29" wheels on roadbike?

PJPenrouz
PJPenrouz Posts: 136
edited October 2007 in MTB buying advice
Would it be OK to use 29" wheels on a commuting/touring road bike with disc brakes and 135mm spacing? Bontrager have a range of such very good looking wheelsets - any issues forseen? Is it a good idea in general?

Comments

  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Road bikes generally ARE 29inch! Or 700c as we know them. However your frame is probably 130mm.
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  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    but i have not seen a 130mm hub with disc mounts.

    so does the frame have disc mounts? if yes i bet it will be a 135mm OLD:
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  • Splasher
    Splasher Posts: 1,528
    We converted my wifes MTB to 700c wheels and I got some made up with XT hubs and Open Sport rims - they're pretty good I have to say, and a lot cheaper than Mavic SpeedCitys or whatever their called!
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  • PJPenrouz
    PJPenrouz Posts: 136
    I'm thinking of frames like Kona DrDew or Cotic Roadrat. Spacing and disc mounts aren't a problem. My question basicaly is why are the Bontrager 29" wheels marketed only for 29" MTBs? Am I missing something? Are the rim widths too large to take 30mm tyres?
  • Splasher
    Splasher Posts: 1,528
    No it's for the reasons Sonic and Nick mentioned - road bike's usually have rim brakes and 130mm OLN rear hubs whereas your bike presumably has a 135mmOLN rear hub
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  • PJPenrouz
    PJPenrouz Posts: 136
    OK, so it would make perfect sense to get 29" Bontrager wheels for my commuting bike (DrDew) - they are tough enough and presumably better quality than custom XT/Mavic wheels, are they?
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    For the money, a handbuilt XT/mavic wheel takes some beating.
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  • Splasher
    Splasher Posts: 1,528
    PJPenrouz wrote:
    OK, so it would make perfect sense to get 29" Bontrager wheels for my commuting bike (DrDew) - they are tough enough and presumably better quality than custom XT/Mavic wheels, are they?

    No I would presume the opposite. It depends on the skill of the wheel-builder of course, but good hand-built wheels are usually better than machine built wheels. If you want to up the spec a bit, you could go for XTR or Hope Pro IIs with Open Pro rims and DT Comp spokes.
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