Wheels For Heavy Riders ?

CC <[email hidden]> wrote:
:> Hello all. I have a Trek 1500 with Bontrager Select Wheels on them
:> with 2000 miles. My tires are Conti 3000's. On high speed decents
:> the wheels feel unstable, only at about 35 mph. I have taken them to
:> my LBS numerous times to see if they are true and tensioned properly
:> and they re-assure me everything is ok. I am 6'2" and 200 lbs and
:> this is my first road bike. Is this feel normal ? I would like to
:> get some better wheels. The Race Lites and Ksyriums have both been
:> recommended. Any thoughts if new wheels will help (and support my
:> weight)or if the old one are OK ? I don't mind buying new wheels if
:> it fixes the problem.....

I suggest 32 spokes in front and 36 spokes in the rear.

I don't know what you mean about the wheels feeling unstable. I had
problems, but that's because the spokes would pop loose.

CC said:

Hello all. I have a Trek 1500 with Bontrager Select Wheels on them with
2000 miles. My tires are Conti 3000's. On high speed decents the wheels
feel unstable, only at about 35 mph. I have taken them to my LBS
numerous times to see if they are true and tensioned properly and they
re-assure me everything is ok. I am 6'2" and 200 lbs and this is my
first road bike. Is this feel normal ? I would like to get some better
wheels. The Race Lites and Ksyriums have both been recommended. Any
thoughts if new wheels will help (and support my weight)or if the old
one are OK ? I don't mind buying new wheels if it fixes the problem.....

Is it possible that what you experienced was shimmy? (See the FAQ,
http://draco.acs.uci.edu/rbfaq/FAQ/8h.5.html). If so, it wouldn't have
anything to do with your wheels.

That sure seems like it, but the most of the insatbility feels like it
is in the lower part of the wheel. Thank you very much.

Chuck Clements wrote:

Hello all. I have a Trek 1500 with Bontrager Select Wheels on them
with 2000 miles. My tires are Conti 3000's. On high speed decents the
wheels feel unstable, only at about 35 mph. I have taken them to my LBS
numerous times to see if they are true and tensioned properly and they
re-assure me everything is ok. I am 6'2" and 200 lbs and this is my
first road bike.
-----------------------------------------------------

I'm about your size and just bought a Trek 7200 FX hybrid. I gave
a close look to those BT-Select wheels on many of their other road and
hybrid models and those 20/24-spokes didn't look like what I'd want to
be riding on fast downhills. My 7200 FX has 36-spoke wheels and that
was a big factor in my choosing it. Obviously, if I want full road-bike
speed, I'd have to go with something lighter than this. However, when I
get my next higher-quality road bike, I plan on finding wheels that have
at least 32-spokes and are almost, if not fully as fast.

A knowledgeable dealer recommended the Trek 1500 to me as a good
model for having a fast but basically more sturdy than average road bike
(priced under $1,000., U.S.). You can always swap the wheels for some
with more spokes, if the Selects don't hold up well enough for you.
Another thread on this group shows opinions all over the spectrum, based
on experiences heavier riders had with the BT-Select wheels.

The best time to swap anything is when you buy the bike. My dealer
let me swap several main components off the stock bike, without extra
charge. I took the Bontrager Race Lite Hardcase 700 X 32 tires (110
psi), on 25mm double-walled rims, rather than the 35mm BT Invert HC (80
psi), that were stock. When I want to speed it up a bit, I can start
using this same tire in a 28mm size. They also make them in 25mm. They
are Kevlar-belted and feel very solid. I may eventually try the Race
Lite non-Hardcases for even more speed. A lot depends on what's more
important in training rides, a small bit more speed or more assurance
you'll make it back home with the wheels (and yourself) intact.

Steve McDonald

CC said:

That sure seems like it, but the most of the insatbility feels like it
is in the lower part of the wheel. Thank you very much.

I'm sure I'm speaking for many of us here when I wonder how one feels
instability in the lower part of one's wheels. :-|

jeverett3<AT>earthlink<DOT>net http://home.earthlink.net/~jeverett3

You know, like a wobble......🙂

What is a good quality 36 spoke wheel for road bikes? I seem to have a
hard time finding some.

CC said:

Hello all. I have a Trek 1500 with Bontrager Select Wheels on them with
2000 miles. My tires are Conti 3000's. On high speed decents the wheels
feel unstable, only at about 35 mph. I have taken them to my LBS
numerous times to see if they are true and tensioned properly and they
re-assure me everything is ok. I am 6'2" and 200 lbs and this is my
first road bike. Is this feel normal ? I would like to get some better
wheels. The Race Lites and Ksyriums have both been recommended. Any
thoughts if new wheels will help (and support my weight)or if the old
one are OK ? I don't mind buying new wheels if it fixes the problem.....

It does not sound like the wheels to me. I've hit 70km/hr downhill with
somewhat warped tires and no wobbling. It sounds like a shimmy either
from some kind of load imbalance or maybe a slight misalignment in the
forks?

