Wheel weight limits

[smokeysmoo]

FWIW I've never had handbuilt wheels, I've often intended to but when I've needed some I've needed them more quickly than anyone could build me some.

As a result I've always had factory wheels, and TBH I've never had an issue with any of them.

I now run Halo Aerorage all year round, (I could lose far more weight off me than I ever could of a pair of wheels ), but I don't find them a problem and they've never even needed truing in around 3 years, (I don't ride much compared to others though TBH).

I've had 'good' wheels before, (Mavic Ksyrium SL's), and TBH I don't feel like the Halo's are a sacrifice.

The only time I've bust a spoke was on a rear factory spec DT Swiss wheel on my old Focus Cayo Pro, but it was only 20 spokes, I was about 20 stone, and I'd been hammering it for over two years when it when ping.

Just stick to a higher spoke count and check them when your cleaning, you shouldn't have any problems then.

FWIW I did recently bought a pair of THESE for an 80's resto project I did. I went for them as money was tight and they have a high spoke count.

I was skeptical due their low price, but I was more than impressed and IMO they were brilliant for the money

 

[dee.jay]

So I took a closer look at my wheel and I think part of the issues I have experienced are probably my own doing. When I put the Marathon tyres on- I note there is a bit of a bulge / uneven area in it. Around here is where the wheel is no longer true. I've also used a cheap inner tube as well so I think whilst I get the wheel trued, I will get the guy to replace the tube for me as well. I didn't have this problem for the first two months I rode this bike so I think that's the problem.

All lessons learned I suppose

 

[Nigelnaturist]

So I took a closer look at my wheel and I think part of the issues I have experienced are probably my own doing. When I put the Marathon tyres on- I note there is a bit of a bulge / uneven area in it. Around here is where the wheel is no longer true. I've also used a cheap inner tube as well so I think whilst I get the wheel trued, I will get the guy to replace the tube for me as well. I didn't have this problem for the first two months I rode this bike so I think that's the problem.

All lessons learned I suppose

Tube won't make much difference, maybe a little weight, but its small, since putting gatotskins on I haven't need to work on the tubes bar two occasions and that was after hitting stones.

 

[PpPete]

I fully agree with building your own wheels its satisfying and you get what you want, but I don't subscribe to the myth that factory built wheels are crap and wouldn't advise anybody against getting some, I have been out on some Planet X wheels this morning that are still going strong after 1000's of miles, people say Planet X hubs are rubbish, but they are just branded PX they are Novatec Hubs as used by loads of other wheel makes.

Certainly not all factory built wheels are crap. If you go and buy just a set of wheels then I would expect (hope) you to get exactly what you pay for.
Sadly my experience is that some big-name bike brands seem to think that the way to get their entry-level and mid-range complete bikes down to a price point is to economise on three things that are not immediately apparent in the shop: wheels, chains and bottom-brackets.
Even then not all the wheels are 'bad' but if you've ever tried to true or re-tension even just one of the not-insignificant percentage that are sub-standard then you will understand why I say

Building wheels from scratch always seems easier to me that truing up some piece of factory built crap.

Those are hours of your life that you will not get back spent in a futile attempt to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear..

 

[dee.jay]

Well, wheel went into the shop today. Chap there seemed to think it should be simple enough to resolve - will sort out the tube as well, I replaced the Kenda one with a cheap one thinking the Kenda's were poo. It was the original tyres that were my problem in all reality.

Hopefully get it back tomorrow rolling straight and true!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

The only thing I found wrong with the Kenda's were handling, and whilst not as good as my gatorskins for puncture protection (actually no where near) they weren't to bad.

 

[dee.jay]

The Kenda tyres I had were pants for puncture protection :-D

 

[KneesUp]

Well my weight is roughly 115Kg - so that probably isn't a good start.

Your weight isn't all taken by one wheel though. It's about 55% on the rear - but that's 55% of you and the bike and whatever you carry - so perhaps 130kg x 0.55, or 71.5kg.

