Wheel question

Ultegra/Open Pro should be a long-life wheelset. Not sure about final
weight comparison, but it's not so important.

Those Ultegra hubs are awesome if you give them the love they need
twice a year

Quoted message said:

Hi wheelbuilding gurus,

I have a couple questions: I'm considering two wheelsets, but I'm torn
between a wheelset built with Ultegra hubs, Mavic Open Pro CD rims,
14-15 gauge spokes (32 holes), and an alternate wheelset constructed
with DT 340 hubs (32 holes), DT 1.1 rims, and 14-15 gauge spokes. (2
cross on front, 3 cross in rear for both)

I know little about DT hubs - are they reliable, strong, and easy to
service? Are the hubs cartridge bearing or angular contact or what? I
can't find that anywhere, even at their website, just "labyrinth"
bearings. Are the rims long-lasting like most Mavic products?

I weigh 175 pounds and use my bike for commuting and recreational
riding, no racing.

Thanks for any suggestions,

Jim

Quoted message said:

Hi wheelbuilding gurus,

I have a couple questions: I'm considering two wheelsets, but I'm torn
between a wheelset built with Ultegra hubs, Mavic Open Pro CD rims,
14-15 gauge spokes (32 holes), and an alternate wheelset constructed
with DT 340 hubs (32 holes), DT 1.1 rims, and 14-15 gauge spokes. (2
cross on front, 3 cross in rear for both)

I know little about DT hubs - are they reliable, strong, and easy to
service? Are the hubs cartridge bearing or angular contact or what? I
can't find that anywhere, even at their website, just "labyrinth"
bearings. Are the rims long-lasting like most Mavic products?

Cart bearings on the DT hubs and much more expensive than ultegra but
really nice hubs. Easy to service, great rims as well BUT the build is
much more important than the components. I would choose the DT parts,
but the other wheelset, if built well, would be fine also. BTW-2 cross
on the front, didn't the builder have the correct length??

Quoted message said:

I weigh 175 pounds and use my bike for commuting and recreational
riding, no racing.

Thanks for any suggestions,

Jim

Thanks for the words of advice. I'm not sure what 'cart' bearings are,
unless you refer to cartridge bearings.

As for the 2 cross building on the front wheels, I was just aiming for
lower weight, maybe a slightly softer ride?

I wonder about the longevity of the DT rims...Anyone with experience on
those?

-Jim

Qui si parla Campagnolo said:

Quoted message said:

Hi wheelbuilding gurus,

I have a couple questions: I'm considering two wheelsets, but I'm torn
between a wheelset built with Ultegra hubs, Mavic Open Pro CD rims,
14-15 gauge spokes (32 holes), and an alternate wheelset constructed
with DT 340 hubs (32 holes), DT 1.1 rims, and 14-15 gauge spokes. (2
cross on front, 3 cross in rear for both)

I know little about DT hubs - are they reliable, strong, and easy to
service? Are the hubs cartridge bearing or angular contact or what? I
can't find that anywhere, even at their website, just "labyrinth"
bearings. Are the rims long-lasting like most Mavic products?

Cart bearings on the DT hubs and much more expensive than ultegra but
really nice hubs. Easy to service, great rims as well BUT the build is
much more important than the components. I would choose the DT parts,
but the other wheelset, if built well, would be fine also. BTW-2 cross
on the front, didn't the builder have the correct length??

Quoted message said:

I weigh 175 pounds and use my bike for commuting and recreational
riding, no racing.

Thanks for any suggestions,

Jim

Quoted message said:

I wonder about the longevity of the DT rims...Anyone with experience on
those?

DT had some problems with the eyelets cracking on the single-eyelet
version of those rims... now they have gone to double eyelets (like
Open Pro) on the 32 hole version, IIRC.

Quoted message said:

Thanks for the words of advice. I'm not sure what 'cart' bearings are,
unless you refer to cartridge bearings.

That's indeed what Peter meant.

Quoted message said:

As for the 2 cross building on the front wheels, I was just aiming for
lower weight, maybe a slightly softer ride?

Theoretically, 2 cross will be harsher than 3 cross, though you'd need
many thousands of dollars of sensitive equipment to measure the minute
difference. Or you could get a job as a bike magazine writer, at
which point the difference would be huge - tremendous - night and day.
;-)

Quoted message said:

I wonder about the longevity of the DT rims...Anyone with experience on
those?

Haven't heard bad things about 'em since a bad batch years ago.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $795 ti frame

Quoted message said:

-Jim

Qui si parla Campagnolo said:

Quoted message said:

Hi wheelbuilding gurus,

I have a couple questions: I'm considering two wheelsets, but I'm torn
between a wheelset built with Ultegra hubs, Mavic Open Pro CD rims,
14-15 gauge spokes (32 holes), and an alternate wheelset constructed
with DT 340 hubs (32 holes), DT 1.1 rims, and 14-15 gauge spokes. (2
cross on front, 3 cross in rear for both)

I know little about DT hubs - are they reliable, strong, and easy to
service? Are the hubs cartridge bearing or angular contact or what? I
can't find that anywhere, even at their website, just "labyrinth"
bearings. Are the rims long-lasting like most Mavic products?

