foul weather wheel build recommendations?

[hmai18]

Bikerjulio, did you have the parts shipped directly to you in TO? Were you dinged by duties?

[bikerjulio]

Bikerjulio, did you have the parts shipped directly to you in TO? Were you dinged by duties?

Yes. I built a pretty nice wheelset for $400 US including shipping. BHS were very reasonable with a small discount. I was lucky this time with NO additional taxes, but it's a random thing. Depends on how canadian border people are feeling on the day. Over several years now of buying stuff from outside Canada, my rule of thumb is that about 30% gets dinged.

[hmai18]

Still can't decide whether to go with a 20/24 build or step it up to something with more spokes in a traditional 2x or 3x lacing for truly bomb-proof wheels. Thoughts?

[ryker]

24/28 handbuilts with brass nipples.

[Zen Cyclery]

@hmai18- If your between spoke counts I think you should err on the side of caution. 24/28 with brass nips as ryker mentioned could be a good option.

[ryker]

I was lucky this time with NO additional taxes, but it's a random thing. Depends on how canadian border people are feeling on the day. Over several years now of buying stuff from outside Canada, my rule of thumb is that about 30% gets dinged.

Wheels to Canada are subject to 6.5% duty if they are doing their job. That's in addition to GST/HST/PST. Spokes, rims and hubs are duty free however.

[bm0p700f]

The panceti rim is hard to come buy in the U.K I have concidered importing them but there is little to demand at present.
The H plus Son archetype is a very nice rim to build with and own. Build have good even tension and are very round. Kinlin XR-270's are a medicore rim. Perfectly O.K but that's it. Build have acceptably even tension and expect a 0.5mm out of roundness at the end and to get that you have to comprimise a bit on even tension. The XR-300 is a much better rim but it seems less popular.

24/28 with something like Miche hubs, laser spokes brass nipples and archteype rims is not light but is very tough wheelset without breaking the bank. Nice Dura ace 9000 hubs are perfect too. My favourite though are Archetype rims, laser spokes and record hubs and if you are shimano user just pop a shimano freehub body on from a campag wheelset. A good dealer will supply the hub with that freehub body anyway as a good distributor will do the swap for them. I have a distributor who does that for me for no charge.

[bikerjulio]

FWIW although I'm 190# I consider myself pretty light on wheels. My Pacentis are 20 radial and 28 2X. Brass nips on Lasers.

The roads are especially bad in Toronto at the moment and the wheels have had a good workout over the past few weeks. They have stayed true and with 25mm PR4's are extremely comfortable.

And no particular tire mounting problems.

[hmai18]

I managed to find a pretty good deal on a set of DT 240s laced to R1.1 rims 28/28 2x. For the price, I think it's a solid wheelset with hubs that I can re-use down the road once the rims wear down.