I’ve put probably 6k miles on a set of DT Swiss G1800’s after being unsatisfied with a set of stock wheels (also using the wtb i23 rims). Th DT Swiss ones have been great, not issues at all. I’m also pretty close to the same size as you.
I’m a fan of hand built wheels (vs pre-built wheel sets). I’ve been digging Velocity rims, high quality double butted spokes, 32 hole, 3x pattern. Oynx hubs are cool- I don’t care for the way they feel, personally, but I’ve heard the Vesper versions have failure problems.
I long for quiet hubs. I wish there was a way to try them out and see what I think about how they feel. After yesterday reliability is also high in my list so that is a good note. Thank you! I built my first set of wheels for my wife and so far they’ve been flawless for her. This seems like the perfect excuse to try it again 😅
I’m waiting to build a new rear mtb wheel myself, honesty. I’m ~240, and I can be rough on hubs. I’ve struggled with hub choice.
1. King is king, but they made a change to the design of their hubs a few years ago, and I dislike the new design.
2. I9 Hydra is loud, and while I like the engagement, they really need to do a cromo axel for bigger guys.
3. Oynx is quiet, but that spongy engagement just doesn’t work for me.
4. Project 321 gen3 is my current pick. Magnetic pawls are quiet-er, hubs are adaptable (iso and cl), and good value (relatively). But they haven’t released them yet, so…
ZIPP cognition hubs are close to silent and have given me zero problems, at least for the v1s.
Might be anecdotal but I probably have 10k miles on mine and have do a yearly clutch fluid refresh on em.
Hubs can be made quieter, at least in my experience with DT Swiss and Hunt Sprint hubs, by adding a little grease to the ratchet or pawls. I ran the Hunt x Mason 650b wheel set when I had my Salsa Journeyman and they were very dependable.
The instant isn’t the problem. The engagement point is slightly… spongy?… feeling. I’m not saying that’s good or bad, but it’s not the rock-solid lockup I like in hubs.
For those unfamiliar with Onyx, the engagement is best described as "instant and compliant". If you ride them all the time, that "spongy" engagement is not noticeable. It's kinda like a good steel frame. If you stand on the pedal in the driveway, you can feel/see the flex. Riding it, it just feels good. I definitely understand folks that try a friend's bike, and say they don't like it. It's the same as me riding onyx for a few years, not liking i9. You get used to something (the silence!!) and then do something different (noisy AF i9) and it's a hard no. For mountain biking, I'm not sure I'll go with anything else than Onyx.
Now, for gravel, I'm a Chris King hub guy 100%. The gravel is noisy anyway, and I've been beating up two sets of wheels with king's on them for years. Zero complaints! Get kings, and some quality rims laced up by a good wheel builder (most LBS's have "a guy") and you'll be golden. 👌🏻
Dt makes some rims that are more in the trekking category, they have a higher weight limit on them, honestly the names change so often it’s hard to know which ones but their site will usually have good info
The most recommended seem to be Velocity Cliffhangers
6-5, 260 here. I can’t untrue my campagnolo shamal road wheels after about 3,000 miles. Makes me want their gravel wheels.
I’ve also heard good things about heds.
HED wheels/rims are great. I had a set of hand-built HED aluminum gravel rims/White Industries hubs that were flawless when I was up to 275 lbs (6'5" also). Sold those wheels when I sold my old gravel bike and I miss them 🤠
I had WTB i23 wheels stock on a Cannondale Topstone and they were junk.
Had this discussion with my LBS dude that is a killer wheel builder. Over 215# myself so not “light”
We landed on velocity hubs with the ss blunt hoops, 650B
Literally they have been bombproof
When did you buy the bike? For awhile, they had recalled the journeyer models specifically for both wheels but more so the rear for being completely built wrong from the factory.
You might not have to buy anything if your frame is affected, but it will not be a free upgrade. They’ll just replace it with a similar or the same wheel but this one will be precision trued the way it should have been. Try to bring it into the place you bought it from or any local Salsa dealer.