There is no need for 36 holes!

A good 32 spoke wheel, using a rim like an open pro sup (ceramic rims are
even stronger because they have harder braking surfaces, but they are more
expensive and need special brake pads). Build them 3x with 14/15 double
butted spokes and use brass nipples (no alloy nipples for big guys!). The
double butted spokes will not be quite as stiff as straight gauge spokes,
but they will be less apt to break because they are slightly more compliant.

If you really want a strong wheel, you can use a deep profile rim like the
CXP-33. These are designed for use with fewer spokes, and because of the
huge cross section, they are really durable. They are not as comfortable as
an Open Pros, and they are slightly heavier (not that is makes a difference
for us big guys!)

Have your wheels built on good hubs by a good wheelbuilder and you'll have
some bombproof wheels! I highly recommend Colorado Cyclist!

BTW, I' 6'3", and I raced at 190; I currently go close to 215. I
cyclocross on wheels built with the rims I mentioned above. I have one set
of wheels built with the older CXP-30s (predecessor of the CXP-33s)and
Dura-Ace 8spd hubs . I have had these wheels for close to 10 years, and I
have never needed to have them trued! I have used them for cross for the
last three seasons! They are still perfect, thought he hub bearings are
fairly played out!

"Roger Zoul" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

CC <[email hidden]> wrote:
:> Hello all. I have a Trek 1500 with Bontrager Select Wheels on them
:> with 2000 miles. My tires are Conti 3000's. On high speed decents
:> the wheels feel unstable, only at about 35 mph. I have taken them to
:> my LBS numerous times to see if they are true and tensioned properly
:> and they re-assure me everything is ok. I am 6'2" and 200 lbs and
:> this is my first road bike. Is this feel normal ? I would like to
:> get some better wheels. The Race Lites and Ksyriums have both been
:> recommended. Any thoughts if new wheels will help (and support my
:> weight)or if the old one are OK ? I don't mind buying new wheels if
:> it fixes the problem.....

I suggest 32 spokes in front and 36 spokes in the rear.

I don't know what you mean about the wheels feeling unstable. I had
problems, but that's because the spokes would pop loose.

Doug [email protected] said:

There is no need for 36 holes!

Err, why not? Everything you said about a 32 spoke wheel applies
equally well to a 36 spoke wheel. Except that everything else being
equal the 36 spoke wheel is guaranteed to be stronger.

--
Dane Jackson - z u v e m b i @ u n i x b i g o t s . o r g
I find this corpse guilty of carrying a concealed weapon and I fine it $40.
-- Judge Roy Bean, finding a pistol and $40 on a man he'd just shot.

After numerous visits to my LBS a 19 year kid found out my problem. My
seat was too far back...........freakin' awesome it solved my problem.
Now I need another excuse to upgrade my wheels.

Quoted message said:

There is no need for 36 holes!

A good 32 spoke wheel, using a rim like an open pro sup (ceramic rims are
even stronger because they have harder braking surfaces, but they are more
expensive and need special brake pads). Build them 3x with 14/15 double
butted spokes and use brass nipples (no alloy nipples for big guys!). The
double butted spokes will not be quite as stiff as straight gauge spokes,
but they will be less apt to break because they are slightly more compliant.

Seeing as our tandem rides on 24 spoke wheels with a 300 pound load, I could
argue that 32 spokes can be overkill.

Actually only the back wheel is 24 spokes, the front is 20.

How does a ceramic braking surface improve wheel strength?

Chris Neary
[email hidden]

Chris & Tracey
1999 Co-Motion Speedster

Here is my 2 cents on the heavier rider on a road bike.

I have three bikes.

I have a Trek 730 Reynolds 531 frame 63cm that was repainted 2 years ago, I
use Mavic Aero CXP30 28 spoke wheel rear, and a 24 spoke CXP front. It has a
Dura-ace Triple 175 and a san marcos gel seat. Re-welded back bridge, long
reach special order Shimano front DA brake. <My favorite bike for the road
because of the longer wheelbase than the other two>

I use 700x23 Performance bike Kevlar tires.

I have no had no problems on the road with this bike, yes I have hit pot
holes at high speeds, (a couple of times) I am a fairly careful rider, I
pull up on every curb ramp.

I have a Trek 2300 63 cm with 18 spoke Rolf wheels (red) - Same tires, no
problems.

And finally a older Trek 2100 63 cm carbon/al with CXP aeros with 20 and 16
spoke wheels same tires, same blue seat....

I am 6'6" and weigh almost 250 pounds.

I ride about 2500 miles every summer.

I inspect my wheels pretty closely before every ride. I do not want a wheel
to fail when going fast down a hill (or anywhere else for that matter)

This are my experiences, not recommendations.
Ed

"CC" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

After numerous visits to my LBS a 19 year kid found out my problem. My
seat was too far back...........freakin' awesome it solved my problem.
Now I need another excuse to upgrade my wheels.