Tim, I'm a bit late to the party- but I'll add my 2 cents anyway!
The old phil hubs you plan on using are bomb proof. I love how they are field serviceable with two allen keys. I'm not sure you would ever need to do so- it is neat that you can. As good or better than any other cassette in my experience- and I'm 6' over 200 lbs. In a 36 hole version- you are looking at great wheels regardless of the spoke diameter you select. I believe there are a few critical factors to consider. Rim construction- eyelets? Sounds like you have a great rim in mind. Lub the threads and nipple seats. 650b is going to be a bit stronger than a 700- and maybe a bit less than a 26" model. # of spokes- 36 is a great count. Tires size- the larger the tire size the more protected the rim/wheel will be. I suspect if you are going 650b- you are looking at a chubby tire- and that is good news for you wheels. Spoke nipples- brass all the way. Alloy are nice-but generally have limits. Build quality is #1. If you tension if even on each side- not even between the sides you will have years of long life with or with out an off-set rim. Setting spoke heats- aligning the spoke line- stressing the spokes as you build- so there is not wind-up along the way. I do like the off-set rims and have had great luck with them on my builds- for custom frame customers and repairs. Over the years i'v built a lot of touring wheels- mostly 700c and have had very few issues. Spoke length I have a Kowa spoke cutter/threader- so I tend to cut my all close to exact as possible using blanks. I'd error on a bit short than a bit long by .5 mm or so. The strength is compromised if your too short- at the extreme end. Bottom line- quality build-36 spokes db spokes with brass nipples- fatter tires- you can't go wrong. I can cut your spokes down as well if you only want to buy one size. A basic tension meter is a valuable tool for the beginner or advanced mechanic in my opinion. That ups the quality of the build. I'm in Iowa- happy to help in any way.(more than 2 cents of an opinion!) Good luck! Rich The other great Cedar-Cedar Falls On Tuesday, February 4, 2014 1:41:25 PM UTC-6, Tim Gavin wrote: > > My next bike project is to build up some new 650b wheels for my Riv Road, > using its original Phil hubs. I'm soliciting advice for which spoke > gauge/butting to use. > > Use: > Road riding/light trail rambling > Touring (220lb rider, ~25lb bike, ~20-40lb load) > > Parts: > Phil Wood 36h Road hub (front) / Phil Wood 36h Road FW hub (rear) > Velocity Synergy 650B rims > 3x Cross laced DT Swiss spokes --- gauge??? > > Which gauge of spoke is good for this situation? I want light weight but > with enough strength for the heavy load. What gauge/butting would be too > light? Is straight gauge overkill? Will using 36h allow me to use a > slightly lighter gauge? > > Rim: Can I use a symmetrical rim in the rear, or do I have to use one > with asymmetrical drilling? The Phil Wood FW hub's flanges are only 5mm > left of center, better than most cassette hubs. I already have two > symmetrical Synergy rims, so I'd like to use them for front and rear if I > can. > > Thanks! > > Tim Gavin > Cedar Rapids, IA > -- 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 rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
