Hand built wheels spec

[Buzzinonbikes]

Evenin all,

The best bike has just gone away for hibernation for the winter and I noticed that the rims have worn quite substantially. These are the stock wheels that came with the bike (Scott Speedster 20, 105) and as you might expect they are pretty pants - always breaking spokes and the rim has worn down quite rapidly. They are an Alex rim with a Formula Team hub whatever that is. As such I am in the market for a new set of clinchers.

I value reliability and sturdiness over them being super lightweight as I weigh about 13 stone on a good day. That being said, I am a club rider so don't want to be riding a hog and prefer to spend a bit if it is quality kit! I am hoping for these to last so envisage changing rims, bearings etc as and when. Because of this I have been thinking about going down the hand built route. My research has lead me towards either 105 or Ultegra hubs laced to either Mavic Open Pros or CXP33 rims. I suppose my questions really are: -

Are there any differences between the two hubs other than weight?

Which rim would you recommend for my needs? The OPs seem lighter while the CXP33 seems more bomb proof, in which case will go for the latter.

Or alternatively, is there anything on the pre-built market worth looking at around £250/£300 mark? Or are cartridge bearing hubs worth looking at for ease of maintenance?

Cheers

 

[Cyclist33]

I'm no expert but I thought the 105/Open Pro option via Merlin Cycles looked quite good on the criteria you are after.

If I was buying I would get ready-made, mainly coz I value bling over substance. Most people who buy Fulcrum wheels seem content with their strength and durability, and £300 would get you close to some Racing 3s, or you could get the Quattro CX version which is about £250 the pair and the hubs are described as something like "double-sealed" to keep the crap out.

Other people say that Shimano wheels are good for home-based maintenance owing to the nature of their hubs. In your price bracket the Ultegra wheelset gets a good write-up.

Stu

 

[Spoked Wheels]

Shimano 105 and Ultegra are pretty much the same hubs, very good and reliable. The Ultegra are nearly twice the price of the 105 and weight a tiny bit less. Ideal for commuting.

13 stones is not too heavy really. Your choices are pretty extend.

Open Pro rims are good and have a long track record.... a bit boring though.

I don't want to sound like the only thing I recommend but I'm a fan of the H Plus Son Archetype and Novatec hubs. I'm quite heavier than you and I would have the same again if I were to have new wheels.

There are some nice Velocity rims that would fit the bill too or perhaps you can look at the Ambrosio rims. You have lots of choices.

Have a look at my signature where I have pictures of the Archetype and also Mavic + 105 hubs.

 

[Cyclist33]

I like that phrase "quite heavier"

 

[jowwy]

i got velocity a23's built on 105 hubs with sapim spokes - handbuilt by dcr wheels and they are superb wheels at a tad over 250

 

[Cyclist33]

i got velocity a23's built on 105 hubs with sapim spokes - handbuilt by dcr wheels and they are superb wheels at a tad over 250

Can you elaborate in terms of what makes them superb? Ride feel; consistency; grunt;?

Stu

 

[YahudaMoon]

I've been using the 105/mavic open pro set up for about 8 years and wouldn't change, though the rims wear out quicker than most, you wont get much more than 14 month out of them if your commuting every weekday (150km a week) and climbing/decending hills every weekend (200km a week). So thats at least 12'000km?. The CXP are definetly harder wearing, I use CXP also but mainly on my commute.

I like the 105/open pro set up with DT swiss as the hubs go through about 4 rims, never had any isssues maintanance wise and the rims are always in stock at my local bike shop and can be replaced with a day or two from someone who can build wheels, I think having a good wheel builder is the most important here

I've also used Alex rims, I think theyre not bad for cheap wheels, used them from off the peg bikes, Id still use them if they work

 

[jowwy]

Can you elaborate in terms of what makes them superb? Ride feel; consistency; grunt;?

