What are the brands of hoops (rims) you are riding?

[bikinchris]

DT does make some nice rims. They build up straight and round. Velocity does also. Velocity doesn't have any rims with ferruls, so they aren't as sexy as DT, but they do offer offset rims and those buildup with heavy riders well. Those are my two favorite brands to build. Fir was making a comeback and I built some tandem and clydesdale rims for a few bikes. But I can't find a supplier for them anymore. I never did like to actually build with Mavic rims. Although they had some real pretty rims and the ceramic sidewall rims do work good for braking quality. Their aluminum alloy was just too brittle and cracked too easily. As for their ceramic sidewall rims, I don't like the sound of braking hard on aluminum rims when you get junk in the brake pads. I only build Sun rims on mountain bikes. I find their rim diameters too small for road bike tires.

[caleb]

My go-to wheels for the past couple years have been 32h Mavic OP Ceramic rims laced 3x to Record hubs with DT Revos and Competitions. Totally uninteresting, but it won't surprise me if they go 30,000 miles. I've probably got 20k on them now with only a few minor touchups.

Salsa Delgados for 'cross training wheels = heavy awesomeness.

I have a set of the Velocity 23mm rims waiting to be built. They look decent right out of the package, but time will tell.

The only rims I'm steering clear of these days are the older super light tubulars. They're too light for the tension/dish that modern shifting systems require, even under my weak 155 pound butt. GL330 with a Record 10/11 hub? No thanks.

[Cookietruck]

i'm using 32h gp4 with record 10/11 hubs and they are working fine.

have some older ambrosio f20 on some record 10/11 also, 36h. working pretty ok too.

[Zimmermanbicycle]

GP4s and some velocitys (forgot the model#)
-Eric

[Dorman]

Edge 1.65's on DT240 hubs with CX-Rays
Edge 1.45's on Alchemy hubs with CX-Rays
Edge 1.25's on Alchemy hubs with CX-Rays
Ambrosio Nemesis on DT240 hubs with DT Comps
Ambrosio Crono Forumula 20's on Alchemy hubs with DT Revs
Ambrosio FCS28's on Record hubs with DT Comps (indoor trainer only)
Ambrosio Montreal's on 126mm Record hubs on the Colnago
Waiting for the cash to build Enve 2.65's onto a set of White Ind. track hubs with CX-Rays for the Vigorelli

That's all I can think of right now.

[andys]

Wheels I have built:
Velocity Synergy 650B w/ XT hubs
Open Pros w/ Ultegra hubs

Both rims are famously boring and great, no complaints.

[fixednwinter]

Current wheels are:

DT Single Eyelet rims with 240s hubs, 28h 2x:
Light for a hand-built clincher (sub-1480 grams), accelerates nicely, and pretty good comfort with Vittoria Open CX + Michelin latex tubes. I find it a challenge to install Continental clinchers, but otherwise, no complaints.

DT Double Eyelet rims with 240s hubs, 32h 3x:
The bomber version at just over 1710 grams. Goes great with my Hampsten Strada Bianca. Perfect for bad roads & gravel. Nothing skinnier than 25mm, usually using 28mm road tires.

Ambrosio Nemesis rims with 2006 Record hubs, 32h 3x:
With thanks to Craig for mentioning this on his Gaulzetti thread. As Saab2000 says, get some. The sturdy rim works well with the severe dish of a Campagnolo hub. Switching to Pave 27mm (normally use 23mm CX) for the April Hell of the North ride.


Upcoming wheels - Velocity Aerohead (OC rear) with 2006 Record hubs, 32h 3x:
Want to try Velocity's Off Center rim for the rear, especially because I use a Record hub. Hoping they'll make their new A23 wider rim in an OC soon as well.

[CXinNH]

Whatever FLUX puts me on. © ™ ®

[bikinchris]

My philosphy for wheels is simple:
Training wheels should require an overhaul once a year. Having to true your training (every day) wheels means that they are too fragile. You need to build training wheels storng enough to ride every day without fail.

The front wheel DOES NOT have to match the spoke count of the fornt wheel. Mixing tire sizes and spoke counts to make the wheel fit the rider's weight and riding style is fair game.

