Recommend a rear wheel for a 700c hybrid

danielsbrewer

Hello,

My rear wheel has just buckled on the way to work today. I'm going to try and get it fixed but just in case, I would like to be a little bit knowledgeable going into the LBS. The wheel is only about 6 months old having been replaced after I was in an accident by the same LBS. The replacement was from Raleigh and so I am not convinced that that was a like for like replacement.

SO the bike is a specialized globe sport and the original wheels had Alex ACE-18 rims (700c, 32h, double wall w machine sidewalls).

Searching the internet there doesn't seem to be that much information on hybrid 700c wheels.

Thanks

dilemna

Hi. Sorry to read of your misfortune. You don't specify what your budget is, but reading of the spec you mention I guess it is low. I would treat yourself to a good set of of 700c wheels preferably hand built which means they will be strong much stronger than factory built cheapies. WRT to sizes you need to establish what width your tyres are ie 23, 25, or 28 or more. Most hybrids have tyre profiles 25 maybe 28mm and most 700c rims are around 15-16mm which can take tyres up to 28mm which is plenty for a hybrid anymore and you will need a wider rim and then with a larger profile tyre say 32mm there might be probs with clearance with your frame. Then decide whether you want 32 hole again or even 36 hole which would be stronger but will probably mean a hand bulit wheel. If you carry a lot of weight and regularly ride into and out of potholes I would go for a 36 hole rim with Swiss DT plain spokes. Also get a rim which has spoke eyelets - stronger again. Mavic rims are strong and light and cost from approx £30 to £40 each. My favourite is the Open Pro CD anodise finish. Also you will need a new 36 hole hub if you decide on a 36 hole wheel. It might sound obvious. If you're in London the best place for handbuilt wheels is Condor but they are pricey, about £40 a wheel including the spokes. You get what you pay for.
Hope this helps.
Alex

alfablue

Agree, get handbuilt. I just bought a Mavic Open Pro/36 DT DB spokes, Ultegra (older model) hub for £92 from Parker International, could be as cheap as £65 with a lower spec hub. I have used similar wheels for many years now, faultless.

danielsbrewer

Thanks for those comments, it really helps me get a grasp of the subject. Sorry for missing out the thickness of my tyres, they are "fat" hybrid and are 38c. It seems quite a rare combination to have 700c x 38c but I quite like it, useful for the dirt track paths which I go on as a short cut to work.

Budget is pretty cheap, but I am prepared to pay to get something that will last, but it doesn't have to be the lightest.

alfablue

Open pros have a recommended tyre size of 19 to 28, Open Sports (cheaper) suit 19-32, A119 (touring) suit 28-47, so that would seem to be the one to go for.

Another option is Spa Cycles, a Rigida Sputnik/Sora 36 hole wheelset is £120. They are strong touring wheels and Spa Cycles have a great reputation. They don't quote single wheels, but I would expect they would do you one, and the price would probably be about 60% of the wheelset price.

ride_whenever

I'd go for handbuilts too, but i'd recommend something like a mavic A719 rim, (touring rim) it's a bit wider to support the tyre size you're using.

Use double butted spokes, either DT or sapim.

If it is a commuting bike then I'd suggest a hub like deore or lx, from the touring range, for the better sealing. Although you might need a road one for the correct OLD, in which case the shimano ones will be fine, say tiagra.

MrChuck

Just got one of these for my hybrid a couple of months ago::
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/MWhee ... 360035959/

It's on the sturdy side of sporty but should give trouble-free service. I think they're fairly widely available outside of Wiggle, so a good serviceable option if you want something off the shelf. I run it with 700*32 tires and am pretty happy so far.

On another note, I was a bit surprised when on Wiggle just now by how much it's gone up- £85! I think I got mine for £55.

dilemna

My Trek 7500 had 700c x 32 or 35 or maybe even 38c when I bought it. I can't remember it was so long ago. Anyway as said above it now has 700 x 25c on no probs what so ever. OLN is 135mm though so MTB spacing hence the Shimano XT hub. It felt really strange riding it at first as it had the fatter tyres on but quickly got used to that in about 25 metres, it so much better now, so much more responsive and.........faster. I've still got the big tyres on the original wheels should I ever feel the need to put them on, unlikely though.
Alex