Cart bearings on the DT hubs and much more expensive than ultegra but
really nice hubs. Easy to service, great rims as well BUT the build is
much more important than the components. I would choose the DT parts,
but the other wheelset, if built well, would be fine also. BTW-2 cross
on the front, didn't the builder have the correct length??

Quoted message said:

I weigh 175 pounds and use my bike for commuting and recreational
riding, no racing.

Thanks for any suggestions,

Jim

Thanks for the extra information. I think the 340 hubs sound pretty
dy-no-mite, and your feedback on the DT rims is much appreciated. Now,
I gotta spend the money.

Mark Hickey said:

Quoted message said:

Thanks for the words of advice. I'm not sure what 'cart' bearings are,
unless you refer to cartridge bearings.

That's indeed what Peter meant.

Quoted message said:

As for the 2 cross building on the front wheels, I was just aiming for
lower weight, maybe a slightly softer ride?

Theoretically, 2 cross will be harsher than 3 cross, though you'd need
many thousands of dollars of sensitive equipment to measure the minute
difference. Or you could get a job as a bike magazine writer, at
which point the difference would be huge - tremendous - night and day.
;-)

Quoted message said:

I wonder about the longevity of the DT rims...Anyone with experience on
those?

Haven't heard bad things about 'em since a bad batch years ago.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $795 ti frame

Quoted message said:

-Jim

Qui si parla Campagnolo said:

[email hidden] wrote:
> Hi wheelbuilding gurus,
>
> I have a couple questions: I'm considering two wheelsets, but I'm torn
> between a wheelset built with Ultegra hubs, Mavic Open Pro CD rims,
> 14-15 gauge spokes (32 holes), and an alternate wheelset constructed
> with DT 340 hubs (32 holes), DT 1.1 rims, and 14-15 gauge spokes. (2
> cross on front, 3 cross in rear for both)
>
> I know little about DT hubs - are they reliable, strong, and easy to
> service? Are the hubs cartridge bearing or angular contact or what? I
> can't find that anywhere, even at their website, just "labyrinth"
> bearings. Are the rims long-lasting like most Mavic products?

Cart bearings on the DT hubs and much more expensive than ultegra but
really nice hubs. Easy to service, great rims as well BUT the build is
much more important than the components. I would choose the DT parts,
but the other wheelset, if built well, would be fine also. BTW-2 cross
on the front, didn't the builder have the correct length??
>
> I weigh 175 pounds and use my bike for commuting and recreational
> riding, no racing.
>
> Thanks for any suggestions,
>
> Jim

Quoted message said:

Thanks for the words of advice. I'm not sure what 'cart' bearings are,
unless you refer to cartridge bearings.

Sealed cartridge bearings as opposed to loose bearing balls riding in
cones and cups.

Quoted message said:

As for the 2 cross building on the front wheels, I was just aiming for
lower weight, maybe a slightly softer ride?

Weight savings from the spoke length of 2 cross vs 3 cross probably
wouldn't even be measurable on a sensitive gram scale and softness or
harshness of ride isn't really an issue either. 3 crsoo vs 2 cross
means a more reliable wheel, all other things being equal. Weight
savings is best achieved with light, reliable hubs, light rims and
enough spokes to support the rim...mostly a minimum of 28 front and
maximum of 36..depends on the rider. A big beefy guy can have light
rims, hubs and then use 36 spokes instead of 28 or 32 and get a
reliable wheel and only add 30-60 grams for the added spokes. Light
wheels are NOT acheived with heavy rims and few spokes, but that's what
marketeer's will tell you-CUZ they 'look' light and whiz bang-ala
ksyriums and Campag's Eurus/Fulcrums

Quoted message said:

I wonder about the longevity of the DT rims...Anyone with experience on
those?

-Jim

Qui si parla Campagnolo said:

Quoted message said:

Hi wheelbuilding gurus,

I have a couple questions: I'm considering two wheelsets, but I'm torn
between a wheelset built with Ultegra hubs, Mavic Open Pro CD rims,
14-15 gauge spokes (32 holes), and an alternate wheelset constructed
with DT 340 hubs (32 holes), DT 1.1 rims, and 14-15 gauge spokes. (2
cross on front, 3 cross in rear for both)

I know little about DT hubs - are they reliable, strong, and easy to
service? Are the hubs cartridge bearing or angular contact or what? I
can't find that anywhere, even at their website, just "labyrinth"
bearings. Are the rims long-lasting like most Mavic products?

Cart bearings on the DT hubs and much more expensive than ultegra but
really nice hubs. Easy to service, great rims as well BUT the build is
much more important than the components. I would choose the DT parts,
but the other wheelset, if built well, would be fine also. BTW-2 cross
on the front, didn't the builder have the correct length??

Quoted message said:

I weigh 175 pounds and use my bike for commuting and recreational
riding, no racing.

Thanks for any suggestions,

Jim