Personally, I use a 36 spoke rear wheel and 32 spoke front. 25c rear and 23c front. Strong enough to never need true and overhauled once a year. My first set lasted about 30 years never being trued. the front is still being ridden somewhere having been sold to replace a front wheel on a bike crashed into a car. The rear wheel died when a strap failed and my bike came off the roof of my car at 70mph. The rim was pretty straight, but the hub flange cracked, so the wheel was scrapped.

Now, race day wheels are different. Al they have to do is finish the race you are in that day. My (road) race wheels were a set of Matrix ISO tubular rims with 28 super light spokes in front and 32 double butted spokes rear.

[jsmillerjr]

The front wheel DOES NOT have to match the spoke count of the fornt wheel.

fornt = rear?

[/QUOTE]The rear wheel died when a strap failed and my bike came off the roof of my car at 70mph.[/QUOTE]

Never a good thing. If it had to happen I'd have liked to have seen that ghost ride.......

[nahtnoj]

Why the larger tire size on the rear?

[bikinchris]

Yes, I meant that the front and rear spoke count doesn't have to match.
My heavy duty commuter bike has a 40 spoke rear and 36 front spoke wheel. My wife's new bike has a 28 spoke front and 32 spoke rear.
Also a larger rear tire is less likely to pinch flat and rolls smoother and faster.

[efuentes]

Mavics MA40
Stans 355
Mavic 32
Wolber 19 tubs

[Canard]

DT RR415
Favorite rim for the outstanding ride quality. A couple of my sets are about 10 years old. Favorite (and newest) set is built with DT 240S and Revolutions, 32/32, under 1500 grams.

Ambrosio Excellight
Nice 28/28 set with red Alchemy hubs.

Velocity A23
3 sets: one with Dura Ace 7400 hubs, one with H2/3 and DT Comp spokes for HD use, and one 24/24 set with H2/3 and CX-Ray (favorite)

Velocity Arrowhead and Aerohead O/C
20/24 with H2/3 and DT Comp spokes. Rides as good as the A23 CX-Ray.

Kinlin XR-300
With Dura Ace 7900. Bombproof but a bit harsh. Ride is nice with Pro 4 25c. I use these only on my more comfy bikes.

ENVE 1.45/1.65 clincher
Originally built for TT's but lately only get used once and a while for regular road rides. Smooth ride with any tire.

HED C2
On my list of builds to do to compare with A23.

[jdp211]

Let's revive this thread, as its fun seeing what everyone's riding.

I feel comfortable training and racing on any of the wheels in my quiver. They are as follows:
H Plus Son Archetypes laced to King R45 28/32 built by Luxe
Hed Belgium Tubulars laced to King R45 24/28 (or are they 20/24? I'll have to check when I get home), built these last year
Hed Begium/C2 tubulars, stock build from Hed for CX racing, I believe they're 18/24
Campagnolo Barcelona Tubulars laced to Record 10/11 32/32 (obviously), unsure of the builder, but I'm the second owner
And I have yet to build up, as the rims just arrived yesterday and I need to order spokes, Velocity Major Toms 32/32 to Record 10/11 for road and then race CX on.

Funny enough, I feel least comfortable on my Hed stock wheels. I've broken a couple of spokes on them this past CX season, though both instances were while pre-riding a course.

[72gmc]

I'm riding Velocity A23 rims laced 28/32 to Ultegra hubs.
I'm not riding Velocity Synergy rims laced 32/32 to 105 hubs because the rear offset rim has cracked at just about every eyelet.
I'm researching rims to take the place of that Synergy.

[joosttx]

I like both college and Pro ball.......

[aingeru]

Mavic GP4
Ambrosio Synthesis

[Greensabbath]

H Plus Son Archetypes on White Industries T11 hubs 24/28 on the road bike
H Plus Son Archetypes on White Industries CLD hubs 28/28 on the fat road/cx bike

Both sets built up great and have been solid since.

[Gattonero]

Archetypes are becoming popular here, too.
I've build a few and still have to adjust myself to the higher spoke tension required; and I'm not too sure about the drilling angle for the nipple, as I've had a couple of wheels with Lh spokes loosing tension. But, hey, some riders can mess up anything