PT wheel build advice needed

idland said:

Just wanted to take the pulse of this forum on my PT SL wheel build options. Similar dilemma to many others before me, but each case is a little different, so excuse another plea for advice.

I'll use the wheel for everything: training, racing, trainer. I can't afford to build two PT wheels, so the one wheel will have to straddle the middle between everything: durable but reasonably light too.

I'll have the wheel built up by an ace builder who recommends either of these two options.

Option 1
+Velocity aerohead off center 21mm rim depth
28h PT SL

Option 2
+Speedcific niobium (rim made by same people who make Am Classic rims) 30mm rim depth
24h PT SL

The builder says weights will be about the same for both based on spokes etc.

At 130 pounds, I initially was all over the idea of building a 24h hub on the 30mm rim. But then I got nervous it wouldn't be durable enough. Am I overthinking how much more hassle-free/durable the 28h build would be, or how much more "trouble" the 24h build would be?

Thoughts???

Thanks.

For 3 y I did all of my training and racing using the same 24 h PowerTap hub laced to a Velocity Deep V rim. I did not have any durability problems, and I weigh ~20 lbs more than you. Then again, I'm generally quite easy on wheels, and being heavier/thicker the Velocity rim is probably stiffer than the Speedcific (while the strength of various aluminum alloys can vary, stiffness is generally pretty constant, and in this context it is the stiffness that really matters).

Another factor you may wish to consider is whether the Speedcific wheel is in fact any more aerodynamic than the one built with the Velocity Aerohead. If it isn't, the latter may prove the better choice, as it might be more durable, and should you ever ruin a rim, a 28 h replacement is probably easier to find.

FWIW I think that Velocity rims build up like [censored] and hence are not any rims I'd ride. The DT swiss R1.1 is a great rim. Why not go with 28? It'll likely save you some trouble in the long run, be stiffer, and I doubt it'll actually slow you down.

Justin

xcgeek said:

FWIW I think that Velocity rims build up like [censored] and hence are not any rims I'd ride. The DT swiss R1.1 is a great rim. Why not go with 28? It'll likely save you some trouble in the long run, be stiffer, and I doubt it'll actually slow you down.

Justin

A differing opinion: The DT Swiss is a bit of a [censored] shoot - get an early production run, and the eyelets will likely pull through. Get a late production run, and the'yre 60gms heavier than advertised (due to double eyelets to solve the aforementioned problem.)

Of the two, I'd go with the 28h Velocity, just for durability reasons. If you're concerned about weight, get some bling spokes like CX-Rays.

I have the PT Pro in a 32h Open Pro rim, 3x lacing, etc. There have been several occasions that I've considered re-building it into a lighter, more aero wheel for racing, but due to the 32h configuration my options are somewhat limited. Buying the 32h model instead of the 28h is about the only regret I have for my PT purchase.

My advice is to build your hub into a wheel that you'll want to race.

I have the Velocity aerohead rim laced to a 32h PT SL and happily race & train on that. I'm in the 80kg / 175 lbs range and am hard on wheels. I don't use trainer much though.

A good wheelbuilder is a priceless asset...🙂

When building a rear wheel with a powertap SL I would definitly go with Sapim CX ray spokes. The rim should be a semi aero rim like: mavic cxp 33 or a dt swiss 1.2

peterpen said:

A differing opinion: The DT Swiss is a bit of a [censored] shoot - get an early production run, and the eyelets will likely pull through. Get a late production run, and the'yre 60gms heavier than advertised (due to double eyelets to solve the aforementioned problem.)

Of the two, I'd go with the 28h Velocity, just for durability reasons. If you're concerned about weight, get some bling spokes like CX-Rays.

Well said. Its possible that the shop I work in has just gotten lucky (we build primarily with DT) or that for some reason the Velocity rims I have had experience with for some reason were [censored]. The Sapim spokes are great though... pricy little buggers, but great!

Justin

Or you could get funky and use a 32H PT, 24 hole rim, 16 spokes drive, 8 non drive and have a stiffer wheel than a standard 28h for less weight. Need a laterally stiff rim to work well though.

Thanks for all the input. I have heard good things about the aerohead rim. I'm going to go with the 28h PT SL on the aerohead. I think because the wheel has to do it all (training and racing) I have to err on the side of durability. I'm afraid of having to true the 24h too much. I reckon a 24 would be better for more of a race-only wheel.

Mike Garcia of Oddsandendos.com will build the wheel up for me. He doesn't stock the Sapims--only Wheelsmith spokes.