Touring- Do I need special touring wheels?

mistermatthew · 26-06-2020 11:28pm #1

I am doing a tour at the end of July on a road bike. I will be taking panniers with bags. I expect to carry in the region of 8-10kg. I weigh 86kg or so.
Bike around 11kg.

Soo in total would be around the 105kg mark. Do i need more robust wheels for touring or would something like a campag zonda or other wheelset be fine. ? What do people normally do for this fairly lightweight touring...?

saccades · 27-06-2020 8:32am

mistermatthew wrote: »

I am doing a tour at the end of July on a road bike. I will be taking panniers with bags. I expect to carry in the region of 8-10kg. I weigh 86kg or so.
Bike around 11kg.

Soo in total would be around the 105kg mark. Do i need more robust wheels for touring or would something like a campag zonda or other wheelset be fine. ? What do people normally do for this fairly lightweight touring...?

See if you can find the spec for your wheels.

With my winter coat I'm 105kg and I ride my bike like I stole it (bunny hops over speed bumps, pulling kids trailers along paths I shouldn't, jumping kerbs etc). In years and miles I've broken 4 free hubs and only one rear wheel had to be rebuilt as the spokes had had enough (Mavic open pro laced to an xt disc hub - it did last 23k km before I sold that bike on).

Personally I wouldn't bother with a new wheelset, concentrate more on avoiding crappy road features and enjoying the view.

On second thoughts - why am I telling you not to buy new wheels... Because then you'll buy another frame as the wheels are wasted apart from a couple of times a year and then you'll hit the magic n+1 formula. ðŸš´ðŸ‘Œ

at1withmyself · 27-06-2020 10:58am

Ideally get something hand built such as Shimano 105 hubs to a set of Mavic Open rims, be sure to go for a high spoke count such as 36 Holes. While these will come in slightly heavier then a set of race wheels the extra spokes will help to spread the tension better from the touring weight. A set of wheels like this would be in around the 200 mark and worth the investment if your going to be putting in the miles on the tourer and want piece of mind.

https://www.bike24.com/p2200928.html

Mefistofelino · 27-06-2020 11:32am

Campag wheels are usually limited to 120kg. You should be ok, as long as you are mechanically sympathetic. ( I knew a lad who despite weighing about 55-60 kg was the worst for broken spokes and blowouts as he just rode straight into everything).

However a lot will depend on how you can respond to a failure. Id imagine that breaking a spoke on a low-count wheel like a Zonda could result in a serious buckle, possibly enough to stop the wheel rotating depending on frame clearance. And if you can get to a LBS, what are the odds of them having spare Zonda spokes?

If you plan more touring in the future, particularly on poorer surfaces and in more remote locations, consider high spoke count wheels, built with standard components as at1withmyself suggested. There's a good reason that such "unsexy" builds are popular with the long distance riders.

Seaswimmer · 27-06-2020 11:34am

at1withmyself wrote: »

Ideally get something hand built such as Shimano 105 hubs to a set of Mavic Open rims, be sure to go for a high spoke count such as 36 Holes. While these will come in slightly heavier then a set of race wheels the extra spokes will help to spread the tension better from the touring weight. A set of wheels like this would be in around the 200 mark and worth the investment if your going to be putting in the miles on the tourer and want piece of mind.

https://www.bike24.com/p2200928.html

I did light touring on a road bike OP for years with coincidentally the hub/rim combo mentioned above with no problems. My all up weight was probably about 105kgs on wheels rated to 100kgs. What I would do if you can is maybe have a handlebar bag and rear pannier/saddlebag to spread the weight a bit.
I use a 7 litre bar bag and a 24 litre saddle bag which holds ample for a 10 day (no camping) tour.

One of my colleagues has just ordered this as he is slightly heavier than me. Rated to 140kg

https://www.rosebikes.com/rose-28700-c-xtreme-r-490105-7000-road-rear-wheel-716430?product_shape=standard&article_size=28%22%2F700C

Paul Kiernan · 28-06-2020 11:33am

Might be worth considering a set of wider tyres if they'll fit your frame. Reduce the risk of pinch flats.

Wishbone Ash · 28-06-2020 12:21pm

at1withmyself wrote: »

Ideally get something hand built such as Shimano 105 hubs to a set of Mavic Open rims, be sure to go for a high spoke count such as 36 Holes. While these will come in slightly heavier then a set of race wheels the extra spokes will help to spread the tension better from the touring weight. A set of wheels like this would be in around the 200 mark and worth the investment if your going to be putting in the miles on the tourer and want piece of mind.

https://www.bike24.com/p2200928.html

Derek Humphries (Finglas) will do a pair of 36 spoke Mavic Open Pro on Ultegra hubs for around €250 (I forget the exact price). He's done a few wheelsets for me and they have been problem free.

Weepsie · 28-06-2020 12:57pm

Another for humphries. I provided the hubs a few years ago, and got a set of 32 or 36 spoke Mavic A319s for about 140 I think a few years ago. It might have been less, as I think they misquoted me but then honoured the misquote anyway.

I need another set built by them soon.

In about 4 years, 1 spoke broke due to a pothole on a dark night. They replaced a well used, pair of CXP 33s on Tiagra Hubs I believe were also built there (the bike was second hand), but originally bought in Humphries. Derek recognised the bike as one he built when I brought it in one day.

ednwireland · 28-06-2020 4:18pm

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s178p0/Parts-and-Accessories/Wheels-Handbuilt-Wheelsets-%28700c%29

mistermatthew · 28-06-2020 10:12pm

Cheers everyone for the help ðŸ‘

I think I might get a set of handbuilts. I will be running a bigger tyre too which should help. And in general I am fairly good at being easy on equipment. Have never broken a spoke yet. But something with standard spokes easy to fix sounds a good idea.

Matthew

saccades · 28-06-2020 11:01pm

Hope 20five - rock solid rims and hubs.

Large bottle small glass · 29-06-2020 12:19pm

ednwireland wrote: »

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s178p0/Parts-and-Accessories/Wheels-Handbuilt-Wheelsets-%28700c%29

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s116p3789/KINLIN-XC-279

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s116p0/Parts-and-Accessories/Components-Wheels-Rims

Have a good look at that page and maybe email them.

I built a rear wheel(complete amateur) with the xc 279 kinlin rim and it feels and has behaved like it is unbreakable. Used in a cx/gravel bike for a very rough 1k km before I went tubeless and have it on road bike since where it has shipped a fair bit of punishment without issue.

I'd expect plenty of the other kinlin, ryde and hplus son rims to perform likewise. If you get a professional wheelbuilder to make one of those with tiagra hubs or similar you'd have a cheap,close to unbraekable wheelset for small money. Ask them to include a nds & ds spoke or two and tape to your chainstay when going on tour just in case.

mistermatthew · 05-07-2020 3:09pm

Cheers everyone. Decided to go with a hand-built set from DCR wheels in the UK. They recommended a 28 spoke set up in kiln rims rated to 110kg with lifetime,e warranty. Have a good rep.

Touring- Do I need special touring wheels?

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