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Performance Wheel for heavy rider

4K views 14 replies 10 participants last post by  SystemShock 
A good wheel builder will stand behind their work if you go custom.
Yep, and +1.

And another nice thing is that you can get exactly what you want.
 
Another thing to consider is, does the original poster ride fast enough for the 'aero' in an aero wheelset to really matter?

If not, then perhaps lightness should be prioritized, at least up to the point it can be for a 235-pound rider, anyway.

Lightness in wheels only really matters when accelerating and climbing, but gosh, a wheelset that spins up easily sure does feel good, and puts a smile on your face.
 
Guys I am not setting any land-speed records. My lastest 20 mile ride I averaged 17.1. I was pretty proud of that number for me.

What started this was reading my manual and seeing I was over the weight limit for mt dt axis 4.0 wheels. My budget is between $1000-$2000.
If that's your speed (which isn't too bad, really, it's just that aero wheels are more aimed at racers or fast club riders, i.e. ppl faster than you), then my take on it is that I'd prioritize durability and (reasonable) light weight.

You could get a set of custom-built wheels that'd do that for you, and they probably could be had for around $500, i.e. well below your budget.

Also, if you go with the new wider rims, handling might be improved as well.
 
I think i am going to get a Boyd Cycling Vitesse clincher with 24/28 spoke to carry the weight. Anybody have any experience with these?
My newbie-ish take:

I haven't actually owned these (so wait to hear from someone who has), but looking at the specs, they're not bad. The price is reasonable/you're not vastly overpaying for some exotic carbon aero wheelset that isn't really going to help you given your riding speeds. At 1600g or so, the weight is reasonable too, and you're below the 240 lb weight limit listed for the 24/28 spoke version (albeit only slightly).

Also, they're wide rims too, which many ppl would say is a plus, especially for you given your weight (i.e. optimally you'll be running wider tires than 23mm, and wide rims are a good match for those).

The one thing I like a little less is that they seem to still be oriented towards the aero side of things, i.e. somewhat heavy rims (500g each) and maybe less spokes than you'd associate with a 235 lb rider. Those two things are related, because if you have fewer spokes, you then usually have to have a heavier, stiffer rim to compensate/to have adequate strength. The point of fewer spokes is to be more aero, but you're then putting more weight on the perimeter of the wheel with that heavier rim, which makes the wheel a bit harder to spin up/accelerate. You get the idea.

If you went custom, you could get a wheelset with somewhat lighter but still fairly strong rims (like Pacenti SL23, H Plus Son Archetypes, HED C2) and maybe a few more spokes, like 28/32. The overall weight would probably wind up being almost the same (unless you sprung for some sorta-pricey, very light hubs), but the wheels would be a bit easier to spin up/accelerate. Which feels good. :)

It's really up to you... the Vitesses do seem to be closer to the ballpark of what would work better for you than what you were considering previously, and they're reasonably-priced. But if it were me, I'd still go custom.


(one other thing: if you do go custom (or factory-wheelset, for that matter), make sure your tires of choice are not extremely difficult to mount on your rims of choice (I'd think a shop or local wheelbuilder would let you do this to see). There's a few tire/rim combos are just really a bear to mount, which can be highly frustrating out on the road, obviously, or could even end your ride after a flat altogether. :( )
 
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