From: ekearns@bbn.com (Edward Joseph Kearns)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace
Subject: Re: Choosing equipment for road wheels
Date: 19 Nov 92 21:55:00 GMT
NNTP-Posting-Host: bbn.com

bwildasi@nectarine.ucs.indiana.edu (Ben Wildasin) writes:

>I'm contemplating upgrading the wheels on my road bike. I want to choose
Cool!

>I'm thinking about ordering them from Colorado Cyclist, who have a good
>selection and probably better better workmanship than local shops.
You could order the parts from CC then build them yourself....I did!
It was the best learning experience!

>Hubs: I need 130mm hubs that will work with my Suntour 7-speed setup.
>Unless there's a good reason to pay more for Bullseye, I'll probably go
>with American Classic.
Beats me...I ride Shimano 600.

>Spokes: I'm thinking about 32 front and rear, DT 14/15/14. (Gauge
>measurement system flames to /dev/null please.) Assuming the wheels are
>properly built, will this be sufficient? Could I even go to straight
>15-gauge? I don't want to have spokes break or have to true frequently.

I weigh 170# and use 32 hole Mavic MA-40's.  15-16-15 in front, 14-15-14 
in back, all with light alloy nipples.  I usually ride on extremely shitty
roads in Massachusetts from Boston to the Berkshires, with thousands of 
miles worth of club rides and commuting. I don't have any wheel problems 
other than occasional bent/busted axels.  I bust axels before my wheels 
even need truing!  
I'll bet at your weight you could go 15-16-15 front & rear.  Maybe 
someone else would say why this wouldn't be recommended, but think it
would work fine.

>Rims: The difficult part. As far as I can tell, there is little good reason
>to go with box-section, especially since the CC doesn't sell MA-2 any more.
>I'm looking at Matrix ISO-IIC or Mavic Open 4 Argent. (Nashbar says that
>Campy Omega 19 is stronger and "better quality" than Open 4. Given its
>weight and box-section, this seems somewhat suspect.)

I don't have my CC catalog here but I think they recommend NOT using 
the light weight alloy nipples on the Matrix.  Does the Matrix lack the
eyelets that the Mavic's have?  I'd go with the Mavic O4-Argent and use 
the much lighter alloy nipples.

>Other stuff: I'm planning to get Velox rim strips and light butyl tubes
>(Michelin or Panaracer). I'll probably replace my Specialized Turbo/S
>700x23c with 700x20c Continentals when they wear out. (The extra width on
>the Specializeds seems fairly unnecessary.) What are the differences
>between Super Sport, Super Sport Ultra, and Grand Prix?

I use Velox and latex tubes or light butyl.

A long time ago received the following info concerning Conti tires.
The chart below indicates the differences between three different
models of Continental tires:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Got a Continental tire catalog from a store the other day. Some interesting 
info on the GP and the SuperSports :

Type		Size (mm)	Bead	Weight (g)	Max Psi
--------------  ----------  	------	----------      ------- 
Grand Prix	18		Steel	230		135
(3 fabric plys,	18		Kevlar	175		135
 2 fabric 	20		Steel	240		120
 belts )	20		Kevlar	185		120
		23		Steel	255		120
		23		Kevlar	205		120
		25		Steel	285		120

SuperSport	18		Steel	250		135
 Ultra		18		Kevlar	205		135
(3 fabric plys, 23		Steel	300		125
 no belts)	23		Kevlar	220		120
		25              Steel   310             125

SuperSport	20		Steel	290		120 
(3 fabric plys,	20		Kevlar	245		120
 no belts)	23		Steel	310		120
		25		Steel	330		120
		28		Steel	345		120

I have ridden Super-Sport Ultra's for thousands of miles and had but a
few cuts minor cuts. Last spring I went on a weight shedding kick (me too)
and now use Conti GP's with the Kevlar bead in a 700x20.  A very nice tire
but I now know that I'd be more comfortable and confident on a 700x23.

Uh. They weren't cheap either at $32 each for the folding Conti GP 700x20.
Hey, ya gotta give some business to the local shop!

Go for the Mavic O4-Argents, use the light alloy alloy nipples, DT 14-15-14 
spokes in back, and 15-16-15 in front.  Try the folding Conti GranPrix 700x23. 
You won't be disapointed!  Have fun on your new wheels!

Ed Kearns
BBN Systems & Technologies
Bellevue, Washington (temporarily)
206-957-3271
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace