Wheels for city use

MTB rims 26x1.5 (559x19mm) are normally stronger than 700c (622mm) road rims. Good 26" slicks, Conti Sport Contact 26x1.3 are very fast for acceleration on city bikes.

Also chose a bike with NO suspension. 😉

At 86-88kg, I have a 36spoke 26"/559mm wheel that has lasted me 15years of rough heavily-laden touring and commuting. I can't find a 32 spoke 700C/622mm wheel that will last me longer than 4 months without breaking spokes. Does that answer your question? Admittedly, the 4 extra spokes may make a bigger difference than you'd think.

Any brands to look out for or to avoid?

The Ridgebacks I'm looking at have Alex z1000 36h on the one and Alex SCE-17 36h on the slightly better bike (around £290).
I've never heard of Alex rims, and can't find any info about them on the net.

There is a Claud Butler that looks a possibility, with " Weinmann ZAC2000 double wall rims with CNC braking surface. Equipped with 32 hole black alloy quick release hubs"

Why no suspension? I've never had suspension, so cannot make direct comparison (except on a hired moutain bike in the Brecon Beacson, where it made climbing a rocky track a breeze!!).

How mcu does suspension add to the weight?
does it make any difference on city raods (good or bad)?
does it affect teh feel of the bike and the handling?

briandavison said:

Any brands to look out for or to avoid?

The Ridgebacks I'm looking at have Alex z1000 36h on the one and Alex SCE-17 36h on the slightly better bike (around £290).
I've never heard of Alex rims, and can't find any info about them on the net.

There is a Claud Butler that looks a possibility, with " Weinmann ZAC2000 double wall rims with CNC braking surface. Equipped with 32 hole black alloy quick release hubs"

Why no suspension? I've never had suspension, so cannot make direct comparison (except on a hired moutain bike in the Brecon Beacson, where it made climbing a rocky track a breeze!!).

How mcu does suspension add to the weight?
does it make any difference on city raods (good or bad)?
does it affect teh feel of the bike and the handling?

Suspension makes the bike heavy and sucks up power when you sprint or stand out of the saddle, as it makes the bike behave like a pogo stick. At higher speeds it probably has a slight air brake effect due to its chunkier profile. Most importantly of all, I don't find that it adds to comfort at all on sealed roads or paths.

Suspension also sucks power on bad roads even if you can pedal without bobbing the bike back and forth.

Fatter, properly inflated tires are a better choice for energy efficiency. The type of roughness which justifies a full suspension is rarely seen on rough streets and paths.

briandavison said:

I've never heard of Alex rims, and can't find any info about them on the net.

Go to http://www.alexrims.com/

Quoted post said:

How mcu does suspension add to the weight?
does it make any difference on city raods (good or bad)?
does it affect teh feel of the bike and the handling?

Suspension forks, by design, will be heavier. The weight will depend on it's construction (eg Steel steerer tubes vs aluminium, magnesium lowers etc). Obviously, if it costs more then usually the materials will be lighter, more sturdy etc.
As the other posters stated you may get that pogo stick effect when using suspension forks; particularly when standing. You can buy suspension forks with lockout which will be similar to having a rigid fork. These normally come in the form of a poploc feature (press a button on the top of the fork leg to enable or release the suspension) or a dial. The weight will still be evident though. As has been mentioned (and something I practice at times) you can put a rigid fork on your frame and, where you might want a bit more comfort swap out the narrow 80-100psi slicks for slightly fatter tyres. The latter will still allow you to go at a good pace but with added comfort as the extra rubber should soak up a bit of the rough stuff. When I have the wider tyres mounted I personally use either the GEAX Evolution (1.9 with a smooth centre and ridges on the outside. Can be pumped to 65psi and rolls quite well. Plenty of rubber has ensured I have not yet had a flat) or Kenda Krad (2.3 urban tyre which can be pumped to 80psi. A bit wide and heavy for a commuter but great for cruising the streets; especially if you like to take shortcuts down stairs, cut across parks or gravelled paths).
If you go down the 700c hybrid path you can always mount larger tyres than those normally found on road bikes; eg 700x28 or wider. Also, if you find you want a knobby tyre there are cyclocross models you could buy.

Thanks for all the adivice so far.
I've had a look at the Alex site, and the rims are single skin. How much does it matter? Will they be as strong as double skin only heavier, or will they be more prone to buckle?
Anyone used Alex SCE 17s? (on Ridgeback Cyclone for example?)

Choice seems to be between Ridgeback Cyclone and Specialised Hardrock Rigid - most other firms have low spec gear on their rigid fork frames (ie rigid fork = entry level = cheap stuff, rather that rigid fork = deliberate choice so may be required with high quality gear).

How much difference in strength does double walled rims give?
more or less difference than spoke number (36 or 32).

I'm looking at a ridgback cylcone with 36 spoke single walls and a specialised XC rigid with 32 spoke double walled rims - which wheel will be stronger?

I'm not an expert on wheels but single-rimmed walls generally come on lower spec bikes and department store bikes. I haven't seen any on nicer bikes, even bikes that are 20 years old.