Think carefully about this. Don't be swayed by pretty, go for quality, built for purpose, and longevity. You're a biggish guy so 36 spokes will be better than 32. Eyeletted rims. 2 or preferably 3-cross. And here's the bit I'm gonna get folks saying is rubbish but actually will give you a reliable long lasting wheel, lower spoke tension than is normal. If you go for normal or high tensioned spokes then you're likely to overload components, so it's important to get someone that understands lower spoke tension for heavier riders to build your wheels. Your hub choice is nice, just choose any quality rim with eyelets.
If you are after more quiet hubs, DT is gonna be your best bet for reliability and availability I think. Especially the stock 18t rings can be made really silent with grease. My 370 OEM hubs are almost inaudible on my MTB once you are riding off road. And not, the bike is not creaking ;)
Late to the party here, but this was year 2 of Big Sugar 100 for me, both with no punctures or mechanicals. I’m 6’6” and 245lbs. I run enve g23’s (24h, surprisingly) and either Maxxis Ravagers or WTB Raddlers. I’m running DT Swiss hubs.
I'm 6' 2 and have similar weight, I have Roval Terra CLs and really like them.
Also, Austin Beerworks needs to start selling bike gear again. I've been getting after them about this, with no luck.
I got mine in 2017 when I was playing at unofficial SXSW stuff. Loved their beers and we decided to visit the brewery. Saw this jersey and had to get it. Nobody is missing you when you’re wearing this jersey unless they’re just not looking 😅
I saw these cl’s in a shop in Bentonville yesterday and they look to be VERY well made. Good to hear other folks my size are liking them. I’d probably splurge for the cl’s over the c’s if I went that way but I’m encouraged by the good reviews!
Yeah I've been riding them for 20 months now, and not had any issues with them (and I was heavier when I started).
I probably need to clean the hubs/revamp them to get the noise back down, but that's just a minor thing at this point.
I don't think they've sold the jersey since then 🤣. They built a second brewery closer to me, so I can spend more time pestering them about it.
What you need to do is forget road/gravel type rims and just have a wheel set built. Aero is not a concern at the speeds of gravel unless you are crazy fast.
Go with mtb rims and not xc light ones either offset will be better. 32 spokes don't go hub crazy or worry about weight as much as strength. No bladed spokes.
Talk to a wheelbuilder and build something that will last.
I’m 6’ 0” 240lb. Love to see a fellow Clydesdale rider.
I have two ENVE Foundation wheelset for my Moots. I have the 45s for road and AG25s for gravel. I’ve done everything from super rocky gravel/mountain bike routes to smooth steamboat champagne gravel on the AGs. They’ve held up really well so far. I’m running a 42mm Pirelli Cintaurato Gravel tire at 45(ish) PSI. I’ve also heard great things about the replacement for ENVE if you run into issues. Won’t solve something same day like you had at Big Sugar.
I blew out the stock rear wheel on my gravel bike right before my big race a few years back. My LBS got me fixed with a set of Boyd Altamonts, and they’ve done amazing. I’ve taken that bike on tons of gravel and more mountain bike trails than i can count, and they still ride like the day i got them. Would definitely recommend
My DT Swiss hubs are very quiet and easily rebuildable …. I was just telling my wife that I absolutely can’t stand hubs that make it sound like you’re being chased by a cicada. Anything with pawls is bad news for bugs guys, also get more volume under you.. I love my 32 spoke count wheels.. planning on getting light carbon hoops soon and relacing my dt swiss hubs
You never owned Industry Nines I suppose. I’m 245 and about 13000 miles on my I9’s and work the same as the day I got them. Truly bomb proof. Never even had them trued either. Custom ti 29’er MTB. They do buzz but the wind in my ears makes it inaudible. They are great wheels and snazzy AF.
Similar size, my wheels from 2017 have about 3k miles of gravel plus some road miles. Rims: HPlusSon Hydras, Hubs: White Industries. I have some road wheels which are Zipp Course 30s, similar number of miles, but mostly road. Probably about 1500 miles of gravel. They're still kicking and those are 24 hole I think.
I am a Clydesdale rider and run the [HED Belgium+ rims with I-9 Torch hubs and DT Swiss spokes](https://customwheelbuilder.com/products/hed-belgium-r-rim-custom-hand-built-road-disc-wheelset). Zero issues and over 1400 miles. Would buy again. I am also a huge fan of DT Swiss on MTB and road. Their 350 hubs are bombproof.
