Wheels for the heavier cyclist..

mp2012

Just looking for any recommendations from the heavier cyclists among you. I have a Scott S30 with stock wheels on, I am having repeated spoke breakages on them. After the first 4 front and 2 rear spoke breaks, the LBS replaced the wheels with a new set and have been very good at repairing / replacing for no charge. I am on the second set of wheels now and am at spoke number 3 today.

I weigh approx. 100kg and would be doing good regular mileage, sportifs etc. Any recommendations out there? I don't have huge money to spend either. Have looked at Aksiums but would welcome any feedback.

Thanks.

thehamo

mp2012 wrote: »

Just looking for any recommendations from the heavier cyclists among you. I have a Scott S30 with stock wheels on, I am having repeated spoke breakages on them. After the first 4 front and 2 rear spoke breaks, the LBS replaced the wheels with a new set and have been very good at repairing / replacing for no charge. I am on the second set of wheels now and am at spoke number 3 today.

I weigh approx. 100kg and would be doing good regular mileage, sportifs etc. Any recommendations out there? I don't have huge money to spend either. Have looked at Aksiums but would welcome any feedback.

Thanks.

Hey, im coming in at about 93/94 kg and using askiums. Never a problem on them and ive hit some pretty hefty pot holes while cycling!

funnights74

mp2012 wrote: »

Just looking for any recommendations from the heavier cyclists among you. I have a Scott S30 with stock wheels on, I am having repeated spoke breakages on them. After the first 4 front and 2 rear spoke breaks, the LBS replaced the wheels with a new set and have been very good at repairing / replacing for no charge. I am on the second set of wheels now and am at spoke number 3 today.

I weigh approx. 100kg and would be doing good regular mileage, sportifs etc. Any recommendations out there? I don't have huge money to spend either. Have looked at Aksiums but would welcome any feedback.

Thanks.

A friend who works in a bike shop tells me that the spoke alignment is a crucial factor in adding to the strength of the wheel, so you might not need to change wheels at all but simply have it re-structured.He's Heavier than me and he tells my that my spoke alignment would not do him on his bike Definitely worth a try.

torydiver

I am around 100kg and have been using mavic aksiums for past 18 months with no probs......(thats on Donegal roads too)
Would definitely recommend you fitting bigger tyres if you haven't already......
At least 25C or even 28C if your bike frame will allow.......
Made significant improvement in ride quality for me and should also offer more protection for your wheels....

AltAccount

100kg isn't that heavy. I'd be looking at your tyre pressure or riding style tbh.

mp2012

Thanks for the comments. I think I will probably go down the Askiums route. Regarding tyre pressure I ride them at 120 + and this seems to work as I have very few punctures and no pinch punctures, riding style? don't know how that would lead to spoke breaks unless I cycle into holes.

FISMA

Get some Mavic Open Pro CD wheels. Dura Ace hubs if you have the money, otherwise Ultegra.

What you really needs is lots of spokes. Try and get more than thirty for front and back.

Yi Harr

AltAccount wrote: »

100kg isn't that heavy. I'd be looking at your tyre pressure or riding style tbh.

Not to hijack the thread but could you elaborate a bit more on the riding style please?

I seem to have a repeating pattern of spokes pulling through rims. Should heavier riders run higher psi in tyres?

Seaswimmer

FISMA wrote: »

Get some Mavic Open Pro CD wheels. Dura Ace hubs if you have the money, otherwise Ultegra.

What you really needs is lots of spokes. Try and get more than thirty for front and back.

+1.

I have open Pros on Ultegra and 105. 36 spokes front and back. I am about 85KG + weight of backpack. Get them handbuilt. I use Parker international in the UK but people on here can recommend a good local wheelbuilder..

ednwireland

ksyrium SL for me (and the red ones look blingy)

AltAccount

Yi Harr wrote: »

Not to hijack the thread but could you elaborate a bit more on the riding style please?

I seem to have a repeating pattern of spokes pulling through rims. Should heavier riders run higher psi in tyres?

I'm not saying I have the answers, I just know from seeing my wife/brother/friends mount or dismount a kerb or hit a pothole, that some people are less mechanically sympathetic than others...

I'd say pump your tyres soft enough that they're comfortable, but hard enough that you couldn't pinch puncture even if you tried (probably don't try, or don't blame me if you blow out ).

Then practice bunny hopping, and concentrate more on the landing than the height - see if you can land it super soft and smooth. Learn to lift the bike clear off the ground, both wheels level, and learn to land with your arms and legs providing all the suspension.

