Middle aged 245 lb destroyer of wheels needs advice.

[dhk2]

Originally Posted by swampy1970 .

I use the lighter weight Specialized butyl innertubes and Continental GP4000S tires. If the rides I trained for were shorter I'd probably use latex innertubes. The past few years I've only had one or two punctures per year while using Conti's. I tried using the Vittoria CX open tubular (clincher) and a Michelin Pro Race and they were cut/puncture magnets. Prior to that I had the Conti Attack/Force combo and they were great too - and that was back when I was over 200lbs. They're specific front/back tires.

I've never used "thorn proof" tubes and I ride alot in the country where there's lots of thorny bushes around.

Tires are probably the most important part of the bike. They're the bit that connects you and your bike to the road and because of this I tend not to go cheap on such items. Go cheap on the seat post or bar tape... not the bits that help keep your lycra covered butt off the pavement.

swampy, my experience matches yours on the tires: CX and Pro Race picked up frequent cuts and flats, while Conti 4000s have been virtually puncture-proof for me. The ProRace 3's are supposed to be better, but I'm so happy with the Conti's I likely won't go back. Currently I'm running a set of Vittoria Diamante Pros which came on some new wheels. Got the first cut/bulge damage on one of the first rides, but the cut hasn't progressed. Checking the front tire yesterday, found a new cut in it too. I don't mind cuts and bumps too much on the back, but the integrity of the front tire is pretty important to me on descents.

I've found there is also a difference in tubes. I used to get Bontrager cheapie tubes from the LBS, but found that after about 6 months of use, the tubes would fail at the base of the stem. Conti tubes are much thicker at that critical point; haven't had any failures at the stem-base in over 2 years. The 3/$10 tubes sounded like a bargain, but they weren't. Also found the Conti tubes hold air longer, maybe dropping 10-15 psi in a week. Handy on trips when I don't want to bother filling the tires every morning.

 

[alienator]

swampy, my experience matches yours on the tires:  CX and Pro Race picked up frequent cuts and flats, while Conti 4000s have been virtually puncture-proof for me.  The ProRace 3's are supposed to be better, but I'm so happy with the Conti's I likely won't go back.  Currently I'm running a set of Vittoria Diamante Pros which came on some new wheels.  Got the first cut/bulge damage on one of the first rides, but the cut hasn't progressed.  Checking the front tire yesterday, found a new cut in it too.  I don't mind cuts and bumps too much on the back, but the integrity of the front tire is pretty important to me on descents.
 
I've found there is also a difference in tubes.  I used to get Bontrager cheapie tubes from the LBS, but found that after about 6 months of use, the tubes would fail at the base of the stem.  Conti tubes are much thicker at that critical point; haven't had any failures at the stem-base in over 2 years.  The 3/$10 tubes sounded like a bargain, but they weren't.  Also found the Conti tubes hold air longer, maybe dropping 10-15 psi in a week.  Handy on trips when I don't want to bother filling the tires every morning. 
 
 

My go-to inner tubes are either Michelin tubes or Contis. I prefer the Michelins because of the smooth stem. I've not noticed any difference in puncture protection between Mich's AirComp Ultra_light tubes and Mich's AirStop tubes. I found Bontrager tubes to have some inconsistency in quality. Forte tubes were worse than the Bontragers for me, but I had purchased the Fortes only because I was low on cash at the time. Tires.....I've had zero luck with Conti 4000s skins, but then perhaps that was just my luck. I am firm believer in the idea that scanning the road is the best tool for limiting flats, but despite that, the Contis flatted a bit too much for me. They rode well enough and seemed to have plenty of grip though. Maxxis Re-Fuse tires have been very durable and puncture resistant for me, as have been Michelin Krylions. I think the Krylions, though, have been superseded by the Pro 4 Endurance tires. I've got about 500 miles on a set of Michelin ProRace 3's that are still in great shape, having only a few cuts and no punctures.

 

[Colnago62]

I don't get flats much. The last one I had was in the spring of last year. I don't ride with folks who tend to ride in the gutter and don't point out obstacles. I tend to stay away from light weight tires and buy tires that have a reputation for their puncture Resistance. I also change my tires regularly. I don't wait until they start getting thin.

 

[Pat Stowe]

Originally Posted by IdahoClyde

I am a long time cyclist and raced MTB's back before suspension and then I got married, had kids and woke up one day fat and lazy in my mid-40's. At 47, I dusted off my old bikes and started riding again but began having problems with my old road wheels that most would consider overbuilt and heavy. They are 32 hole 9 speed ultegra hubs laced to a mavic open4CD rim and my brother in law wire tied the spokes on the non drive side to make them stiffer. Only problem is that they are getting loose about every other ride and I need a set of wheels that dont require constant upkeep. Any clydes out there with similar issues? Do I need a 36 hole setup? My brother in law suggested a 48 hole tandem wheel but I thought that was a bit much. I weigh 245 lbs today but know that I wont ever weigh less than about 215.P

Put a drop of Purple Locktite in each spoke nipple. It WILL sove your problem, I did same on factory built wheels with same issue, no more problems, and they were "weaker" than yours I've run same rims as you at 258 lbs- no worrys

 

[Pat Stowe]

I used to break spokes almost every ride and crack rims frequently, the fixes?
1,) DT or Wheelsmith spokes 2.0 X !.8 double butted, NOT straight gauge, the thin part can stretch enough to aborb damaging stress, really!
2.) Handmade wheels, with spoke preparation by spoke mfr or loktite (purple), linseed oil etc.
3.) "mirror image" lacing, ( the "driving" spokes should be on either on the outside of the flanges or the inside, per preference not L or R
5.) double wall rims with reinforced double ended ferrules that reinforce the holes and anchor to both rim walls as Mavic etc mentioned in earlier replies or the Ambrosio pictured above

 

[Grant-53]

At 250 lb, I have ridden a 3 speed Huffy with 26 x 1-3/8 in wheels with 36 hole and 3 cross spokes without failure. Same goes for a Ross Gran Tour with 27 x 1-1/4 in. wheels and my Jamis Aragon with 700C x 38 wheels. I use butyl tubes from a bike shop instead of the department stores. Pressure is 75-85 psi. I am a recreational rider so I don't hammer a lot of miles. I do check spoke tension by sound and try to keep the wheels true. The book 'High-Tech Cycling' by Edmond Burke has a good section on rolling resistance plus a wealth of other information. Since I don't race I build fairings to get the biggest gain in performance and protection. I never figured it worth while to spend a pile of money to shave a few grams off a component when I still need to shed many pounds of weight.

 

[Pat Stowe]

Try putting a drop of some type of "spoke prep" on the edge of the nipple, it'll flow into the threads. I've used several types when building wheels, but I've found a drop of "Purple" Loktite is perfect, especially for after build issues as yours. The "purple" formula holds the nipples in place, but is still easy to true the wheels when/if needed, "blue" works as well but has a bit stronger "lock" than needed. I have some very some very similar wheels and I am, er was, much heavier than you and have had no issues with my wheels. I bought a bike a while back that came with factory built wheels with about 20 bladed spokes in the rear thet wouldn't stay true, the rims started cracking and spokes pulled out. I put a drop of purple on the nippes of the replacement wheel- no more problems!
Linseed oil will work "ok" if you can't find loktite, but may be hard to find in small quantities.

 

[David Gerchman]

You might try putting a new set of tires on. I put specialized turbo pros on my bike and everything got better. ride, gripp, I am in love with these tires. I am 270 and runnin 700X25s at 100 psi no pinch issues even when going off curbs is the only way out of a crash.

 

[David Gerchman]

lol, Broke my first spoke today.