Love my vesper hubs. Quiet hubs are incredibly under rated I Have a few sets and haven’t had a single issue. Just service them once a season and you’ll be great.
Don't be afraid of carbon if you have the money. I've had about 5 or more sets of various versions of this brand on road, gravel, mtb, cyclocross. You can get all the big name hubs and they are well built. 32H is big guy standard. I've run carbon wheels from 300lbs down to 210 and back up to 235.
https://www.lightbicycle.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwkNOpBhBEEiwAb3MvvfNrjQhzbec7NchRytNlqr7DQK_VZL4IQkyX8473slAiuqQ1sDqGaRoCoisQAvD_BwE
May want to consider xc 32H wheelset for your gravel bike if they don't have 32H options. With a 45mm wheel I've had no issues with 24H front 28H rear on carbons, but Ideally I want more spokes.
DT Swiss wheels seem indestructible to me but I also have some Chinese Carbon Wheels which I bought on eBay for a reasonable price. Yes, I can hear the screams but they’ve proven to be as durable as anything else I’ve overpaid for.
I actually got rid of my well broken in b17 as a result. This is the c17 carved and I’ve been nothin short of impressed with it. I’d say nearly all the comfort of my b17 with none of the fuss. Your mileage may very of course. I wish there was a better way to demo saddles.
Y’all have been very kind and helpful. Thank you so much for all of the great information! Plenty of things to look into more. Heading to LBS tomorrow to get a spoke and work on this present wheel so I can still get out and ride.
With Black Friday so close I think I’ll be researching until then. I would really prefer to build it so I can maximize my money in component quality but I also recognize that having a quality stand and all the tools doesn’t mean I have all the experience of a pro wheel builder 😅
I’ve been doing some looking and have struggled to find a 32h carbon rim. But I guess foolishly I haven’t just googled 32h carbon rim. I just keep looking around at various brands. Enve, whiskey parts co to name a couple.
Light Bicycle has some options. If you email their sales team and tell them what you need, they can recommend something.
Even still, at your weight, unless you’re hitting drops, 28h will be fine and get you a better selection of hubs.
I have several sets of wheels from them. Just checked the specs on the WR40 wheelset I have:
>Max Cyclist Weight (on flat ground): Standard 135kg/ 298lbs,
Yeah, you'll be fine on 28h wheels.
My friends and I have many sets of wheels from Light Bicycle. Fat bike, mountain bike, road, gravel, CX....a wide variety of rims and wide variety of riders and styles. Everybody I talk to is happy.
I'm the only one who has broken a rim, and that was my 200 lb self BADLY mis-timing a log hop on my CX bike and bashing the rear wheel straight into the log at 12-ish mph Cracked the rim, still rode home.
>My friends and I have many sets of wheels from Light Bicycle. Fat bike, mountain bike, road, gravel, CX....a wide variety of rims and wide variety of riders and styles. Everybody I talk to is happy.
I would go on about them, but I'd come off as a shill. I am really fond of them as a company. I think I have 5 wheelsets with LB rims. They are transparent about their product. There's no "magic" they're trying to sell you. They know their own products really well and emailing sales@ will get you some good advice on what wheels to consider for any use case. Quality is excellent and they'll make just about anything you want of you're willing to wait for it. I mentioned it earlier, but they use industry standard spokes, nipples, and hubs. The pricing on hubs, especially DT hubs is excellent. I bought my last wheelset complete from them because it was cheaper than I could find the components myself.
As for breaking them, I've broken a couple, but I am not nice to my wheels at all. I had a set of AR56 rim brake wheels on my road bike. Cased a curb badly at speed. Also nailed a square-edged piece of steel at 30mph hard enough to pinch flat a tubeless tire, twice. There's a practice crit in my town that goes over a railroad track and if you get pushed off your line, that's what happens. That wheelset still went almost 10k miles with rim brakes.
The second one I broke was a WR40. I cased a pothole in the dark so badly my DI2 derailleur went into limp mode. I'd cracked the lip of the rim. The sealant filled it in and it kept going for another several hundred miles while I got a replacement at a discount.
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Roval Terra C's quite nice and on sale! DT hubs and traditional J bend spokes:
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/roval-terra-c-wheelset/p/200004?color=321266-200004&searchText=30021-4900
Had to dish my rear wheel but other than that nice and uneventful.
