Best wheels for fixed?

BUICK

The weakest point on my cheap brown langster would have to be the wheels, I believe. I've started looking at replacement options and thinking about a future fixed project as well and come up with a lot of different options, and some seem to be quite controversial.

I'm interested in hearing what wheels people think are best suited for riding fixed - whether that be off the peg, or built around particular hubs and rims. I'm also interested specifically in what people think of some of the trendier options available: specifically velocity deep vs, halo aerorage, and aerospoke wheels. I'm deeply sceptical about what the build quality and weight of such wheels would be like, but I do like all the pretty colours.

GarethPJ

It's only my opinion, but I find aero section rims to be stiffer and give a harsher ride than more traditional rims. The aero section will make little difference to your speed unless you are really travelling. And finally they tend to be heavier than a more traditional rim, and that's extra weight exactly where you don't want it. So they would be great for a time trial or track bike where comfort is unimportant and weight less critical than aerodynamic efficiency for outright speed. For any other use they are less than ideal.

I also think they look pretty silly when fitted to a traditional (ish) looking track iron like the Bianchi Pista.

I'm not a big fan of fancy hubs, being of the opinion that a relatively basic item will get the job done. So something like an On-One large flange double fixed will do the job nicely. Lace a hub like that to a Mavic Open Pro and you won't go far wrong.

meagain

Like with many things, first step is "how much" do you want to spend! For a Langster I think my choice would be Open Pros on just about any of the many >75 quid LF offerings. My Langster runs on OLD no name polished ally rims on OLD LF Italian campag copy screw on hubs. Altho' I'm about to build a pair of NOS red (to match the "russet" frame) Mavic MA3s on to IRO hubs (ebay!).
Rigida Chrinas seem a good vfm alternative to Mavics.
I don't really see fancy deep V rims as a good choice for a Langster running on the street!
The stock wheels on my Tricross Single do seem pretty poor - altho' simply cleaning/greasing/adjusting the bearings on the rear helped a lot. So I keep those with the CX thres for off-tarmac and have a pair of Ambosio/Chrinas with "slicks" for the road.
ALL bikes should have at least two sets of wheels according to useage!

flashes

Yep, I concur, it'll come down to cost. The On One / Mavic works fop me. I'm using On One hubs on my commute bike and so far I'm impressed.

BUICK

Yup. That's along the lines of what I had been thinking. I have been running some 'road' wheels on my tricross (Shimano hubs and Mavic open pros) and the difference has been really quite impressive.

There seems to be a bit of debate when it comes to the hubs too. I'd like to go fixed/fixed if possible and I'm no maintenance whizz so I guess a sealed unit would be better for me than one with the capacity for adjustment and repacking (and water ingress?). Any thoughts?

mattsccm

My Singlecross runs original for in the woods and Mavic Pros or GP4's (sprint rims) with Record hubs for the road. Many trad bike shops will have a collection of old freewheel type race wheels. Re dish them for a freewheel/fixed. Tubs do run nice and can be had for peanuts with the wheels. I rarely have a puncture and mend only the really good tyres. Still running 1 of my original tubs, a Clement that I bought in 1980.
Not everyones cup of tea but this way gets nice wheels at a silly low rice. The last pair I bought were a tenner with 2 decent tubs.

GarethPJ

mattsccm wrote:

Many trad bike shops will have a collection of old freewheel type race wheels. Re dish them for a freewheel/fixed.

I know it's not the subject of this thread, but I really wouldn't recommend running a fixed sprocket without a reverse thread lockring. I only tried it once with a sprocket that had been torqued down with with a long bar and loctited and it started coming loose after only a few miles.

I know there are those who say they've done it for years without a problem, but they wouldn't fit lockrings to proper fixed hubs if they weren't necessary.

Oh, and how are you running a 28 year old tub, surely it must have worn through to the carcase by now? I was running tubs back in the eighties and, just like any tyre, I'd usually worn them down to the canvas inside a year.

showtime*

I'm looking to get a new set of wheels for my Langster but seem to be struggling to find a set of the shelf, are most sets custom made to your hub/rim choice? or am I just not looking hard enough? Also which sort of hubs should I go for? The only set I've seen had track hubs I guess track hubs are not as weather proof as road hubs and would wear out quicker? I have a budget of about £200ish.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

GarethPJ

Have you tried On-One? They're usually have good wheels at pretty reasonable prices.

You don't have to get them custom built, but there aren't many shops selling them off the shelf. Deeside Cycles used to be my choice for a reasonably cheap build, but they seemed to disappear a while back.

Bear in mind, however, that a decent pair of wheels is going to cost over £100. A a cheap pair, if you can find them, may not be noticiably better than the wheels you have.

meagain

"The only set I've seen had track hubs I guess track hubs are not as weather proof as road hubs and would wear out quicker?"

