Re: Wheels for Heavy Rider

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Tim Marshall wrote:
> HI, this is my first post on rec.bicycles.*. I couldn't find anything on
> this in the faq at http://draco.acs.uci.edu/rbfaq/FAQ/index.htmlhttp://-
> draco.acs.uci.edu/rbfaq/FAQ/index.html.
> I'm running through a stretch of bad luck with breaking spokes on my
> rear wheel riding on roads in my area, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.
> I have been riding this year since the end of February through snow,etc
> as I just didn't feel like waiting till the snow cleared and my local
> bike shop thinks I've created a lot of hardship for myself because our
> roads are heavily salted which implies rust (within 2 weeks of riding,
> my front derailleur cable rusted through and snapped).
> That said, I am a pretty heavy guy, though considerably lighter, believe
> it or not than when I first started riding a year and a half ago, so I
> think it's my collection of protoplasm that's a bigger contributer to
> the broken spokes.
> I ride a 22" Miele with 26 by 2point something or three tires. Are there
> special wheels I can get or have my shop order? Apart from cracks about
> losing weight, which you're more than welcome to make, 8) are there any
> serious suggestions? I don't know how to fix spokes myself, is there a
> guide somewhere on line or a good in print book on bike maintenance I
> can get to guide me through this?
> Thanks very much in advance for any help! 8)
> --
> Tim - http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~tmarshal/http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~tmarshal/
> ^o< /#) "Burp- beep, burp-beep, burp-beep?" - Quaker Jake /^^ "Want
> some?" - Ditto



The guides that other posters have already given are fine. If you really
want to get into "wheelsmithing" get the Jobst Brandt book. However, you
might just want to start with a hand built wheel, built by someone who
is already experienced with the art of following all the science on
Jobst Brandt's book. What components are in your existing rear wheel?
What rim? What spokes, cross pattern, how many? What hub? If you look
through Sheldon Brown's site you will find a new pair of wheels built on
Deore hubs, with Sun Rhyno Lite rims, 36 spokes in the rear... for
$139.95 US. Something like those should give you thousands of trouble
free miles (or even more km). Spoke alignment, tension balancing, and
stress releiving are the keys after choosing the proper components for
your application. Enjoy riding in that beautiful part of the world.



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