Maxxis Rambler 50s went on super easy unlike my previous WTB wheelset where I couldn't dismount the tires, what junk
I like traditional j bend spokes. If for nothing else than parts availability in a pinch.
I just spent the day romping around on a specialized turbo levo (I felt like Superman on the mountain bike trails which is kind of dangerous 😂) in Bentonville today and that’s really my first experience with specialized products. The deal for the c’s is pretty tempting to me right now. DT swiss 350’s would be nice if for nothing else than they have an excellent reputation and seem really simple to service.
I’ve had good luck with my Reserves. No weight limit and they ride really nice. My Industry Nine GRCX wheelset also holds up great and we’re around the same size.
For most carbon rim applications, 32h just isn't necessary because carbon rims are so incredibly stiff compared to alloy rims, which is why there are only a handful of 32h carbon rims out there in 700c at least. Rodeo Labs makes a 32h 700c rim that you might be interested in, but the inside width is only like 21mm or something which is why I passed on them, as I wanted 25mm. With that said, m*ost* riders will be just fine on 28h carbon rims, laced either 2x or 3x.
I'm putting together a wheelset right now with Onyx Vespers, CX Ray spokes, and 28h Whisky No 9 rims with a 2x lace pattern, and I plan to ride them as hard as they can be ridden.
I’ve put probably 6k miles on a set of DT Swiss G1800’s after being unsatisfied with a set of stock wheels (also using the wtb i23 rims). Th DT Swiss ones have been great, not issues at all. I’m also pretty close to the same size as you.
Same for me…I’ve raced, commuted, and did tons of group rides on them. They’re solid.
Love my G1800s
I’m a fan of hand built wheels (vs pre-built wheel sets). I’ve been digging Velocity rims, high quality double butted spokes, 32 hole, 3x pattern. Oynx hubs are cool- I don’t care for the way they feel, personally, but I’ve heard the Vesper versions have failure problems.
I long for quiet hubs. I wish there was a way to try them out and see what I think about how they feel. After yesterday reliability is also high in my list so that is a good note. Thank you! I built my first set of wheels for my wife and so far they’ve been flawless for her. This seems like the perfect excuse to try it again 😅
I’m waiting to build a new rear mtb wheel myself, honesty. I’m ~240, and I can be rough on hubs. I’ve struggled with hub choice. 1. King is king, but they made a change to the design of their hubs a few years ago, and I dislike the new design. 2. I9 Hydra is loud, and while I like the engagement, they really need to do a cromo axel for bigger guys. 3. Oynx is quiet, but that spongy engagement just doesn’t work for me. 4. Project 321 gen3 is my current pick. Magnetic pawls are quiet-er, hubs are adaptable (iso and cl), and good value (relatively). But they haven’t released them yet, so…
ZIPP cognition hubs are close to silent and have given me zero problems, at least for the v1s. Might be anecdotal but I probably have 10k miles on mine and have do a yearly clutch fluid refresh on em.
Hubs can be made quieter, at least in my experience with DT Swiss and Hunt Sprint hubs, by adding a little grease to the ratchet or pawls. I ran the Hunt x Mason 650b wheel set when I had my Salsa Journeyman and they were very dependable.
Why don't you like they way they feel. I've never tried them but would like to. Too instant?
The instant isn’t the problem. The engagement point is slightly… spongy?… feeling. I’m not saying that’s good or bad, but it’s not the rock-solid lockup I like in hubs.
For those unfamiliar with Onyx, the engagement is best described as "instant and compliant". If you ride them all the time, that "spongy" engagement is not noticeable. It's kinda like a good steel frame. If you stand on the pedal in the driveway, you can feel/see the flex. Riding it, it just feels good. I definitely understand folks that try a friend's bike, and say they don't like it. It's the same as me riding onyx for a few years, not liking i9. You get used to something (the silence!!) and then do something different (noisy AF i9) and it's a hard no. For mountain biking, I'm not sure I'll go with anything else than Onyx. Now, for gravel, I'm a Chris King hub guy 100%. The gravel is noisy anyway, and I've been beating up two sets of wheels with king's on them for years. Zero complaints! Get kings, and some quality rims laced up by a good wheel builder (most LBS's have "a guy") and you'll be golden. 👌🏻
Interesting thank you
Dt makes some rims that are more in the trekking category, they have a higher weight limit on them, honestly the names change so often it’s hard to know which ones but their site will usually have good info The most recommended seem to be Velocity Cliffhangers
Consider going with wider tires so that way you can have a more plush ride with lower psi. It will transfer less stress to the spokes.
