Novice seeking advise on his first set of custom wheels

[Roark]

Gents,

I am in the market for a new set of deep dish wheels (45 mm front, 55-60 mm rear). I am racing at Masters level and intend to use the wheels 50% of my time, even on training sessions (i.e. not merely racing wheels). I weight 80-82 kg and have an FTP of 325 W (p5 430 W) and I am somewhat aggresive: if I have to ride through a pothole, I will definitely ride through it. I am expecting to get a sturdy set of wheels which would last a long time without requiring too much maintenance. Unfortunately my budget is limited: I am looking at spending less than 1250 EUR (1500 USD).

I have just talked to a wheelbuilder, and he is recommending using DT Swiss 240s and 32 spokes (3x) in the rear and 28 spokes (2x) on the front. He said he needs to do some research to procure a decent set of rims (unfortunately I cannot afford ENVEs as they are crazy expensive here in Spain), so I have no info on this, at least until tomorrow.

Do these specs sound reasonable or maybe he is too conservative?

Any comments would be extremely welcome!

Regards

[bikerjulio]

My comment would be to not get carbon rims if you are going to be crashing through potholes.

[Roark]

I don't mean that I go heading into potholes :p but I am not as a classy or tactful rider like some of my pals... : )

[eric]

28f/32r would be appropriate for fairly light small cross section aluminium rims. Deep section rims are stiffer and thus you need fewer spokes for a given amount of wheel stiffness. 24f/28r would be pretty stiff. 20f/24r is normal.

You might check out the Fairwheel Hub Review: https://fairwheelbikes.com/c/reviews-an ... ub-review/ for some alternates to the DT240.

CF rims are pretty tough but they will break if you hit something hard enough.

[HermesSport]

What is the thickness of the spokes he intends to use? if they're regular, 2.0-1.8-2.0mm butted spokes like DT Competitions, then I'd say that he's being very conservative. A lot of guys will push people towards unnecessarily high spoke counts because they're easier to build. With deep and/or carbon rims, too, you get a lot of leeway for fewer spokes, too; even 24/28 on a 55-60mm deep carbon rim is probably more than you're going to need; you're more likely to damage the rim than mess up the build.

[Roark]

What is the thickness of the spokes he intends to use? if they're regular, 2.0-1.8-2.0mm butted spokes like DT Competitions...

Yup, DT Competition are the spokes he intends to use.

I've heard a couple of times that 32 spokes 3x is too conservative (but remember I am 80-82 kg...), but I read this from ENVE's web and it made me wonder...

How do I decide between 28 vs. 32 holes?

There are many factors to consider when choosing hole count of your rim. If you are a heavier rider or a more aggressive rider, the 32H option will most likely be the fit for you as it will provide increased strength, as well as a better ride quality at a higher rider weight. If you are a light weight rider, and wheel weight is a large concern, then the 28H option will most likely be your fit.

http://enve.com/support/faqs/

How does it apply to my build?

[HermesSport]

I'd only say that 32h with those sorts of spokes are really necessary if you plan on riding aluminum rims and weigh over 100kg. A good builder can make you a very durable set of wheels with fewer spokes at your weight.

[Roark]

Many thanks, HermesSports! Any feedback is very appreciated : )

[mattyNorm]

Most companies don't do 32h deep carbon road rims, 28 is as high as they go. If you're set on 32 then China carbon is as far as I know your only option. I built a pair of 32h China carbon wheels laced 2x with cxrays onto dura-ace track hubs and thrashed the daylights out of them this summer with no Issues. But I agree with above, 24/28 is sufficient for your needs.

[Slagter]

28/32 is overkill. I weigh around 86 kg, and all my wheels are 20/24 except my kinlin XR19W - a very light alloy rim with BHS ultralight hubs, where my choice was 24/28, and they still hold up very well despite a fair amount of beating.

[WMW]

I am in the market for a new set of deep dish wheels (45 mm front, 55-60 mm rear). I am racing at Masters level and intend to use the wheels 50% of my time, even on training sessions (i.e. not merely racing wheels). I weight 80-82 kg

If you have poor "finesse", then don't use your new carbon wheels for training. Swapping pads is kinda a pain too. Just race on them and use a cheaper set of aluminum clinchers for daily riding. They don't need to be *slow* aluminum clinchers, you can get a very decent set with good hubs, weight, and aero properties that won't break the bank.

Oh... and make your race wheels carbon tubulars. Why? Because the rims are much lighter *and* less likely to get damaged by potholes and braking heat (vs carbon clinchers).

Spokes. Use CX-Rays or Aerolites. More than 20f and 28r is overkill.

[bm0p700f]

I am 80 kg and ride and race on a set of 50 mm deep carbon clincher rims. I have some tubs to replace with when they wear out but they refuse to do that. Got about 3000 miles on them last year will probably do the same on them this year. Been through many potholes too and blown out tyres because of that but the rims survived. Carbon is not that fragile. The heat issue maybe real if you in the mountains alot but I don't so I don't care about that.

I would also go with the lower spoke count and the best choice will be a tubular set for racing and a 24f 28r alloy wheelset using a wide rim like the H plus archetype on cheaper hubs like miche for training. But carbon clinchers will do both roles if you want them too.

[Pugrot]

Hey guys - sorry for the derail but somewhat related to this so didn't want to start a new thread (let me know if I should), main difference for me is the money. Sold the PS4 and some other bits, now have $500 cash to spend on a set of race wheels,

Bit stuck on what to get though, either older style second hand Reynolds or Zipps, or new Chinese wheels from LB, farsports or ebay. Happy for tubs, need a campag hub.

I mainly want them for aero for the last kilometre suicide attack and good looks… I’m 6’4” tall, nearly 200lbs. I’ve chewed through a few mavics, although Fulcrum and Campag has lasted me a good while.

More than a few old style skinner wheels popping up around the place, some with CK or DT hubs, which to me might be the better options as if the rim gets wrecked I can then build up a Chinese rim on it.

What you reckon – second hand good quality older style or new style Chinese?

[Roark]

Alright, recent develops mean that I cannot get that custom set built, so I am currently looking at a production wheelset. First alternative is Campagnolo Bora ONE 50 (tubular).

How do they really compare to the custom set 24/28 with DT240s? Will they be that much less stiff/tough/durable?

[HermesSport]

Well, the Bora Ones have the benefit of being a system-designed wheel, having really well made rims, and a generally excellent standard of wheelbuilding, all of which contribute to making good wheels. I think that even with the lower spoke count, you can count on them to be even more durable than a generic rim built by an anonymous builder.