Fixed ROAD hubs are a bit of a contradiction, surely? Except for OLD stuff, which are no more likely to be weather-resistant than modern, sealed bearing, "track" hubs! Unless you go to the serious (read expensive end of the market - e.g. Goldtec?).

Check out "bankrupt-surplus" on ebay - set I got (cheap on a "second chance" have Ambrosio hubs on Chrinas and cost only 75 quid. Fair price I reckon.

GarethPJ

meagain wrote:

Fixed ROAD hubs are a bit of a contradiction, surely?

A few years ago track hubs were the only fixed hubs you could get. However these days fixed wheel road bikes are very common, especially in the USofA, and as such road specific fixed hubs are once again becoming common. I had a Suzue fixed/free on my winter hack a few years back that was pretty well sealed. It lasted three winters and every year I stripped the hub and found the grease still present.

If you really want a well sealed fixed hub then perhaps the best way is to go for one that is 135mm spaced. They are rare, but tend to be based on single speed MTB hubs. However the only problem is that the hub body on these is generally too large to be respaced to fit a narrower road frame.

meagain

Genuine question. How does one identify "road specific fixed" hubs? And do not modern track hubs also come reasonably well sealed?

I would agree about 135 hubs, especially mtb single speed screw-ons (and I am one of those who have no problem with no LH thread lock-ring - I've run old screw on gear hubs for years on many fixeds).

GarethPJ

Unfortunately I don't know of an easy way to identify a well sealed hub. I certainly didn't buy my Suzue because it was "road spec" I bought it because, appart from the track threading, it looked just like one of my old BMX hubs which I liked very much. All I know is that the seals were very good.

The only track hub I have ever owned had no seals to speak of. The same goes for BBs. I once got a BB with a chainset and I thought it best to use it to get the right chainline. However it was of a rather open design, the gap between cup and axle was huge. In the end I fitted a good old UN53 of the same length.

After the Suzue I had an On-One double fixed in a 135mm which was also excelent.

One of the problems identifying a good hub is that it's a low volume market and a lot of companies rebadge what they can get hold of. You might buy two hubs with the same brand and model name a year apart and get two very different hubs.

el_presidente

I got a very nice pair of Mavic CXP-33s on large flange Ambrosio hubs hand built by Harry Rowland, they were in stock at Brick Lane Bikes, they wil have these and lots of other options. When new, the hubs were the smoothest I have ever seen, they have been running rain & shine fro 9 months now, hubs still smooth and rims perfctly true.

Tiny Explosions

Parker International do custom wheel builds at decent prices. Currently doing me a set of Miche LF hubs on Open Pros for around the 150 mark. Worth check out!

mattsccm

To be honest the ones I run without lock rings are probably siezed on due to the action between the alloy hub and the steel spocket. I agree that a lock nut is a good idea. My 28 year old tub is getting rather thin but i didn't say it had a lot of use in 28 years.

steve watkin

Got some wheels from this guy recently and they seem good to me. Price was right as well.
http://www.yogarup.com/wheels/index.php
No connection, just a happy customer.

BUICK

Thanks for all the opinions and thoughts. I'm leaning towards dtswiss RR's built up on Goldtec hubs now but waiting until after the end of the month, which happens to be when my tax payment is due!

robbarker

I got one of the 99 quid brown langster frames last year and faced the same dilemma.

I built up some 28 h goldtech hubs (best reputation out there, 3 million messengers can't be wrong etc) with CXP33 rims and plain guage spokes.

I chose 28h becasue the rear on a fixie isn't dished and is, therefore, inherently stronger than a regular dished rear. Additionally, 28 spokes can (and should) be built 2x for a more direct feel. Similarly, CXP33 rims are very rigid, and plain gauge spokes are said to give a stiffer-feeling wheel.

The wheels were designed to maximise the excitement and connection of riding fixed, and they most certainly do that in spades.

JonEdwards

Lovely though Phil Wood and Goldtec hubs are, fixed hubs are essentially a stick, 2 bearings and a shell with some holes drilled in it. They're not rocket science. I've had some System EX ones (generic taiwanese, also available badged Formula, Condor etc) which are now 4 years /18000 miles old and I've just replaced the rear bearings for the 1st time. Can't really knock that.

Then add your rim & spokes/pattern of choice. (Open Pro's have a good rep - not actually used them though)

It's worth noting that there's no need for a "fixed" front wheel. Anything will work. It's only the "matching collar and cuffs" thing that makes most people have a matching high flange hub on the front. (and if your commuting, nutted axles make a degree of sense!)

GarethPJ

JonEdwards wrote:

It's worth noting that there's no need for a "fixed" front wheel. Anything will work. It's only the "matching collar and cuffs" thing that makes most people have a matching high flange hub on the front. (and if your commuting, nutted axles make a degree of sense!)

Actually I prefer a QR on the front for commuting. That way I can whip off the front wheel and chain it into the rack with the rear. I've had a nutted front wheel nicked before and the bike was only parked for 15 minutes. Some scrotes carry spanners apparently.