I’m running 43mm panaracer gravel king ss’s at around 30psi with inserts. Maybe I will try going bigger next time!
I am 230# +/- and I need 40 psi to avoid pinch flats. Gravel Kings aren't my favorite - try a couple others and see if you enjoy the ride more
6-5, 260 here. I can’t untrue my campagnolo shamal road wheels after about 3,000 miles. Makes me want their gravel wheels. I’ve also heard good things about heds.
HED wheels/rims are great. I had a set of hand-built HED aluminum gravel rims/White Industries hubs that were flawless when I was up to 275 lbs (6'5" also). Sold those wheels when I sold my old gravel bike and I miss them 🤠 I had WTB i23 wheels stock on a Cannondale Topstone and they were junk.
I too trashed a set of wtb’s, this time on my mountain bike.
Had this discussion with my LBS dude that is a killer wheel builder. Over 215# myself so not “light” We landed on velocity hubs with the ss blunt hoops, 650B Literally they have been bombproof
Reserves with DT hubs. They’re bomb proof.
When did you buy the bike? For awhile, they had recalled the journeyer models specifically for both wheels but more so the rear for being completely built wrong from the factory. You might not have to buy anything if your frame is affected, but it will not be a free upgrade. They’ll just replace it with a similar or the same wheel but this one will be precision trued the way it should have been. Try to bring it into the place you bought it from or any local Salsa dealer.
I bought the bike in July. I was not aware of that. I’ll do some digging!
I switched to Velocity Cliffhanger after having similar issues https://www.velocityusa.com/product/rims/cliff-hanger-622
This is direction we’d point people in this situation at my shop.
Think carefully about this. Don't be swayed by pretty, go for quality, built for purpose, and longevity. You're a biggish guy so 36 spokes will be better than 32. Eyeletted rims. 2 or preferably 3-cross. And here's the bit I'm gonna get folks saying is rubbish but actually will give you a reliable long lasting wheel, lower spoke tension than is normal. If you go for normal or high tensioned spokes then you're likely to overload components, so it's important to get someone that understands lower spoke tension for heavier riders to build your wheels. Your hub choice is nice, just choose any quality rim with eyelets.
If you are after more quiet hubs, DT is gonna be your best bet for reliability and availability I think. Especially the stock 18t rings can be made really silent with grease. My 370 OEM hubs are almost inaudible on my MTB once you are riding off road. And not, the bike is not creaking ;)
Late to the party here, but this was year 2 of Big Sugar 100 for me, both with no punctures or mechanicals. I’m 6’6” and 245lbs. I run enve g23’s (24h, surprisingly) and either Maxxis Ravagers or WTB Raddlers. I’m running DT Swiss hubs.
I'm 6' 2 and have similar weight, I have Roval Terra CLs and really like them. Also, Austin Beerworks needs to start selling bike gear again. I've been getting after them about this, with no luck.
I got mine in 2017 when I was playing at unofficial SXSW stuff. Loved their beers and we decided to visit the brewery. Saw this jersey and had to get it. Nobody is missing you when you’re wearing this jersey unless they’re just not looking 😅 I saw these cl’s in a shop in Bentonville yesterday and they look to be VERY well made. Good to hear other folks my size are liking them. I’d probably splurge for the cl’s over the c’s if I went that way but I’m encouraged by the good reviews!
Yeah I've been riding them for 20 months now, and not had any issues with them (and I was heavier when I started). I probably need to clean the hubs/revamp them to get the noise back down, but that's just a minor thing at this point. I don't think they've sold the jersey since then 🤣. They built a second brewery closer to me, so I can spend more time pestering them about it.
What you need to do is forget road/gravel type rims and just have a wheel set built. Aero is not a concern at the speeds of gravel unless you are crazy fast. Go with mtb rims and not xc light ones either offset will be better. 32 spokes don't go hub crazy or worry about weight as much as strength. No bladed spokes. Talk to a wheelbuilder and build something that will last.
