I need some new wheels for my 2014 Giant Defy 1.
I’ve knocked the tension out of the OEM wheels several times, and am fed up with having to get them retensioned.
The OEM wheels are 28/24H.
I’m 100KG, and the roads round where I live are a bit lumpy in places.

I’m going to keep the bike for the next 3-5 years (love the frame) it only gets used for dry weather road riding. (doing a few sportives this year + regular sunday rides) I have a disc-braked Hybrid for winter and a hardtail for off-road.

I think i’ve settled on the following custom build from Just Riding along..

Hope mono RS hubs (will work with 11 speed if I upgrade my groupset)
32H rear, 28H front.
H Plus son Architype rims
Sapim Race spokes and brass nipples.

Comes in at £396, which is right at the top of my budget, but I can justify it if they are going to give me 5-years of trouble free riding, and easy hub servicing.

Is there anything else/other options I should consider? any better/cheaper wheel builders??
I like the idea of a wider rim, i run 25mm tyres, and could probably fit 28’s into my frame if needed.

Don’t care that my bike doesn’t have discs – my hybrid does, and that’ll be repalced by a Planet X London Road (or similar) in a couple of year for ‘dirty’ road riding anyway.

I’d be happy with those.

You’ve upped the spoke count from your current set, which is wise.

I haven’t researched any others personally, but all the parts are quality and JRA have a great rep.

You might be able to get cheaper but that set up looks quality.

Hope are noisy, if that matters to you. Although I think they’ve improved it on the recent hubs. I had some monos a while back and they did my head in.

Otherwise a good build IMO.

Got some H Plus Sons Architypes earlier this year (on Ultegra hubs and DT Swiss Comp spokes) and loving them so far. Bomb proof and the wider rim makes cornering a more progressive and confidence inspiring experience. Running 25mm tyres on them and they feel more like 28’s.

I’m far from light and ride some pretty grotty roads and they’ve been great. I went 32/32 as I might use them for light touring in the future but I’ve no doubt the 28/32 will be fine.

My only comment would be in regards to the hubs, i have a set of hope hoops built with open pro rims, and they are nice wheels but yowsers the hub is noisy.

I have recently started to ride with a group and i almost feel guilty about freewheeling as it makes such a racket.

It may be worth considering DT Swiss 350 hubs which may also reduce your overall cost and are quieter.

I would suggest chatting with the guys at JRA too, you may be able to loose a little weight in the spokes by going to lazers on the non drive side of the rear wheel and possibly the front, however they will have a better understanding of what is most suitable for your weight.

I’m on 24/24, and until a couple of months ago weighed almost 90kg kitted up. The roads round here are easily the worst I have ever seen anywhere and I haven’t died yet!

I mostly ride on my own (one of lifes loners) so quite like the idea of a noisy hub – should help keep me awake!

Thanks for the advice guys – much apreciated.

I’m 100kg (although I was 90kg when I built them).

I built Stans Alpha 340’s (the originl lght ones, not the current reinforced ones) onto novatec hubs with DT revolution (1.5mm) spokes to get the lightest wheels I could. Once I’d built them properly and got the tension spot on and they’ve been fine (my first two attempts were hopeless).

My only concession to strength was to go to 28/24 spokes rather than the origainal plan of 24/20. Still come in under 1300g.

So my concluion would be, it’s all in the build, the actual components are secondary when it comes to staying true. So if JRA (or another wheelbuilder rather than just a shop mechanic than occasionaly builds wheels) is doing them I’d not wory too much about spoke counts.

Just bought some shimano RS61 for the winter*, not sure why I’m dissapointed, it could have been infered from the spec, but they seem to be derived more from the RS21 with a rim modified for tubeless rather than a non series set of 6800 wheels. Although being tubelsss they should be stffer so not an entirely pointless upgrade from the basic shimano, and the hubs seem even better than the older un sealed versions. The relavence of that being, Hope/Archetypes won’t be any lighter, I’m happy enough at your weight with 20/16 spokes on factory wheels and they cost £250 less which could be put towards some really bling carbon wheels for summer from lightbike?

*The stans have paper thin braking tracks apparently, read reviews of them wearing through in <2000miles of mixed/wet weather riding by racers who bought them as a wet day wheelset to compliment their carbon wheels. The shimano by comparison have a brake track that stands proud of the rim!

I wouldn’t do much different on that budget.

Two things worth noting, the first purely aesthetic being the anodised brake track will wear off on the Archetype. It’ll no doubt end up looking like any other polished track but might look a bit shabby in between.

The second is no radial lacing on the Hope hubs if that bothers you.

I am looking at a set of these for my defy 1

http://www.superstarcomponents.com/en/pacenti-sl23-icon-ultra-11speed-wheelset.htm

@Haze – Yes, I’m aware of the issue with the anodising, however I can live with it, and didn’t think it would look so bad on the grey rims (which will match my grey groupset)
As for radial lacing – yes, it looks cool but not sure it is always the strongest option anyway – which is my main interest.

@Saladdodger – I have a set of superstar wheels on my MTB and are really happy with them (AM 490s on switch hubs) and I did look at these road wheels, however the low spoke count put me off a bit.. not sure how good they’d be supporting 100KG?

Personally I would go with DT Swiss 350 hubs, theyre superb (and quiet).

HopE hubs are radial lace compatible now btw.

As for radial lacing – yes, it looks cool but not sure it is always the strongest option anyway – which is my main interest.

Actualy it is as long as there’s no torque in the wheel, so it’s fine in a (rim braked) front wheel or on the NDS of the rear (depends how strong the hub is, you could go radial DS and crossed on the NDS as long as the hubs stiff enough).

Equaly the number of crosses doesn’t increace strength, it’s just a function of geometry, 1x or 2xon a 32 spoke wheel would be too close to radial, but on a lower spoke count 3x would be overkill (or not even possible). The myth originates from tandems where 48 spokes isn’t uncomon, but 48 spokes and 4x is the same sort of angle between spoke/flange as a 32spoke 3x wheel’s spokes.

As I said, I’m the same weight as you and ride much lighter wheels with no issues.

Archetype Rims have been fantastic and I’ve been racing Elite RR’s on them over the winter season in 32/32 on Hope Hubs.

25’s will come up as nearly a 28 (4 seasons are 27.7mm) they make 28’s like MTB tyres!

However, they are soft… I can get about 2 seasons out of a pair before the rim has worn pretty bad. Thats on about 500-750 miles a month.

HopE hubs are radial lace compatible now btw

Compatible yes, but not recommended – problems with the bearings going loose in the shell when the spokes are up to full tension.

Moot point for the OP anyhow…