DCR Wheels

There are a small number of rims and hubs that I keep in stock, however with such a variety out there, I normally order specifically for a set. I carry a range of different types of spokes that these parts are then laced with. Please contact me if you want to know a price on a particular wheel set you have in mind. You can also send me parts and I’ll lace them up for you

Hubs:

Hub selection principally involves two key factors: are they are fit for purpose and do they look right. Do you want your hubs to be light? Strong? Suitable for gears? High flange/low flange? Selection of colour is important if you want the wheels to look right. Shimano offer good value road and cross country hubs. Miche offer good value road and track hubs. Chris King offer some of the strongest and lightest hubs on the market, all coming with a 5 year warranty. DT offer a big range of high end hubs at high end prices. Phil Wood offers probably the hardest wearing hubs out there, they are expensive and I can only source the fixed gear versions. All other Phil hubs need to be provided by the customer. There are other options too so browse my manufacturer link library if you’re interested in seeing what’s available. The list is not exhaustive.

Rear hubs come with 4 types of gearing options. Single speed (fixed or freewheel), screw on freewheel with gears, freehub and cassette or internal gears. The most common is freehub and cassette, most common of that is a 8 speed freehub which also takes 9 and 10 speed cassettes. However, there is a growing popularity for internal gears. Traditionally these would be Sturmey Archer, and these are still available today in a range of models. However manufacturers like Sram and Shimano now make their own versions. Many of these still come with traditional drum or back pedal brakes. Arguably the best on the market is Rohloff, a particularly expensive hub boasting 13 internal gears and an almost infinite lifespan.

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Spokes:

I normally use either Sapim or DT double butted spokes. Dished rear wheels benefit from stronger spokes on the drive side. For the highest quality wheel Sapim CX-Ray spokes are the best on the market, although they are quite expensive so their application is rare but the market is growing. For more advice on choosing spokes you can read my article on spoke selection.

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Rims:
My most commonly used rim manufacturers are Ambrosio, Sun, Rigida, Mavic and DT. Sun rims have a good off-road range and offer value for money. Rigida have are mainly for road usage and are an economical solution. Mavic offer a wide range of rims for a variety of different functions, although they can be more costly. DT rims are good quality but quite expensive and with a more limited range than Mavic. Ambrosio offer a good selection of high end tubular and clincher rims. Sometimes I use Ghisallo wooden rims, these are an interesting selection, they can compete well on weight and look brilliant; they are rarely used now. I have written an article on their application which can be read here.

Rims come in different diameters and different widths. They also come with different hole numbers (this needs to match your hub). They also come in different profiles and are manufactured out of different materials. They can also be suitable for clincher or tubular tyres. Cheaper rims are pinned, more expensive ones are welded. Good quality rims have more than one ‘wall’ and some of the heavier stronger versions use eyelets for extra support.

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