How long should you get from a wheel?

[byegad]

I've knocked out 700C rims in under 5000 commuting miles including much wet weather. The wear indicators disappeared and it began to get the odd suspicious looking bulge in the braking surface. On the other hand I've had 406 wheels that have covered 10000 miles of dry day rides, including big steep hills and high downhill speeds of 48mph or thereabouts! So yes you could have had your use from them in 5000 miles. Only you know if you've ever braked and had a noise like a chain saw gone mad come from both rims as the pads rub.

 

[bennydorano]

Cheers folks. I'll try the Ruler / Page thing when I get home.

I've noticed Shimano Ultegra Wheels on offer on a few sites lately, would they'd be of a similar quality to the Equipes? They seem to be in a similar sort of price range. Couldn't go far wrong with Ultegra???

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I get 2.133 metres and then it starts repeating itself...

Sorry!

 

[Deleted member 1258]

On my pearson, fixed commuter general runabout, I changed the front wheel after about 2-3 years due to a hub problem, I then treated myself to a new wheel set when the bike was just over 5 years old, I'd got pothole damage on the back wheel, the front is in the shed as a spare the back got scrapped, I would normally expect to get 7-8 years to a set of wheels.

 

[bennydorano]

After doing the ruler test, I'd say they are fine tbh, probably on the verge of 'slightly dodgy' - maybe it is just a bit of a buckle / trueing required as I initially suspected.

 

[bennydorano]

I've had Kysrium Equipes for 2 years, probably pushing 5,000m by now and they are showing signs of wear and tear. While talking to a mate I said back wheel needed a bit of a service (I thought a Trueing) and he reckoned 2 years could be as good as it gets and they could be done? What do you think? I've been over some seriously dodgy roads in that time.

After a visit to the LBS back wheel is in fact fooked, badly cracked rim near the valve area and now an expensive turbo wheel.

I now have a few options - as I'm a big lad (6ft 2" and 14stone) the LBS reckoned the Mavics weren't for me and was singing the praises of Fulcrum 5's as they are better suited to a bigger fella. He also makes his own wheels, which have a fantastic reputation locally, but are pricey. I've noticed a deal for Fulcrum Quatros - presumably still ok for a big lad?

Any advice please? what do other big fellas recommend in the (rear) wheel department (realistically priced) <£450. Thanks

 

[Shut Up Legs]

My rear lasted 10,000 miles, my front is still going at nearly 30,000 miles
but it all depends on where you ride gritty roads, mud ect and how many times you use your brakes do you have wear marks on the rim ??

Ps mine are heavy duty touring rims

The wheels I just replaced on the weekend were heavy-duty touring rims (DT Swiss TK540), and I got a year's use out of them. I'm happy enough with that, because in that year I did about 15,000km or more, with about 250,000m of hill-climbing (which means more wear on the rims from the rim brakes).

 

[slowmotion]

After a visit to the LBS back wheel is in fact fooked, badly cracked rim near the valve area and now an expensive turbo wheel.

I now have a few options - as I'm a big lad (6ft 2" and 14stone) the LBS reckoned the Mavics weren't for me and was singing the praises of Fulcrum 5's as they are better suited to a bigger fella. He also makes his own wheels, which have a fantastic reputation locally, but are pricey. I've noticed a deal for Fulcrum Quatros - presumably still ok for a big lad?

Any advice please? what do other big fellas recommend in the (rear) wheel department (realistically priced) <£450. Thanks

I have been using Fulcrum 7s for the last month, 24 spokes front and back. I used them on the LF1 in Holland with about 220 lbs of me, bike and panniers. Absolutely no problem at all. I think they cost about £120 a pair including postage.

 

[guitarpete247]

I don't commute and do only about 10 - 20 miles per week now-a-days. Used to do 40 plus 5 days a week with the same wheels. I had they built in the early 80's. Mavic Module E rims on hubs I had from a bike bought in '79. Checked with ruler and they look like they have years left.
Annoying really as they're 27" and I'd love to go all modern with 700C's .

