Slight dissenting opinion here. I agree, a light wheelset is nice--especially on a lightweight frameset, where, if you are counting grams, lighter wheels will help (though once you are up to speed, and you are not climbing a big hill, any little gains are no longer in play).
But the Sam is a country bike, not a 22lb fast club ride bike (though of course, you can do that on this bike, yes). A basic Atlas wheelset is not horribly overbuilt. A smaller lighter rider may not need it, but it can't hurt, and it looks more "classic" than some of the other options, and will undoubtedly be less expensive than a 28h wheel built for cyclocross racing. I built an Atlas wheelset with a Shimano dyno hub and a Velocity rear for my Clem commuter this spring. I am 160lbs. It so happened that the rear was a 36 rebuild and the dyno hub I had on hand was a 32 hole, but for a bike like this it's not really critical. At 650b they could both have been 32 or both 36, it is not going to affect anything done on this bike. Very happy with the performance. Note that I had to rebuild that rear because I hit a tremendous pothole and it put an irrepairable flat spot in the original Atlas rim. So yeah, stuff happens out there. But if you have a robust bike frame like the Sam, putting an expensive lightweight wheelset on isn't going to change your world. On Tuesday, November 10, 2020 at 11:35:56 AM UTC-5, Eric Karnes wrote: > > Lots of good advice here. > > > My own experience is that a nice, light but sturdy set of wheels and > good-quality tires are the best investment you can make in a bike (outside > the Riv frame). Other than dialing in the cockpit, that’s where I spend > most of my overall bike budget these days. As mentioned, choice of wheels > depends on your weight and intended use. I’m 170ish and much prefer lighter > wheels and suppler tires–even when I’m carrying a small load in front or > back. That said, I don’t do any loaded touring. My current preference for > rims in the H Plus Son Archetype 32H. Wide enough for most tires that Sam > can handle, the tires and tubes come off and on easily for on-trail > repairs, and they are relatively light. Matched with a decent hub, it makes > for a really nicely riding wheel. Like Nathan, Atlas and 36+H is way > overbuilt for me, but it all depends on your weight and riding style. > > > As for drivetrain, I’m a huge fan of the Sugino XD crank that Riv used to > sell. You can probably find a used one on this group or pick up one of the > ‘Clipper’ versions mentioned–which are a similar design. Having tried all > manner of fancy groupsets, I still find Shimano Deore to be the best > overall deal for mixed riding. It works perfectly with lots of different > shifters, is relatively light in weight, can handle wider-range cassettes, > and is pretty much indestructible. Again, you can usually find these used > or on closeout prices if you want to save a few dollars. > > > Cockpits (handlebars, stems, saddles) are very much dependent on personal > preference, riding style, and rider anatomy. Ask ten riders and you’ll get > ten wildly different answers. I’ve found the writings of James from Analog > cycles very helpful (you can find them on the Analog cycles website). And > as with Riv, I always try to buy things from them in order to support the > work they are doing. > > > Enjoy the build! > > > Eric > > > > On Tuesday, November 10, 2020 at 10:21:50 AM UTC-5, Nathan F wrote: >> >> Hello fellow Sam owner! Lots of good advice has already been offered in >> this thread. >> >> I have an '18 in the same color, but with canti brakes. It was my first >> build as well, and I blinged out whenever and wherever possible. Retail >> cost of the build was ~$5000. White cranks and hubs, polished Velocity >> Quills, Paul brakes, Nitto finishing kit, etc., and I can say the only >> things that were "worth" it were the brakes. I'm very happy with the >> Pauls--if you can get the centerpulls they make to work on your bike, I'd >> recommend them. For the crank, order one of the "Clipper" sets from Riv or >> Soma. They're such a great deal. >> >> My big advice to you is regarding the wheels. It's hard to recommend a >> set without knowing your weight. I know the Riv crowd loves the Atlas, but >> it is an incredibly burly rim that you likely don't need. A23s or Quills >> are the better all round rims for most people. Pacenti and HED are nice as >> well. Assuming you're <300lb and not doing heavily loaded touring, 32H >> front / rear should be the MAX spoke counts you need. >> >> Wheels are a real sticking point for me because the general advice on >> here can be quite dated. When Riv-built Rivs come into the shop I work, >> they are frequently the most overbuilt bikes I've ever seen. We're talking >> a 100lb woman riding 36H touring wheels for riding in the city when they >> could easily, and safely, be on 24H cyclocross race wheels. Onetime someone >> had a bike that, again, they were just riding in the city (no loaded >> touring) with a 42H rear wheel. It's utter madness. Once you add in the >> propensity for Riv owners to ride terrible tires--I've been so happy to see >> Riv overhaul their tire program--these bikes end up not being as fun to >> ride as they should be. >> > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/e381ba4e-a285-4f3c-b3a0-69859afb9e36o%40googlegroups.com.
