Polo Wheels (Tyres, Spokes & Rims)

The Salsa Delgado Race are 25mm

I saw them at Push last night, they look so sweet. Cheers Prav...

John H what size are your supremes on your pompino?

700x28

The Salsa Delgado Race are 25mm

I saw them at Push last night, they look so sweet. Cheers Prav...

Aww, you have me lusting for the Salsa Gordo now.
http://www.tritoncycles.co.uk/m5b104s116p6658/SALSA_GORDO_26%5C_inch_HD_XC_FR_Rim/RS_GB/16604
£45 though.

Spot this if you're looking for rims and bits, can be shipped to UK but don't know the exact price though.

It's here http://sectionpolo.blogspot.fr/

Anyone have experience of building a wheel Brass nipples on drive side, Alloy on non drive side?

Currently building a set up like this to try it out. Wondered if anyone has experience.

Brass nipples are obviously better for most wheel build purposes. But there's an argument among the mechanics and engineering students in my shop that alloy would be better for polo as the nipple would be sacrificial, meaning I can keep the spoke an just chuck a new nipple on (meaning I don't have to take rotor and cassette off). Opinions?

Pretty easy for the spoke to get bent when the nipple goes. How much to you like a rotating deathrattle?

If you use the correct length spokes then the nipple will just be holding the tension. I think the problem you get is when something gets into the wheel like a pedal. From what I've seen on wheels built with alloy nipples it's usually the elbow of the spoke that snaps anyway.

What are the bonuses of brass nipples?

Brass threads work better with the steel threads on spoke. They interlace better and won't chemical bond/corrode together over time.

I've built it, and will build the front wheel in the opposite fashion (as the braking forces are non-driveside). I'll try and remember to post back my findings.

Initial reactions on building is this; It's much harder to tension an alloy nippled steel spoke, and will therefore be more of a chore to true a wheel; It's less fluid, initially the spoke twists, meaning you have to 'overtighten' and then back off afterwards to straighten the spoke out (If you didn't it'd straighten itself out during riding and send the wheel out of true again). This is just a minor annoyance, and should be helped by the fact that I won't need to have a PERFECT wheel anymore, now that I'm moving from rimbrakes to disc.

most people on 26" these days, what tire width do you run?

I see a lot of 1.35" Kojak, Durano and SportContact. Planet X have had both Kojaks and Duranos, wired 1.35", on sale for £10 each in the last year.

Quite a few on 1.5", there are tonnes of commuter tyres in this size so they're easy to get.

2.0" kojaks becoming more popular recently.

Yep, 1.35 Kojak (folding for weight), for me.

what's that in metric. 33mm?

34.3mm. Assuming sizes quoted in metric are measured the same as sizes quoted in inches.

At the moment I'm rocking a 2.5" up front! I will try out 1.3" duranos on my new build but can see me going up to 1.5" if I need the grip.

initially the spoke twists,

There's a tool to clamp the spoke as you tension.
Can't think what it's called atm as I'm working in a brewery in France and have been drunk for a week.

I'm very jealous, I've been sober for 3 days.

James do you want me to help you test the build by crashing into you tomorrow? :-D

^ Team work at its best

That's what I do best (I think I've taco'd 2 of James wheels?!)

Does anyone know any cheap 700c tyres is a very big size - something like 45 or 50c?

When they get to that size, the stupid bike industry often starts talking about them as 29er tyres, and hence in inches. Try looking for 29 x 2.0, 29.2.2 and so on...

I think you can get Big Apples in those sizes.

you might need a fat rim though.

Pretty sure Michelin make a 45c version of their City Protect range