Cycling UK Forum

Advice on rim please..

Want either a rim or complete front wheel for a 26inch wheeled tourer that does the odd bit of light rough stuff. Don't normally use front panniers so don't think that I need go mad and have sun rhinos or anything that muscular. Just something that'll take the knocks on easy bridle tracks and the like but not be too heavy for long road work. Oh, and has to use proper spokes (pref 32) - none of this send it back to the factory to fix it nonesense

Ta for any opinions that may be opined.

I use the Sputniks from Spa cycles. They are only £15 and seem light and robust. I dont know if they do 32h aswell as 36h. Mine do quite a lot of work but the 1.75" tyre protects them but is harder to keep moving.
I suspect you probably know more about it than I do anyway but I can give a view on what I've got.

I'm with Meic, Sputniks, they do do a 32 hole one in 26in,they are an alround good touring rim,the pair they built for me have only needed tweaking once in about 15000mls and that was in the first 1000mls.But tyre size wise they're only rated upto 40mm section.

Another to consider would be DRC MT19.

CJ beat me to it. The ST19 in 700C is excellent so it should be good.

I had a chat with top wheelsmith Harry Rowland recently and he recommended the Mavic X618(although no longer made,Merlin cycles can supply).
New Mavic 26" rims are all single eyelet whilst the 618 is double eyelet.

I picked up a pair of 618s cheap from the LBS when I built the hack - I don't like Mavics as I've (often) said before but at cost price for a winter iron anything will do. After 2200 miles on towpath & railway line the brake surfaces are getting concave, they've survived 2 pairs of brake blocks. I'll probably ditch them sometime in May unless there's a prolonged dry spell which seems to reduce the wear rate.

I use Mavic x317 on my MTB and they have proved to be very strong and durable, and are fairly light too.