# Strongest 36H Rear Hub and Spoke Combination?



## Mr. Peabody (Dec 8, 2005)

I'm planning on building up a new rear wheel for use on my road/light-touring bike. I've narrowed it down to a 36H Mavic Open Pro rim, but am unsure of the best/strongest hub and spokes. 

I'm not too concerned about keeping the weight down, I just want the most bombproof combination I can build at a reasonable cost (in other words, Kings at $315.00 per hub are out). Is a standard Shimano Ultegra as good as it gets? or should I consider another manufacturer or model?

What's bomber for a 180 lb. rider and 25 lbs. of gear?

Many thanks


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## ericm979 (Jun 26, 2005)

Ultegra hubs are pretty bulletproof.


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## MR_GRUMPY (Aug 21, 2002)

If you can find a "large flange" hub, you could build a 4X rear. I think that Mavic makes a rim a little stronger than an Open Pro.


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## Todd_Fuller (Jan 22, 2004)

If you are thinking about a Chris King, but are put off by the pricetag, I would highly recommend searching eBay for a used rear wheel. Even if it's an MTB wheel, you can easily convert it to road-spacing for about $10. Rebuilding the hub is easy and if you're ordering a small part from CK, might as well get some lube too. All told, you can convert an MTB wheel to road for about $25. I picked up a used rear wheel for about $150, MUCH cheaper than list. Also, if you lube it good, the characteristic CK noise is greatly lessened.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Build*



Mr. Peabody said:


> I'm planning on building up a new rear wheel for use on my road/light-touring bike. I've narrowed it down to a 36H Mavic Open Pro rim, but am unsure of the best/strongest hub and spokes.


It's a lot more about the build than the parts. Consider a deeper section rim (e.g. Velocity DeepV) for a really strong wheel. 14/15 double butted spokes, 3X, brass nipples, and the hub doesn't make much difference. The builder will make ALL the difference.


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

My "other" commuting wheelset is a set of Specialized Roval Pave wheels. They have high flange hubs and low spoke count. They are designed for cyclocross but weigh in at around 1900 grams. I have put about 1500 hard miles on them over gravel covered, tree root bumpy, haven't been paved in 15 year MUTs. They should hold up for you. I am getting a new rear wheel built by Blacksmith in San Diego for my race bike. It is a Chorus hub 36H with a CPX33 built up with 14g and brass nipples. My intention is to use it for long ass-numbing rides with 25mm tires. Durability is what I was after.


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## afie (Sep 13, 2004)

Mavic CXP33's should be stronger than open pros.
Look for track hubs by any manufacturer that have high flanges (good for front wheel, only single speed for rear).
Straight gauge spokes.


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## wankski (Jul 24, 2005)

yep, like the others said, high profile rims are the go.. OPs AHs DT 1.1s and the like are made for lightweight.. c. 420grams or so... the other higher profile stuff are typically 500g+ and should be stiffer.


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## Kalukis (Jan 13, 2005)

*DT alpine III Spokes*

These suckers are triple butted; they go up to 13 ga (2.34) near the spoke head. They were recommended to me when I was breaking spokes on my 32 spoke fixie rear wheel.

Other than that, I agree with the other posters about a deep V rim.


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## rruff (Feb 28, 2006)

Mr. Peabody said:


> What's bomber for a 180 lb. rider and 25 lbs. of gear?


Don't use an OP rim... it's a good lightweight rim, but if durability is your priority, then you want something stiffer and heavier. Deep V, Sun Swift, etc... maybe even a rim designed for touring. Butted spokes have a better fatigue life than straight gauge, so that is the best choice. The DT Alpines with 2.3/1.8mm dimensions are good for the drive side, but you could use Revs (2.0/1.5mm) for the left so they will be less likely to go slack.

I think an Ultegra hub is the way to go... they are cheap, durable, and easily serviced. It is a good idea to actually service them even when new though, since they don't come with enough grease to keep water out.


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## Mr. Peabody (Dec 8, 2005)

*Deep V rim vs. OP?*

What exactly makes a deep v rim stronger/more highly recommended than an OP? Reputable shops in my area all suggest that the Mavic OP is a tough and durable rim, and I trust their expertise. Will a wheel built with a deep v rim just feel stiffer, or is there a significant stength benefit to picking a deep v rim over an OP?

Also, I thought wheel strength was defined by the collective parts of a wheel (hub, spokes and rim), rather than just attributable to the strength of a rim. Aren't spokes more important than a rim in a strong build? And would a deep v rim be overkill for me?


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## rruff (Feb 28, 2006)

Mr. Peabody said:


> Will a wheel built with a deep v rim just feel stiffer, or is there a significant stength benefit to picking a deep v rim over an OP?


Yes.

I think OPs are favored by a lot of people because they are easy to build (double eyelets mean you won't lose nipples in the rim), plus the potential problem of spoke eyelets cracking is eliminated.

But they are not strong rims. OPs are light, shallow rims... which means that their radial strength and stiffness is quite low. A Deep V is much stiffer radially. This isn't something that *you* would feel since radial flex is microscopic... but your spokes will know the difference... meaning that the cyclic stress fluctuation will be a lot lower, and the fatigue life of the spokes will be higher.

Unlike rims, you actually want your spokes to be flexible rather than stiff. Thin butted spokes are more elastic in the middle, which reduces cyclic stresses... yet they can be tensioned to the same level as thicker spokes... which means they are also less likely to go slack when you hit a bump. The critical part of the spokes is the ends; especially the J... so the best spokes are thick on the ends and skinny in the middle. These are more difficult to build with than fat spokes, but worth the trouble IMO.

A stiff rim and an adequate # of light butted spokes makes the best wheel...

BTW, the *quality* of the build is very important. Either learn to do it yourself or find someone who is very good at it and willing to spend the time.


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## Primetime_75 (Apr 25, 2006)

Here is the answer.

Ultegra Hubs
DT swiss spokes 
Mavic A719 rims - I am using 32h front and rear, but you can get them in 36h or 42h. It is a touring rim that will accept 700*23 tires. I am a 300 clyde and have had my wheels for almost 300 miles with no problems, very stiff.. Wish I had more miles on them.

If you have any more questions, contact me.


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