Re-started cycling but worried about LBS advice

Millsia
Millsia Posts: 5
edited June 2017 in Road beginners
Back in 2008 myself and a group friend cycled to Paris for cancer research. We raised £16,000 however upon our return the bike sat in front of the beer fridge and was promptly sold. I'm now much bigger man nearly 20 stone and 6 foot five and I've had some advice recently with regards to my rear wheel and spoke configurations on my giant defy zero (2015). One side of the wheel has crossed spokes where is the other does not. The local bike shop suggested that this was very unusual and I weak design. I'm quite happily cracking out 35 miles at 15 mph and do not want to end up miles away from home with broken wheels. Does anyone know if this configuration is unusual or if I should be buying suitable and alternative wheels for my weight.

Comments

  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    Any wheel can break. How many spokes does it have ? More is better and you dont want narrow tyres either.

    Personally I'd go with what I have. The cost of a taxi ride is going to be a lot less than a new set of wheels that I may not need.
  • Millsia
    Millsia Posts: 5
    Thanks. 32 spokes and I do have thin wheels to be fair. Probably correct Re the taxi ride.

    I have had the back spokes adjusted/ tightened etc as the back wheel started with some noises as riiding recently- not bearings as originally thought and he offered to re-build the wheel in a stronger config. I am learning though a
    That wheel building seems to be a real skilled and am unsure if to bother or just crack on

    Thanks for feedback
  • dj58
    dj58 Posts: 2,224
    It is the standard 2X drive side, radial non-drive side 28 hole spoke pattern on the Giant PR-2 rear wheel. Yes there have been problems with this wheel reported on here, spokes breaking, most likely due to poor quality control and under tensioned spokes. If you break one or two while out on a ride you may well not be able to continue your ride, depends on how badly the wheel goes out of true.

    At your weight I would consider a wheel with more spokes 32/36 3X if you are worried about being stranded somewhere, the wheel building bods can advise you further.
  • Millsia
    Millsia Posts: 5
    Thanks DJ58
  • pfishuk
    pfishuk Posts: 20
    I had a set of the PR-2's on a 2015 Defy 0 - rear spokes eventually went so often and to a point that they couldn't be sorted by LBS so had to get new wheels, kept the wheels as a backup set just in case but don't want to rely on them for longer distances.

    got some decent handbuilts from merlin in the end, not massively expensive either.
  • Millsia
    Millsia Posts: 5
    Thanks all. Will look into Merlin

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