 36-spoked handbuilt rear wheel using Rigida Sputnik on Sapim spokes.

Am wondering if it's worth replacing the front wheel at the same time.

The current wheels are 32-spoke low-end Bontragers. The front has always run true and carries no loads whereas the rear carries me (17-stone) and my panniers.

Do over 100 commuting miles a week. Want to avoid spending unnecessarily.

 

[John the Monkey]

It would bug me that the wheels didn't match, personally, although if cost was a factor I could live with it.

If you've had no bother with the front, there shouldn't be any harm in leaving it as is.

 

[HLaB]

The rear rim of my hybrid finally failed last year (it seems so lon ago! ) and to get moving again I got another wheel, it doesn't bother me its got a different label, to the lay man it still the same as the front. My Rims are similar (both the front and back are black) if they were diffent (ie black and silver) it might be different. It only seems to bother the rider nobody else notices.

 

[Moodyman]

Thanks guys.

I'm not overly bothered about the aesthetics - especially when 7/8 months of the year I'm riding in the dark.

Both old and new tims will be the same colour anyway - black.

I was thinking about the long term durability of the front wheel.

If it decides to pack it in about 12 months, I might as well use economices of scale and get a complete wheelset now.

 

[battered]

IME front wheels last longer than rears so I'd just use it till it wears out.

It had never occurred to me that some people get concerned if their wheels are different brands!

 

[John the Monkey]

The rear rim of my hybrid finally failed last year (it seems so lon ago! ) and to get moving again I got another wheel, it doesn't bother me its got a different label, to the lay man it still the same as the front. My Rims are similar (both the front and back are black) if they were diffent (ie black and silver) it might be different. It only seems to bother the rider nobody else notices.

I'm quite sure it's only me.

It bugs me that Mrs. Monkey's bike has a silver Exal LX17 in back, and a silver no-name rim up front, tbh. Need to get around to building a front that matches for her bike...

 

[John the Monkey]

Look it's you lot that are crazy NOT ME.

Non matching front and rear indeed...

/twitch