Pumping your tyres harder is not the answer IMHO.


All that plus check your spoke tension regularly, one loose spoke weakens the rest of the wheel.

Wishbone Ash

AltAccount wrote: »

practice bunny hopping, and concentrate more on the landing than the height - see if you can land it super soft and smooth. Learn to lift the bike clear off the ground, both wheels level, and learn to land with your arms and legs providing all the suspension

Why do you think the OP needs to learn how to bunnyhop? I cycle between 300 and 400kms per week and have never felt the need to bunnyhop. Keeping the tyres in contact with the road surface is much more beneficial.

C3PO

AltAccount wrote: »

I'm not saying I have the answers, I just know from seeing my wife/brother/friends mount or dismount a kerb or hit a pothole, that some people are less mechanically sympathetic than others...

I'd say pump your tyres soft enough that they're comfortable, but hard enough that you couldn't pinch puncture even if you tried (probably don't try, or don't blame me if you blow out ).

Then practice bunny hopping, and concentrate more on the landing than the height - see if you can land it super soft and smooth. Learn to lift the bike clear off the ground, both wheels level, and learn to land with your arms and legs providing all the suspension.

Pumping your tyres harder is not the answer IMHO.


All that plus check your spoke tension regularly, one loose spoke weakens the rest of the wheel.

While it's very easy to get advice on the Internet, some of it should be taken with a large pinch of salt!:rolleyes:

AltAccount

C3PO wrote: »

While it's very easy to get advice on the Internet, some of it should be taken with a large pinch of salt!:rolleyes:

So you think the solution is...?

My best mate is 18-20stone and has done a lot of road and MTBing with virtually no (if not absolutely no) broken spokes.
If anything's given way, it's always been the chainstay

I don't think throwing money at the problem is the best solution if there's the potential for working on bike handling skills.

dub_skav

I'm heavier than you at 104 kg and have never had a wheel problem, a few punctures but who doesn't.
I pump to 110 on the stock wheels that came with a 2010 boardman (I'll check what they are later). I don't think a wheel upgrade should be necessary, but maybe there's something wrong with the ones you have

C3PO

AltAccount wrote: »

So you think the solution is...?

My best mate is 18-20stone and has done a lot of road and MTBing with virtually no (if not absolutely no) broken spokes.
If anything's given way, it's always been the chainstay

I don't think throwing money at the problem is the best solution if there's the potential for working on bike handling skills.

While "bunny hoping" is an essential skill for mountain-biking, I think advising a 100kg road cyclist to practice it in order to avoid broken spokes is ridiculous!

jaqian

if you are a careful cyclist avoiding potholes etc then the problem must lie with your wheels. I'm 103kg and ride a trek with stock bontrager wheels with 23c tyres at max pressure. being conscious of my weight I check the spokes regularly, so far I haven't broken any.

AltAccount

C3PO wrote: »

While "bunny hoping" is an essential skill for mountain-biking, I think advising a 100kg road cyclist to practice it in order to avoid broken spokes is ridiculous!

And your solution is??

My point isn't so much the ability to bunnyhop, more the ability to transfer weight around the bike. Rapidly and smoothly.
You'll rarely have to bunnyhop a road bike, but getting the OP to think about bike handling skills, weight transfer and smoothness is probably going to benefit them IMHO.
I knew it would sound silly as written, that's why I prefaced the comment as I did.

I also mentioned the basic maintenance of regularly checking spoke tension.

Buying a third set of new wheels should be a last resort.

C3PO

AltAccount wrote: »

And your solution is??

As you said earlier 100kgs is not really heavy (or at least I didn't think I was very heavy when I started cycling at that weight!) so there is either a problem with the wheels (or the way they are being serviced) or the OP is riding into potholes or off pavements! If he is not doing this then changing the wheels and/or or bike shop would seem to be the best solution? If he is then he either stops or he changes the wheels for a very robust alternative that will take more abuse than his current model!

P.S. Having seen your edit above, I would agree absolutely that improving bike handling can only be a good thing!

mp2012

Thanks for the comments. Regarding bike handling and being mechanically sympathetic I would say that I am, I don't ride down kerbs ever, I avoid potholes as far as possible on the poor roads around Carlow and surrounding counties.
The shop I bought the bike from replaced the first set of wheels so I haven't spent any money on wheels yet. I have had the spoke replaced and wheel trued by a Carlow LBS today, so we will see if that helps.

I think a wheel upgrade from the stock is something I had planned at some stage anyway, so I will review the Open Pro and Askiums, I think Holyboy builds wheels so will also look there.