Bicycle Tutor

So I bought a new wheel on the spot in Germany for 60 euro and I'm trying to find out if it's good.

So far as I'm aware there are 2 parts to a wheel. Spokes, hub and rim.

The hub has "shimano deore" written on it and seems to roll very nicely.

The spokes are just spokes, is there any variation between different spokes?

The rim has a sticker saying alloy double wall MX19 exal safety system.

Does anyone know anything about the quality / spec of the wheel.
Is it a strong wheel, is it particularly light or heavy?
Does the fact that it has a deore hub (deore is good right?) mean that it will last forever?
Dave

Deore hubs aren't particularly special, Shimano have several models above them, but if they're well maintained they should give you years of service.

Spokes come in a variety of types. First, they can be stainless, or galvanised. Stainless spokes are superior and a good set will last a lifetime without any corrosion. Then there is the spoke guage, or thickness. For lighter road wheels you might use a lighter, thinner spoke, for a heavy duty touring, or mountain bike wheel, a heavier, thicker and therefore stronger spoke. Lastly, plain guage or double butted. Like frame tubes, spokes can be butted, whereby they are thicker at the ends than in the middle, this makes them lighter, with very little reduction in overall strength.

I don't know anything about your particular rim, but there are a number of considerations with rims, mainly the size and the width. In addition, you also have to consider whether the rim is designed for disc brakes only, in which case there will be no braking surfaces on the rim and the rim walls may well be thinner and unsafe to use with rim brakes.

You can pay an awful lot for wheels, and I suspect that, as with most products, you pay a lot for brand names, marketing and flashy finishes at the upper end. So a 400€ wheel, may be better, but probably isn't twice as good as a 200€ wheel and so on.

60€ isn't a lot to pay for a wheel, but Deore hubs are dependable and provided it's been well made and the rim and spokes are of a reasonable quality, it will be fine. Most of a wheels strength comes from the build, within limits, and not the components. So a wheel made well from budget components will almost certainly be stronger than a wheel using top of the range components, but assembled badly with uneven spoke tension.

Front wheel or rear wheel? Rear wheel: ok price, front wheel: depends on build.
The Deore front hubs are about 10€, rear hubs more like 20-25€ (depends on the exact model). They are quite sturdy and last a while if maintained well.
Rim: Might be a lowish end one, I think I have one of those too (judging from the number and marking), cannot remember the brand at the moment. Rims are important for aerodynamics (not for you, seeing you have a MTB).
Spokes: actually butted spokes are stronger than plain gauge. There are (as mentioned) several kinds of spokes and brands, I usually go with a good brand (DT Swiss, Sapim, ...), double butted.

(I'll not repeat the rest about how only a good build will make a strong wheel, it is the main point in wheelbuilding)

Me thinks that xerxes and Joe_W pretty much said it all already.
Aldous11 you are lost , this is a bicycle list not a car list. :-)))

BTW test the spokes with a magnet SS is non magnetic in most applications.

(Sep 1, 2010 11:05 PM)GeorgeET Wrote:  Me thinks that xerxes and Joe_W pretty much said it all already.
Aldous11 you are lost , this is a bicycle list not a car list. :-)))

BTW test the spokes with a magnet SS is non magnetic in most applications.

Hi George;

304 stainless, used in some of the best spokes, is non magnet until it is cold worked (cold forged), then it is slightly magnetic. For example Wheelsmith DH13 spokes are cold forged 304 stainless steel, and do exhibit some attraction to a magnet, but much much less than steel spokes.

Ye, did not want to get too technical . I am aware of the 300 SS series being magnetic. Thats why I said "most SS is non magnetic". However did not know Wheelsmith spokes used it, interesting. The spokes I tested used the usual 400 series. So magnetic is rare in typical applications.
I think Wheelsmith is a after market spoke so no OEM use them and they have a W on their ends so are easy to ID.

Do not know the full range of stainless, however typically SS is nonmagnetic.

I like DT Swiss spokes anyway.

(Sep 6, 2010 07:07 PM)GeorgeET Wrote:  Ye, did not want to get too technical . I am aware of the 300 SS series being magnetic. Thats why I said "most SS is non magnetic". However did not know Wheelsmith spokes used it, interesting. The spokes I tested used the usual 400 series. So magnetic is rare in typical applications.
I think Wheelsmith is a after market spoke so no OEM use them and they have a W on their ends so are easy to ID.

Do not know the full range of stainless, however typically SS is nonmagnetic.

I like DT Swiss spokes anyway.

Hi George;

All 400 series stainless steels are magnetic. 300 series are not magnetic, unless they are work hardened, and even then not very magnetic. The magnetic properties are a function of the amount of work hardening - thus magnetic properties can be used as a measure of the amount of work hardening.

If you run a magnet along a 304 stainless spoke, you will find very little, if any, magnetic attraction along most of the body, with slightly more in the area of the threads (which are rolled, not cut), and in the area of the bend.

Interesting I thought it was the other way around. But yes you are correct.

I just tested some high end Wusthof forged SS knifes and they are magnetic. I think carbon content is involved this helps hold the edge.


http://www.wisegeek.com/is-stainless-steel-magnetic.htm
http://www.physlink.com/education/askexperts/ae546.cfm