Wheels for big guys

[Tinnishill]

Can anybody specify 40 or 48 hole rear hubs that would do for 130 oln dropouts ? Tandem ones that I have seen are wider.

[Bonefishblues]

IIRC SJS are clear that in their view there's no need for more than 36 even on a tandem, as long as well built, and their Rohloffs are 32 spoke, of course.

[Tinnishill]

SJSC are wrong. I have bought wheels off them which broke. I am heavy. As an example, watch Mark Beaumont's films where he repeatedly broke spokes on a 32 Rohlof.

[PH]

SJSC are wrong. I have bought wheels off them which broke. I am heavy. As an example, watch Mark Beaumont's films where he repeatedly broke spokes on a 32 Rohlof.

He was breaking spokes because the wrong ones were fitted, it's pretty clear in the book if not the film! He had them replaced in Belgium in the first couple of weeks of his trip and didn't break another.
I'm around 100 kg and not particularly gentle with my bikes, I've broken two spokes in 20 years, one off road in collision with a rock, the other on a cheap hybrid with poorly built wheels. 32 spoke 700C & 24" Rohloffs, 32 front 700C and 36 700C derailleur rear wheels, all well built, none a problem.

[bigjim]

So basically I bout a mountain bike I really love it but I’ve buckled the wheels because I’m a big guy. I was wondering if there are any good wheels out there for big people at a decent price I’m about 180kg and my bike is the easiest way for me to get exercise to lose weight

Except cycling is not particularly the best way to lose weight. I've never lost weight cycling. Diet and fast walking or running are much more effective for me, though running is pretty hard compared to cycling. Plus if you have to spend a fair bit of money on stronger wheels they are then more or less redundant once you have shed the weight. Kudos to you of course on your motivation to lose weight. The best of luck to you.

[pete75]

x

[simonhill]

No way of knowing if the OP is reading this, or will get back to answer questions. I somehow think he may be at the budget end of the market and is only using his bike for light use, ie no mention of downhill, rough stuff, etc.

If this is the case, the first thing I would recommend is to go to a good bike shop (not a Halfords type shop) that builds wheels and see if they can fix his current wheels. He says "buckled" but we don't know how bad. If the rims are knackered then they could be replaced, using same spokes and hubs, but built properly.

This would be a much cheaper option than the £200 plus suggestions being made above.

Just a thought......

[pete75]

SJSC are wrong. I have bought wheels off them which broke. I am heavy. As an example, watch Mark Beaumont's films where he repeatedly broke spokes on a 32 Rohlof.

He was breaking spokes because the wrong ones were fitted, it's pretty clear in the book if not the film! He had them replaced in Belgium in the first couple of weeks of his trip and didn't break another.

If you're talking about the same Mark Beaumont' who wrote The Man who Cycled the World then he didn't have his spokes replaced in Belgium. He had his wheel rebuilt in Poland and the wheelbuilder there said the problem was it had been built with too much tension. He built the wheel with much less tension in the spokes than is usual here. The wheel lasted until he was hit by a car in Chicago.
Rohloff wheels can get away with fewer spokes because there is no dish.

[pete75]

Can anybody specify 40 or 48 hole rear hubs that would do for 130 oln dropouts ? Tandem ones that I have seen are wider.

Time was when many bikes were 40 rear 32 front. Much better way to distribute 72 spokes than 36/36.
My Roberts Roughstuff has 40 spokes on the back laced into a Shimano HS07 tandem hub. It's in a 135 frame but there's a spacer on the non drive side about 3 mil thick so without it the hub would go into a 130 frame without too much bother. It was on the bike when I bought it but I'm guessing it was originally 145 and had a lot of spacers removed.

[Bonefishblues]

SJSC are wrong. I have bought wheels off them which broke. I am heavy. As an example, watch Mark Beaumont's films where he repeatedly broke spokes on a 32 Rohlof.

I think you should elaborate on this as you are asserting they are wrong.

[Bonefishblues]

So basically I bout a mountain bike I really love it but I’ve buckled the wheels because I’m a big guy. I was wondering if there are any good wheels out there for big people at a decent price I’m about 180kg and my bike is the easiest way for me to get exercise to lose weight

Except cycling is not particularly the best way to lose weight. I've never lost weight cycling. Diet and fast walking or running are much more effective for me, though running is pretty hard compared to cycling. Plus if you have to spend a fair bit of money on stronger wheels they are then more or less redundant once you have shed the weight. Kudos to you of course on your motivation to lose weight. The best of luck to you.

I think they still work, don't they?

[bigjim]

So basically I bout a mountain bike I really love it but I’ve buckled the wheels because I’m a big guy. I was wondering if there are any good wheels out there for big people at a decent price I’m about 180kg and my bike is the easiest way for me to get exercise to lose weight

Except cycling is not particularly the best way to lose weight. I've never lost weight cycling. Diet and fast walking or running are much more effective for me, though running is pretty hard compared to cycling. Plus if you have to spend a fair bit of money on stronger wheels they are then more or less redundant once you have shed the weight. Kudos to you of course on your motivation to lose weight. The best of luck to you.

I think they still work, don't they?

Redundant for him. Would you want to drag round heavy wheels for no reason? I remove the heavy touring wheels off my tourers as I don't need them for local or club rides. The bikes are much nicer with lighter more responsive wheels in situ, if I'm unloaded.

[PH]

SJSC are wrong. I have bought wheels off them which broke. I am heavy. As an example, watch Mark Beaumont's films where he repeatedly broke spokes on a 32 Rohlof.

He was breaking spokes because the wrong ones were fitted, it's pretty clear in the book if not the film! He had them replaced in Belgium in the first couple of weeks of his trip and didn't break another.

If you're talking about the same Mark Beaumont' who wrote The Man who Cycled the World then he didn't have his spokes replaced in Belgium. He had his wheel rebuilt in Poland and the wheelbuilder there said the problem was it had been built with too much tension. He built the wheel with much less tension in the spokes than is usual here. The wheel lasted until he was hit by a car in Chicago.
Rohloff wheels can get away with fewer spokes because there is no dish.

Your recollection is better than mine, the point remains that the issue was not the number of spokes as Tinnishill suggests.

[Bonefishblues]

Except cycling is not particularly the best way to lose weight. I've never lost weight cycling. Diet and fast walking or running are much more effective for me, though running is pretty hard compared to cycling. Plus if you have to spend a fair bit of money on stronger wheels they are then more or less redundant once you have shed the weight. Kudos to you of course on your motivation to lose weight. The best of luck to you.

I think they still work, don't they?

Redundant for him. Would you want to drag round heavy wheels for no reason? I remove the heavy touring wheels off my tourers as I don't need them for local or club rides. The bikes are much nicer with lighter more responsive wheels in situ, if I'm unloaded.

Well yes, we'd all like to ride the sportiest wheel at all times, but I think you and others understood my point

[simonhill]

......................and by now the OP is probably thoroughly confused.

Aren't we able to give simple clear advice that stands on its own and doesn't need to be argued in never ending posts.