rear wheel durability for touring

"KBH" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:1053535958.358075@sj-nntpcache-5...

Quoted message said:

Going to embark on a 3 day tour soon and my "touring" bike

is equipped with

Quoted message said:

this rear wheel:

32 14ga spokes Mavic MA-3 Machine built (but I build my own now!), hand trued but

not totally

Quoted message said:

loosened/rebuilt

I weigh in at 175. With a typical 3 day load (2 panniers,

rack trunk, maybe

Quoted message said:

25 lbs?) does this wheel stand a chance?

Sure, just pretend you're a 200 LB rider on a normal ride!

If it's a machine built wheel, it's probably too loose, and not properly stress-relieved. You could
improve it by simply tightening the spokes. But if you're going to that trouble, you might as well
give it a good stress-relieving too. You can do this yourself with the aid of Jobst's book, or some
other good instructions -- or take it to a shop who knows good wheelbuilding. I've had no problems
since I started doing this. Rather than a custom build, I've taken to buying cheap mahcine builts,
and retensioning and stress-relieving them.

Matt O.