stronger 700c wheels - advice please

mellisr1

I posted this in road/touring as they often carry lots of weight. but as I use my bike mostly for commuting with a fair amount of junk in the panniers, I thought I'd try you guys too.

the bike is a Scott Sportster with Alex G 6000 700C wheels). basically the problem I'm having is recently seeing quite a few snapped rear spokes and the back wheel keeps going out of true.

I'm no featherweight (about 15 stones) and often take two fairly full panniers. I ride a mix of road and off road tracks (but pretty good - think gravelly toe paths) but this is happening more and more. I don't want any sort of catastrophic failure!

My gut feeling is that the rims are just pretty budget and stronger ones would help. However, on searching the web, I just cant seem to find out what would be stronger? how much should I pay etc. I'm hoping that some of you who tour with fair weight on the bike might recommend a make or wheel in a 700c size which would suit.
Any advice gratefully appreciated.

whyamihere

Mavic Open Pros built with double butted spokes onto whatever hubs you like by a GOOD wheel builder. Should come to about £150-£200 (depending on hubs) for a set of wheels that will last you forever.

downfader

I'm 14 stone and ride on Open Pros with Hope3 hubs and DT Swiss spokes. They've taken some serious beatings in the past few weeks and have remained perfectly true and intact. Mind were a fair old budget of £300.

I used to ride on Mavic Aksium too. Bladed spokes and only 21 of them iirc. They were also pretty rugged and half the price of my new ones above.

I have to say I dont like the majority of Alex rims myself. They seem cheap and easily put out of shape on the few bikes I have seen and ridden. Both my bikes came with them, one evetually buckled and the others really should have had better spokes attached from the off. You get what you pay for sometimes.

tebbit

Have you tried a touring specialist I had some run up by Harrogate Spa Cycles which were excellent.

Please note, I have posted before and this is not an advert for Harrogate Spa Cycles.

downfader

I think wiggle did a good touring set too for under £100.. they had mavic rims and shimano hubs I think. Was a long while back however that I saw them.

mellisr1

thanks for the advice guys.

Spoke to really helpful guy at SPA cycles in harrogate and went for just a rear (he talked me out of replacing the front as well as it's pretty okay)

got a Rigida sputnik 700c coming with a Deore hub, they even build them with stronger spokes on the drive side which sounds sensible to me! said they were pretty bullet proof

now just got to wait a week or two - just have to get the blooming cassette off now!

Might put a post on workshop section as its on tighter than anything - just bent my chain whip like it was butter when tried to loosen the lock washer!! ah well

cheers for the advice
Matt

pastryboy

Don't forget to consider tyre pressure if you're going over a lot of bumps