29" MTB Wheel Recommendation for Clydesdales

[BigRig 176]

Looking for a recommendation for a reasonable wheelset. I am 194cm and 105kg, and keep breaking a spoke on my rear wheel quite regularly.Bike only goes on road most of the time.

[Tyno 2,242]

I've got 8-10 kg on you and haven't had an issue with my stock Giant 27.5 wheels, on or off road.

[pieman 1,297]

On 20/04/2018 at 11:18 AM, BigRig said:

Looking for a recommendation for a reasonable wheelset. I am 194cm and 105kg, and keep breaking a spoke on my rear wheel quite regularly.Bike only goes on road most of the time.

I had this issue for a long time on my road bike. Replacing broken spokes fortnightly, tried different wheels and even ended up totally relacing a wheel and still kept happening. What I realised/think was happening was when I was leaving the bike in my EOTF at work, the rack had this arm that went through the rear wheel and that was putting sideways pressure on spokes.. I stopped using those type of racks and haven’t had the issue since then…?

[Slowman 250]

It can also happen if the wheel is not built properly with even tension on the spokes all the way round the wheel. You replace the broken one and retension and then the "next" goes and so on. 

If you are not particularly hard on wheels and they are built properly with quality components (which makes a big difference) then you can get away with light wheels. Quality components make all the difference because the stainless steel spokes are extruded such that they stretch evenly and have equal tensile strength the whole length of the spoke and each spoke is the same. Likewise for the rim and hub flanges, which all make it possible to build a wheel with even spoke tension all the way around. 

 

I'm 90kg +/- and I ride Stans Crests which are rated up to 86kg and I have not had any issues, because I don't ride hard enough! Actually, if you have some offroad finesse (different to skill I can assure you!) you can get away with it. Though for 105kg Stans Arch are a better bet. Not too much heavier and stronger. I often used to build my own wheels but Stans seem to be about the same price it would cost me for the parts alone. I've found them well made with even tension. 

[BigRig 176]

Thanks Slowman. Will check them out.

[Ex-Hasbeen 7,461]

I have to agree with Slowman. When I first started back riding, I was high 90's. I was riding 28 spoke wheels, but had them built up properly using quality components. I was commuting a lot, and a section of the ride I'd be jumping gutters & riding a dirt trail. No issue at all.