Hey everyone
I have been posting on here for the past couple of weeks and spending a lot of time reading this and other bike sites.
I have a question, I am a big guy (really big 350) and I want to get a set of wheels for my bike 26 X 2.125 but I want to get a set that I can use and not have them fold up like they were made of foil. im not to worried about the weight, I am concerned with the strength.
I hope you guys can give me some sound advice. My mind is telling me that a higher spoke count would be better as well as a really good rim. The bike I have now has a nice set of thick strong tires (after I rode my walmart bike into the ground after 4 months and 1000 miles) any advice would be greatly welcomed
Your instincts are correct. High spoke count (32 or 36), a good rim and most importantly a quality build. The good news is 26" might be the most popular format so good rims would be easy to come by.
Based on another thread it sounds like you might live around Mt. Lebo? If so, check out Josiah at West Liberty Cycles or Rick at TRM. Either one of them will do quite well by you.
You may be pushed to buy a stock wheelset. I think for you I'd go custom.
Good luck!
I'm also a large cyclist. Definitely right on with the higher spoke count. Further, look for a good, sturdy rim. I would never get anything that isn't double-walled.
The first thing to do is go somewhere with experienced bike techs. Chat with them some. Try to get a feel for where they really care. Explain what you want and what your concerns are. Be prepared to pay a little more for better quality. Also, be willing to wait if they need to order something that's just right.
I've had very good luck with REI. In years past, I had great experiences at Pittsburgh Pro in Squirrel Hill. My last couple of trips there were deeply dissatisfying, though, and I don't think I'll be in a hurry to go back.
The folks at Gatto out in Tarentum seem pretty nice. I haven't actually taken my bike there for any work, but I've bought accessories there, and they were very helpful, and were more than willing to spend time helping me pick things out, even when they were not expensive or high-end.
I would avoid the new Performance location in East Liberty, at least for now. I checked them out this weekend, and so many of their people are new and inexperienced that it seems like it'd be a bit of a crap shoot. What you want is someone who knows what they're doing.
I don't know if any of that is helpful. I hope so. FWIW, I've been able to get wheels that last for years at a time with daily use.
Thanks guys,
I have some great wheels on my Diamondback and even after the wreck that peeled my front tire like a banana it only needed some minor truing. I will look for wheels like that for the bike im building from ground up. I figured a high spoke count and a nice wide tire 26x2.125 or 2.35 so how do you know what size tire can fit on what sized wheel? I dont want to go into the bike shop sounding like an idiot
Most any 26x whatever will fit. The primary issues are frame clearance and avoiding oddball 26" tire sizes.
Since you have an MTB most anything will fit, regarding clearance. Avoid tire that uses a fraction (like 26x 1 1/
and stick to decimals like 26x2.2. Speaking of 2.2 is about the widest tire that will fit.
Don't worry about going into a shop and sounding like an idiot. Go in asking questions and tell them your concerns, and if they make you feel like an idiot - DING! - you know you're in the wrong shop.
The only way to surely sound like an idiot is to pretend you know things that you don't. And I have occasionally gotten that from shop people fronting to impress me.
Anybody have any experience with Dirty Harry's recently? I haven't been there in a long while. I don't know anything about downhill, but it seems like wheels built for that ought to be able to handle Dback.
I was just in dirty Harry's after my wreck. The guy that waited on me was great, really nice and helpful. all in all a good experience.
For answers to this and almost evrything else you might want to know, I refer you to the esteemed (RIP) Sheldon Brown: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire_sizing.html
As regards the original question, consider a wheelset designed for a tandem. (But make sure that the hub width fits your bike. Some tandems have extra-wide rear spacing)
If you don't mind dropping a little extra dough you could get some 40 spoke tandem wheels. 48 and even 72 spoke wheels are also known to have existed, but good luck finding those, especially with a hub/gear setup that would suit you.
Never thought about the tandem...
Now I have more to think about. This is why I enjoy this forum so much.
Kraynicks got some Velocitys and other double walls hiding upstairs. I bought a few at $20 each, normally about $70. I weigh about 170, but I put about 100lbs of scrap medal on my bike with no problem. I think I could ride down a flight of stairs on those things, go dig around his upstairs you'll find something, when you come pick up the MTB I'll show you the rims, they come in colors too, so they look really cool.
I have 40 spokes on my back wheel. Bob at Iron City Bikes recommended that because I sometimes haul a trailer, I often have loaded panniers, and I ain't skinny no more.
Bob would be a good guy to go to - he's pretty big and ride a little rough.
As others say, many spokes is the way to go.
Mick
Looks like a saturday trip to kraynicks among other places
I recommend the Sun Rhyno Lite rim. They are big, beefy, and tough as nails (or tougher) They are also super duper wide for ultra-fat tires if you want to go that route.
