Half-decent budget single-speed rear wheel

g00se

Hi,

I'm after some thoughts on a budget rear for a single speed conversion (with either a single freewheel or flipflop hub).

It's an old steel frame I'm turning into a winter trainer / hack, so I'm after something that's in keeping with the appearance. Currently, the wheelset is silver Mavic MA2 on silver Miche hubs and I'm planning on keeping the front.

I've seen the Halo Aerotrack for a decent price (£75) and there are various budget DIY builds about but I don't want to fall into the trap of buying something made of cheese, aimed at the fixie-fashion.

I can't find anything local other than some Raleigh Mach1 wheels which aren't in keeping with the bike (and the reviews are mixed). Budget is tight and I want to keep it under £100.

Any thoughts welcome.

wrayste

I have been running Halo Aerorage on my Pearson Touche for a year now and have been incredibly happy with them. Sometimes they don't feel the stiffest but they have coped very well with the potholes on my London commute (~20km a day).

If I remember correctly, the Aerotrack don't have a machined brake rim, so that probably wouldn't go so well with the freewheel option (I have the flipflop option on mine).

I probably would advise against white unless you particularly like it (or don't care about them getting dirty), mine spend the majority of their time looking pretty grey after it has been wet.

ugo.santalucia

The aerotrack is machined, I have just built a set on System EX hubs (Novatec) with elliptical spokes. They are nice rims
and with these hubs and spokes they are super stiff
http://paolocoppo.drupalgardens.com/med ... ail/16/711

cycleclinic

The nice thing about single speed hubs is they have a 70mm or ther about flange separation meaning you don't have to use a deep rim for the wheel to stiff of course a deep rim will be stiffer.

Mavic CXP22 are quite cheap and is there anything wrong with the hub in the rear wheel you have at present. Why not re rim and respoke. Or build one of these rims onto a novatec or miche flip flop hub.

The Cycle Division (a distributor not the on line retail outfit) distribute a pre built wheel call the King Kong. They seem quite reasonable and a rear would be under £100.

I have always like the archetype on Miche hubs for a single speed/fixed gear wheelset.

hypster

ugo.santalucia wrote:

The aerotrack is machined, I have just built a set on System EX hubs (Novatec) with elliptical spokes. They are nice rims
and with these hubs and spokes they are super stiff
http://paolocoppo.drupalgardens.com/med ... ail/16/711

Ugo,

Can that rear hub be spaced to 130mm?

g00se

ugo.santalucia wrote:

The aerotrack is machined, I have just built a set on System EX hubs (Novatec) with elliptical spokes. They are nice rims
and with these hubs and spokes they are super stiff
http://paolocoppo.drupalgardens.com/med ... ail/16/711

I think the painted/powder coated ones are not machined - but the anodised and polished silver ones are.

Nice build on that wheelset.

redvee

wrayste wrote:

I probably would advise against white unless you particularly like it (or don't care about them getting dirty), mine spend the majority of their time looking pretty grey after it has been wet.

I had to go white on the Aerorage I bought from Evans back in January as it was the only one they had in stock and I needed the wheel there and then. A pipe cleaner on the hub kept it white-ish and the rim got wiped sometimes. I've just rebuilt the wheel after trashing the rim and got a black rim. Still going to put a pipe cleaner on the hub though.

ugo.santalucia

hypster wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

The aerotrack is machined, I have just built a set on System EX hubs (Novatec) with elliptical spokes. They are nice rims
and with these hubs and spokes they are super stiff
http://paolocoppo.drupalgardens.com/med ... ail/16/711

Ugo,

Can that rear hub be spaced to 130mm?

I have spaced it to 126, not sure you can space it all the way to 130

trek_dan

Single Speed Components do good wheels, got a pair on my commuter.

craker

I'm going to sound like my wife / mum / nagging alter ego here, do you actually need a new rear wheel?

Just I've been getting all keen on replacing my R500 wheelset (single gear with spacers on the freehub) but there's just nothing wrong with it so I've yet to succumb. If you can convert your existing wheels I'd do that if you're on a budget.

g00se

I looked at converting the existing wheel but as it was a freewheel with a 5 speed cog on it, with the dish and putting a single freewheel on it - the chainline is well out. The only solution would be a new hub and rebuild and the rim isn't worth that

Anyway - for all the talk of custom builds and halo rims - I just picked up a cheapie for now from the local bike cafe - Ryde (Rigida) rim on Novatech hub.

wrayste

redvee wrote:

wrayste wrote:

I probably would advise against white unless you particularly like it (or don't care about them getting dirty), mine spend the majority of their time looking pretty grey after it has been wet.

I had to go white on the Aerorage I bought from Evans back in January as it was the only one they had in stock and I needed the wheel there and then. A pipe cleaner on the hub kept it white-ish and the rim got wiped sometimes. I've just rebuilt the wheel after trashing the rim and got a black rim. Still going to put a pipe cleaner on the hub though.

Thanks for the advice, I'll give that a go. Changing pads has helped but the recent weather hasn't.