 

[Deleted member 20519]

I've done about 5k miles on my Kysrium Elites and they still look and spin like new (and are still true) - so I'm expecting many, many more miles from them. Think I've read on here before that people have had 30k+ out of a well maintained wheelset.

How exactly do you properly maintain a wheelset? I'm hoping to run mine for as long as possible.

 

[SquareDaff]

How exactly do you properly maintain a wheelset? I'm hoping to run mine for as long as possible.

I can't comment for others - personally I regularly check spoke tension and that the rim is true. Check my brake blocks for embedded flints and as soon as I get any noises from the hubs I strip them down and regrease them/replace the bearings.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

How exactly do you properly maintain a wheelset? I'm hoping to run mine for as long as possible.

I periodically use rim-cleaning blocks on my rims, to help remove the stuck-on dirt and traces of rubber. You can find them here: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/au/en/s?q=rim+cleaner
They're a bit tedious to use, but keep the rims cleaner in the long run.

 

[slowmotion]

A bit OT, but Fulcrum 7s have a tiny machined/punch hole on each side of the rim. When it disappears, the manufacturers say you should get new wheels. They would, wouldn't they? ( to paraphrase Miss Rice Davies ) How far you can push it, I don't know. Other Fulcrum's may have the same system.

 

[Davidc]

My rear lasted 10,000 miles, my front is still going at nearly 30,000 miles
but it all depends on where you ride gritty roads, mud ect and how many times you use your brakes do you have wear marks on the rim ??

Ps mine are heavy duty touring rims

Not all that different from my experience, but I have gone through them faster when we've had wet years.

I think I'm going to get through my present tourer's rear rim (Rigida ZAC2000) in about 5,000 miles after the grinding down it got in last year's rain and floods. I'll probably rebuild it with one of the Shimano rims.

 

[booze and cake]

After a visit to the LBS back wheel is in fact fooked, badly cracked rim near the valve area and now an expensive turbo wheel.

I now have a few options - as I'm a big lad (6ft 2" and 14stone) the LBS reckoned the Mavics weren't for me and was singing the praises of Fulcrum 5's as they are better suited to a bigger fella. He also makes his own wheels, which have a fantastic reputation locally, but are pricey. I've noticed a deal for Fulcrum Quatros - presumably still ok for a big lad?

Any advice please? what do other big fellas recommend in the (rear) wheel department (realistically priced) <£450. Thanks

I'm just over 13 stone and been riding a set of Fulcrum 5's on my geared bike for about 6 months and 5000km now and so far so good, they roll nicely and have no noticeable flex in them. They are cheap as chips and I must say I'm very impressed with them for the money, I think they were under 180 quid for the pair from Merlin but now down to 165).

I got these as a replacement for my old Fulcrum 3's (which were 450 quid when I got them) which I retired after 25,000km. Good wheels but when giving it the beans out of the saddle I could feel them flex. The small weight difference between the 2 I don't notice when riding. I did note that the bladed spokes on the 3's made maintaining speeds in excess of 40kph slightly easier, but not much.

However I did have problems breaking spokes on the rear of the 3's on 2-3 occasions and if this happens in the sticks the spokes are not the kind of thing a local bike shop has in stock. So if I was you, being a bit heavier than me, I'd avoid wheels with bladed spokes and a low spoke count, get some Fulcrum 5's and spend the saved money on something else.

Alternatively pay a bit more than the 5's and get a set made up for you in either 28 or 32 spokes. These are probably the better long term option as if you get some nice hubs and the rims wear you can just have some new rims laced to your hubs, which probably works out better in the long run and if you do big miles. I've got some 32 spoke wheels with mavic open pro rims laced onto some Royce hubs on another bike and though not as fast (cos of the spokes being non aero and there's more of them, the bearings are really smooth) as the 3's feel much more bomb proof and feel like they'll last forever.

PS I ride in and around London and the South East where the roads are bloody awful.