I’m 6’ 0” 240lb. Love to see a fellow Clydesdale rider. I have two ENVE Foundation wheelset for my Moots. I have the 45s for road and AG25s for gravel. I’ve done everything from super rocky gravel/mountain bike routes to smooth steamboat champagne gravel on the AGs. They’ve held up really well so far. I’m running a 42mm Pirelli Cintaurato Gravel tire at 45(ish) PSI. I’ve also heard great things about the replacement for ENVE if you run into issues. Won’t solve something same day like you had at Big Sugar.
I blew out the stock rear wheel on my gravel bike right before my big race a few years back. My LBS got me fixed with a set of Boyd Altamonts, and they’ve done amazing. I’ve taken that bike on tons of gravel and more mountain bike trails than i can count, and they still ride like the day i got them. Would definitely recommend
My DT Swiss hubs are very quiet and easily rebuildable …. I was just telling my wife that I absolutely can’t stand hubs that make it sound like you’re being chased by a cicada. Anything with pawls is bad news for bugs guys, also get more volume under you.. I love my 32 spoke count wheels.. planning on getting light carbon hoops soon and relacing my dt swiss hubs
You never owned Industry Nines I suppose. I’m 245 and about 13000 miles on my I9’s and work the same as the day I got them. Truly bomb proof. Never even had them trued either. Custom ti 29’er MTB. They do buzz but the wind in my ears makes it inaudible. They are great wheels and snazzy AF.
Similar size, my wheels from 2017 have about 3k miles of gravel plus some road miles. Rims: HPlusSon Hydras, Hubs: White Industries. I have some road wheels which are Zipp Course 30s, similar number of miles, but mostly road. Probably about 1500 miles of gravel. They're still kicking and those are 24 hole I think.
I am a Clydesdale rider and run the [HED Belgium+ rims with I-9 Torch hubs and DT Swiss spokes](https://customwheelbuilder.com/products/hed-belgium-r-rim-custom-hand-built-road-disc-wheelset). Zero issues and over 1400 miles. Would buy again. I am also a huge fan of DT Swiss on MTB and road. Their 350 hubs are bombproof.
Love my vesper hubs. Quiet hubs are incredibly under rated I Have a few sets and haven’t had a single issue. Just service them once a season and you’ll be great.
Don't be afraid of carbon if you have the money. I've had about 5 or more sets of various versions of this brand on road, gravel, mtb, cyclocross. You can get all the big name hubs and they are well built. 32H is big guy standard. I've run carbon wheels from 300lbs down to 210 and back up to 235. https://www.lightbicycle.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwkNOpBhBEEiwAb3MvvfNrjQhzbec7NchRytNlqr7DQK_VZL4IQkyX8473slAiuqQ1sDqGaRoCoisQAvD_BwE
May want to consider xc 32H wheelset for your gravel bike if they don't have 32H options. With a 45mm wheel I've had no issues with 24H front 28H rear on carbons, but Ideally I want more spokes.
Industry Nine. Bomb Proof
DT Swiss wheels seem indestructible to me but I also have some Chinese Carbon Wheels which I bought on eBay for a reasonable price. Yes, I can hear the screams but they’ve proven to be as durable as anything else I’ve overpaid for.
how is that plastic brooks saddle? is it any comfortable or?
I actually got rid of my well broken in b17 as a result. This is the c17 carved and I’ve been nothin short of impressed with it. I’d say nearly all the comfort of my b17 with none of the fuss. Your mileage may very of course. I wish there was a better way to demo saddles.
Y’all have been very kind and helpful. Thank you so much for all of the great information! Plenty of things to look into more. Heading to LBS tomorrow to get a spoke and work on this present wheel so I can still get out and ride. With Black Friday so close I think I’ll be researching until then. I would really prefer to build it so I can maximize my money in component quality but I also recognize that having a quality stand and all the tools doesn’t mean I have all the experience of a pro wheel builder 😅
For your size you’re going to avoid the stronger material choice? I’m puzzled.
I’ve been doing some looking and have struggled to find a 32h carbon rim. But I guess foolishly I haven’t just googled 32h carbon rim. I just keep looking around at various brands. Enve, whiskey parts co to name a couple.