 

[Poacher]

Your weight isn't all taken by one wheel though. It's about 55% on the rear - but that's 55% of you and the bike and whatever you carry - so perhaps 130kg x 0.55, or 71.5kg.

Pffffft! What about when he's pulling a wheelie?

 

[dee.jay]

Your weight isn't all taken by one wheel though. It's about 55% on the rear - but that's 55% of you and the bike and whatever you carry - so perhaps 130kg x 0.55, or 71.5kg.

Is it as much as that? Well that's brilliant :-) least I can cycle in confidence. My front wheel is just fine so I think my rear wheel getting untrue must be due to some rough terrain. I know for a fact that on my route to work there is a cycle path through a park I use that has some rough ground and a pothole.

I have a fairly good recognition of one day where I only just managed to swerve the front wheel but rear wheel went through. I wonder if that was the start of the undoing of my spokes.

Otherwise my route is on fairly decent Tarmac/pavements and I can't think where else I could have started it. As stated above - I don't go flying off kerbs but do use the meeting points between pavement and road quickly - I assume these are nothing to worry about.

Thanks for all the replies.

PS. I've never pulled a wheelie :-)

 

[Big_Dave]

I'm a little heavier than you are @dee.jay, when I bought my carrera with wheels the strength of melting chocolate they took a good 250 miles or so to bed in properly before no longer needing to be tweaked, after that they remained true with exception of hitting a few pot holes the size of mine shafts, my rear hub collapsed at 500 miles so I fitted a 105 hub, spokes took about 5 or 6 rides to bed in and now rarely needs touching, My retro raleigh I bought some weinmann wheels cost about £75 for the pair, took a good few rides to bed in and have been brilliant wheels (although a bit of a harsh ride they do give excellent feedback from the road). I have some XT wheels on my mtb, they have never seen a spoke key in over 5 years and have stayed true.
In all fairness to my wheels they do get some hammer on the hill climbs where I live and the weight that I am, you can't expect too much from a cheap set of wheels.

 

[dee.jay]

Thanks for all the posts everyone. Just been and collected my wheel, the chap in the shop said it was quite badly out, but all done now. Fitted it back on the bike already, much happier. It is actually straight now! Maybe this time it'll last more than 250 miles before going again.

£10 to sort. I also bought me a rack and pannier for £55 online this morning so I'm pretty much all sorted for commuting now

 

[dee.jay]

Well I went out for a lovely 25 mile ride this morning, rear wheel went "PING" and now got another sodding buckle in it.

Cue 3-4 days getting it fixed. Time for new wheels, or probably a better bike (Mrs .jay says I've proved myself enough to spend a bit more money on it now)

 

[w00hoo_kent]

Is it as much as that? Well that's brilliant :-) least I can cycle in confidence. My front wheel is just fine so I think my rear wheel getting untrue must be due to some rough terrain.

The rear wheel takes a lot more strain than the front because you're putting drive through it as well as everything else. I only ever did spokes on my rear wheels and both factory wheel sets (Sirrus & Synapse) suffered from it. Buying a set of wheels should see you out of trouble for a while, even the cheaper end of the off the shelf scale should sit better than whatever came on your bike in the first place. If you want to be safe, go with a decent spoke count, at least 32, although I'd be surprised if you weren't already running that.

Once they started going I was forever doing spokes, no amount of getting the LBS (and I tried multiple ones) to look at them fixed it.

If you're looking at continuing to lose weight, I'd go new wheels now, new bike in a bit as the new bike is just going to give you budget wheels again.

 

[ANT 666]

If you are looking for hand built wheels I can recomend dcrwheels.co.uk His prices are good I think they start at about £150 or something like that, talk to him and he will advise you right as opposed to just trying to flog you something he needs to shift.
I got some lovely wheels off him with Royce hubs on them roll wonderfully and realy bullet proof and I'm no light weight and the roads round here are awful.
Give him a call you don't have a lot to loose.