[quote=“mander”]I’m setting up my crosscheck with a generator wheelset. I have 32 spoke front and rear wheels built up (32 eyelet MA-2 rims, Ultegra rear, Shimano generator front). This ought to have satisfied me, but I read Jobst Brandt and worried enough about rear wheel spoke breakage in the middle of nowhere that I ebayed a 36 spoke MA2-9 speed Ultegra wheelset (£32). I’ll use the rear wheel from this set, ebay my 32 hole rear and 36 hole front hubs, keep the 32 and 36 hole ma2 rims as spares because they’re a bit hard to find, and write off the spokes or keep them as spares for a future build.
Did I overthink this? Probably… That’s my story though.[/quote]
I’m having this exact personal debate as I prepare my ride for a 1300 mile trip this summer. I dont want to get caught with a fucked wheel in the middle of camp pendleton in july when it’s 105 degrees.
There’s nothing wrong with 36h wheels if you’re building up a custom set. The weight of 4 spokes isn’t going to amount to much, and one could use lighter gauge spokes.
Damn I wish I could say the same, I’ve broken a bunch of spokes on the back wheel of my Trek Drift cruiser. Granted, at 6’3" and 210, I’m no puny little bastard, but it’s a 36h wheel for crissakes… oh well, whatever. There’s a reason that bike new costs less than a nice wheelset.
[quote=“bold”]were your wheels tensioned properly?
edit: why did you buy a trek?[/quote]
BTFOOM (beats the fuck out of me)
I too ask myself this question. The main reason was because I priced out a new wheelset/tires/tubes for my old POS Schwinn(?) cruiser and realized I could get a new bike for just a little more money.
I have since learned the error of my ways, sort of. I bought a new bomber (and hopefully well built) wheelset for the old cruiser, and have lent the Trek to a “cyclist” friend who didn’t own any sort of decent town bike (just a beautiful Colnago Master X-Light road bike). He’s a lot lighter than me but has still managed to break a few spokes…