Stu

its the feel of them on uneven ground - the rims are slightly wider at 23mm and with 25mm tyres they sit a lot flatter and squarer on the rim, so ride very nice indeed. they say they ride very close to a tubular tyre in feel, but having never rode a tubular tyre i cant really compare

Velocity say:

The idea behind a 23mm wide rim is that when paired with a 23c tyre, the internal width of the rim clinches the beads just right so that the tyre profile is very similar to that of a tubular rim. All ‘techno-jargon’ a side, it’s pretty much a “Clinchular” set-up. You get all the benifits of a tubular ( super smooth ride with low rolling resistance) with the convenience of a clincher.


The theory behind 23mm wide rims rather than 21mm wide rims is that they support 23c tyres better. Traditionally the advice was that if you had a rim as wide as this, 23c would be the minium tyre size to run on it. However, the market is moving towards wider rims. Measuring the external diameter of a rim is in some respects unhelpful, as the tyre is hooked on internally. Traditionally road rims were 13mm or 13.5mm internal. That allows from 18-28c comfortably. Internal measures of rims in relation to external measures vary depending on the profile of the rim and thickness of the sidewall. My best guess is that this runs a 16mm internal which is virtually touring width. However, this must not be mistaken for a touring rim. It is a road weight and road strength.

Running this rim with a 23c tyre is perhaps a little slim and unlikely to feel exactly like a tubular. However running this rim with a 25c tyre will make for a fast but particularly comfortable wheelset. The mid section profile of the rim also retains reasonable stiffness.

 

[YahudaMoon]

I'm no expert but I thought the 105/Open Pro option via Merlin Cycles looked quite good on the criteria you are after.
Stu

As the OP is in Manchester, Id use Will at Wills Wheels

just saying

 

[BimblingBee]

I built some 105/open pro wheels with dt swiss double butted spokes and can't fault them. 105/Ultegra difference is basically weight and bearing quality.

About a tenner difference between buying off the shelf and building at home for the 105 version although it doesnt say what brand the spokes are or Merlin (I'd guess not DT).

 

[VamP]

Can you elaborate in terms of what makes them superb? Ride feel; consistency; grunt;?

Stu

Grunt? I think that is for the rider to provide.

 

[Cyclist33]

Not if you understand the term

 

[Hacienda71]

Paul at Rick Greens in Handforth isn't a bad wheel builder.

 

[e-rider]

Evenin all,

The best bike has just gone away for hibernation for the winter and I noticed that the rims have worn quite substantially. These are the stock wheels that came with the bike (Scott Speedster 20, 105) and as you might expect they are pretty pants - always breaking spokes and the rim has worn down quite rapidly. They are an Alex rim with a Formula Team hub whatever that is. As such I am in the market for a new set of clinchers.

I value reliability and sturdiness over them being super lightweight as I weigh about 13 stone on a good day. That being said, I am a club rider so don't want to be riding a hog and prefer to spend a bit if it is quality kit! I am hoping for these to last so envisage changing rims, bearings etc as and when. Because of this I have been thinking about going down the hand built route. My research has lead me towards either 105 or Ultegra hubs laced to either Mavic Open Pros or CXP33 rims. I suppose my questions really are: -

Are there any differences between the two hubs other than weight?

Which rim would you recommend for my needs? The OPs seem lighter while the CXP33 seems more bomb proof, in which case will go for the latter.

Or alternatively, is there anything on the pre-built market worth looking at around £250/£300 mark? Or are cartridge bearing hubs worth looking at for ease of maintenance?

Cheers

I have tried both Open Pro and CXP33s extensively. My conclusion is that the CXP33s are far better rims. The only negative for the CXP33s is that the finishing around the spoke holes can be a bit rough as there is no 'eyelet' as such to cover the drilling (although they do have an internal eyelet of sorts). The Open Pros are often poorly joined (i.e. not aligned well at the arc-welded join) and they are a soft rim! Okay if you're lightweight perhaps.

 

[e-rider]

Ultegra hubs are probably worth the extra cash. The 105-5600 were okay for the money, but the 105-5700 are a real step down in quality. You could consider Hope Pro 3 hubs for not much more than Ultegra, but still much less than Dura-Ace or Chris King