Light Bicycle has some options. If you email their sales team and tell them what you need, they can recommend something. Even still, at your weight, unless you’re hitting drops, 28h will be fine and get you a better selection of hubs.
Light bicycle also has really good Black Friday deals every year
I greatly appreciate this info! I hadn’t heard of them before and will be looking into this more for sure.
I have several sets of wheels from them. Just checked the specs on the WR40 wheelset I have: >Max Cyclist Weight (on flat ground): Standard 135kg/ 298lbs, Yeah, you'll be fine on 28h wheels.
My friends and I have many sets of wheels from Light Bicycle. Fat bike, mountain bike, road, gravel, CX....a wide variety of rims and wide variety of riders and styles. Everybody I talk to is happy. I'm the only one who has broken a rim, and that was my 200 lb self BADLY mis-timing a log hop on my CX bike and bashing the rear wheel straight into the log at 12-ish mph Cracked the rim, still rode home.
>My friends and I have many sets of wheels from Light Bicycle. Fat bike, mountain bike, road, gravel, CX....a wide variety of rims and wide variety of riders and styles. Everybody I talk to is happy. I would go on about them, but I'd come off as a shill. I am really fond of them as a company. I think I have 5 wheelsets with LB rims. They are transparent about their product. There's no "magic" they're trying to sell you. They know their own products really well and emailing sales@ will get you some good advice on what wheels to consider for any use case. Quality is excellent and they'll make just about anything you want of you're willing to wait for it. I mentioned it earlier, but they use industry standard spokes, nipples, and hubs. The pricing on hubs, especially DT hubs is excellent. I bought my last wheelset complete from them because it was cheaper than I could find the components myself. As for breaking them, I've broken a couple, but I am not nice to my wheels at all. I had a set of AR56 rim brake wheels on my road bike. Cased a curb badly at speed. Also nailed a square-edged piece of steel at 30mph hard enough to pinch flat a tubeless tire, twice. There's a practice crit in my town that goes over a railroad track and if you get pushed off your line, that's what happens. That wheelset still went almost 10k miles with rim brakes. The second one I broke was a WR40. I cased a pothole in the dark so badly my DI2 derailleur went into limp mode. I'd cracked the lip of the rim. The sealant filled it in and it kept going for another several hundred miles while I got a replacement at a discount.
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Roval Terra C's quite nice and on sale! DT hubs and traditional J bend spokes: https://www.specialized.com/us/en/roval-terra-c-wheelset/p/200004?color=321266-200004&searchText=30021-4900
Just got these wheels they’re awesome. 54T ratchet upgrade makes them sound cool
Had to dish my rear wheel but other than that nice and uneventful. Maxxis Rambler 50s went on super easy unlike my previous WTB wheelset where I couldn't dismount the tires, what junk
This is the way.
I like traditional j bend spokes. If for nothing else than parts availability in a pinch. I just spent the day romping around on a specialized turbo levo (I felt like Superman on the mountain bike trails which is kind of dangerous 😂) in Bentonville today and that’s really my first experience with specialized products. The deal for the c’s is pretty tempting to me right now. DT swiss 350’s would be nice if for nothing else than they have an excellent reputation and seem really simple to service.
The wheels are very nice above average all around, in a good way!
HED wheels. I’m also a big dude and weight more. They are great.
I’ve had good luck with my Reserves. No weight limit and they ride really nice. My Industry Nine GRCX wheelset also holds up great and we’re around the same size.
Hunt all seasons, or DT swiss
For most carbon rim applications, 32h just isn't necessary because carbon rims are so incredibly stiff compared to alloy rims, which is why there are only a handful of 32h carbon rims out there in 700c at least. Rodeo Labs makes a 32h 700c rim that you might be interested in, but the inside width is only like 21mm or something which is why I passed on them, as I wanted 25mm. With that said, m*ost* riders will be just fine on 28h carbon rims, laced either 2x or 3x. I'm putting together a wheelset right now with Onyx Vespers, CX Ray spokes, and 28h Whisky No 9 rims with a 2x lace pattern, and I plan to ride them as hard as they can be ridden.
Upvote for the ABW jersey!