single/fixed wheel

stefano
stefano Posts: 254
edited February 2008 in Road general
Hi, It is time to change rear wheel on my single speed bike so I would like your advice :) .
I need a solid wheel for my 25 miles daily commute in London, with the following characteristics:
1. Very smooth cartridge bearings, easy to buy and change
2. Good rim that will not wear out soon from breaking
3. Light weight, for my weekend training

Any ideas for ready wheels or hand build are better?
I have never tried before but is it good idea building the wheel myself :?:

Many thanks :)

PS: I have checked but there are not so many single/fixed wheels on the market

Comments

  • johnnyhotdog
    johnnyhotdog Posts: 142
    you could build your own (or have your ideal wheel built for you depending on your budget.)

    what about a DURA-ACE HB-7600 hub, with DURA-ACE cog, DT spokes and OPEN PRO 36H rim?
  • johnnyhotdog
    johnnyhotdog Posts: 142
    maybe something from here:
    :?:
    http://www.yogarup.com/wheels/
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,104
    The only 'factory' built fixed wheels you can get tend to be for track use so won't be up to the rigors of commuting in London.

    Arup has a very good reputation from what I hear on other web forums.

    Alternatively you could get somewhere like Condor to build you one. I had a pair built last year by Outspoken Cycles who are based in Cambridge. I went for Goldtec hubs with Ambrosio Excellence rims and the wheels have been superb so far with no maintenance required. The Goldtec hubs do seem to be up to the punishment a London winter can dish out.
  • stefano
    stefano Posts: 254
    Many thanks guys :D:D
    I am now really thinking to build my own wheels.
    For the rim I would definitely go for Mavic Open Pro.

    Now for the hubs I really like the Goldtec but I find them quite expensive.
    What about System-Ex (I think they are the same with Formula, Zenith or IRO), are they much inferior to Goldtec?

    :):)
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,104
    The Open Pro is a great rim.

    I've not used System-Ex myself but anecdotally they aren't as robust as the Goldtecs. Ultimately I think it depends on your attitude to maintenance, if you're prepared to strip them down from time to time and clean them and replace bearings then they are fine. If you're not then go for the Goldtec.
  • stefano
    stefano Posts: 254
    What about the chain line with Goldtec’s. I think that for normal 120 rear dropouts spacing the chain line is 42mm but Goldtec’s is 45.
    Has anyone experienced any problems with the chainline using Goltec’s?

    My concern is that the hubs may be of high-quality and very smooth but messing up with the chainline would cancel out these benefits.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,104
    stefano wrote:
    What about the chain line with Goldtec’s. I think that for normal 120 rear dropouts spacing the chain line is 42mm but Goldtec’s is 45.
    Has anyone experienced any problems with the chainline using Goltec’s?

    My concern is that the hubs may be of high-quality and very smooth but messing up with the chainline would cancel out these benefits.
    It is a 45 mm chainline. I fitted my wheels to a bike I was converting so bought a new bottom bracket as part of that so getting the right axle length was straightforward. It depends on your crank taper as to what the cost would be for a new b/b or you could use a spacer on your current b/b to shift the axle out 1.5 mm.
  • stefano
    stefano Posts: 254
    I can now say that the perfect rear wheel for me is going to be with Formula flip/flop hub (£25), Mavic Open Pro rim (£35) and DT double butted 2.0/1.8/2.0 spokes (£15) in total £75.

    Does anyone know what length spokes do I need to use?
    Also does it worth to go for the Open Pro CD or the plain one?
    :):)

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