Wheels for a multi-day ride???

Dustine

Im intending to do some long , multi-day rides, but at reasonable speed, and for maybe 12 hours per day on the road. Should i stick with my deep section alloy Reynolds Alta Race wheels, which are aero but catch the wind sideways quite badly, or have some new wheels built up, based around Mavic Open Pro or similar, and light hubs??? Any advice??? I suppose the kind of wheels you might ride a 600km audax on would be the things???

redddraggon

Neutron Ultras or Handbuilts

Dustine

(I havent looked up the Neutron yet but) what would be the advantage of those?? And what kind of handbuilts would you think- should i be worried about weight, spoke count, or pushing them through the air???

redddraggon

Neutron Ultras are considered some of the best Factory built wheelsets. They aren't the most aero wheel, but I doubt you'll be going fast enough for 12hours a day at a speed to merit aero wheels.

Handbuilts - I've never bought a set, but you could probably get something like DA/Record hubs on OP rims and whatever spokes take your fancy for the same price as the Neutron Ultras.

geoff_ss

The hubs of your choice (in my case Shimano 105s), 32 hole Mavic Open Pro rims and DT stainless spokes. You could go for 28 spokes on the front to lose a bit of weight/turbulence I suppose.

If you're riding every day, reliability (or at least easy repair) is paramount. I assume you'll be carrying overnight stuff as well.

Geoff

dennisn

If you're riding every day, reliability (or at least easy repair) is paramount. I assume you'll be carrying overnight stuff as well.

Geoff[/quote]

Great advice. Lightweight, low spoke count wheels that can't be fixed with standard,
readily available parts are not the wheels for that kind of riding.

Dennis Noward

Dustine

Cheers for the replies!! I guess i was thinking more about the weight than the aero qualities- my Reynolds front weights 685g, whereas my lightest handmade is 800g (XT hub, Open Pro rim, 32 DT comp spokes). I could knock 50g off that with a lighter hub, 30g by having 28h hub/ rim, and a few more grams by having the DT revolutions if i can get them in the right length. I suppose it would be approx. 700g, for maybe £125 all in. About 70g more than the Neutron front. I think the rear could come in at £210/ 890g approx.

So about £335 for a 1600g pair of wheels, or about £70 cheaper but 120g heavier than the Neutron Ultra (theyre on offer at Ribble just now). Since i would be lugging these wheels over a lot of hills and miles, do you think the extra weight is worth the fact of the handbuilts being easy to fix with standard spokes that i could carry with me????

geoff_ss

Well, having 'lugged' camping gear over a fair few Pyrennean and Alpine cols I can hardly think 120 grams is very significant. If you're happy risking riding an unrepairable bike day after day then go for it. If you have someone following you in a car then it won't be a problem anyway.

I'll stick to my home-built £130 wheels which weigh whatever they weigh.

Geoff

Dustine

Hahahaha!!! Geoff, i think you may have a point!!! I wont have a support car, but i will be packing a bunch of stuff into saddle bags/ rucksack/ whatever. The 120g pales into insignificance. I think i sometimes worry about these things too much...

SteveR_100Milers

dennisn wrote:

If you're riding every day, reliability (or at least easy repair) is paramount. I assume you'll be carrying overnight stuff as well.

Geoff

Great advice. Lightweight, low spoke count wheels that can't be fixed with standard,
readily available parts are not the wheels for that kind of riding.

Dennis Noward[/quote]

eh??