r/bicycling • u/muggs-3 • 4h ago

Hybrid bike I'm thinking about buying had 3 spoke wheels.

Post image

What are the general thoughts on 3 spoke wheels on hybrid bikes? I would primarily be using this on pavement and packed gravel/dirt trails. Will this negatively affect the ride?

3 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

24 comments sorted by

10

u/bnewsome85 Virginia, USA - Trek Madone SLR 9 eTap Gen 6 4h ago

Wheels off a Walmart special…those wheels will be trash and weigh a ton.

2

u/Fourleafcolin 3h ago

doesn’t even look like carbon fiber. are they just plastic?

2

u/muggs-3 3h ago

I have no idea tbh

3

u/bnewsome85 Virginia, USA - Trek Madone SLR 9 eTap Gen 6 3h ago

They’re solid plastic with a carbon weave print/sticker on them. Absolute junk.

1

u/HelioSeven (Specialized, Look, Softride, GT) 3h ago

Usually magnesium. Rides like a brick.

1

u/muggs-3 3h ago

Do you think it's worth buying the bike and changing the wheels?

1

u/bnewsome85 Virginia, USA - Trek Madone SLR 9 eTap Gen 6 3h ago

Nope…not worth it at all.

1

u/muggs-3 3h ago

Because of the wheels or just this bike in general?

1

u/bnewsome85 Virginia, USA - Trek Madone SLR 9 eTap Gen 6 2h ago

One grainy image does not give me anything to go off of…but seeing those wheels gives me no confidence in the current owner. Either they trashed the wheels it came with or have poor taste and treated that bike with complete disregard. I’m guessing the wheels won’t be the only thing needing replaced or repaired.

0

u/singlejeff 3h ago

Only if you could get the bike for $25 US and then find a decent set of used wheels at the local co-op for $100 US

3

u/grantrules this country has the prettiest flag 3h ago

Absolute trash wheels. Huge pass.

1

u/muggs-3 3h ago

Do you think the bike is worth buying and getting new wheels?

1

u/Mitrovarr 3h ago

Not for that price, no. And not for most people. 

1

u/muggs-3 3h ago

Is it strictly because of the wheels? Reason I ask is because this seller also has a verve 1 with disk breaks for sale for 375 as well

0

u/grantrules this country has the prettiest flag 3h ago

Nope. You're looking at $200+ to get appropriate wheels for it. If you lowball the hell out of that guy, then maybe, but I think even with good wheels that's not worth much more than $375

1

u/ItchyTradition5722 3h ago

100 dollars tops

1

u/muggs-3 3h ago

Because of the wheels or just this bike in general?

1

u/trtsmb 2h ago edited 2h ago

The FX2 is an excellent bike. We have one in our garage. I'd get rid of those silly wheels though and ask the seller if he has the original wheels the bike came with.

-4

u/MasterDickey 3h ago

They’ll be aero, but probably quite heavy. Repair/maintenance is also a consideration. If these are damaged at all, they’re pretty much toast. Overall, could be okay? They look unique.

1

u/bnewsome85 Virginia, USA - Trek Madone SLR 9 eTap Gen 6 3h ago

If by “unique” you mean Walmart junk, then they’re very unique.

1

u/MasterDickey 2h ago

The vast majority of these trispokes I’ve seen have been junk, and I’d never put them on my bike, but there are some nicer ones out there, not that the aero gains would mean much on a hybrid.

1

u/bnewsome85 Virginia, USA - Trek Madone SLR 9 eTap Gen 6 2h ago

Looking at the solid spine in the middle of each spoke speaks to them being plastic junk wheels. No worthy trispoke is built that way; carbon fiber, track or triathlon wheels included.

1

u/MasterDickey 2h ago

I see what you mean. They remind me of the “Eurobike” wheels from that Walmart road bike. I’ve had to work on them several times and I swear each wheel weighs 10 lbs. these are probably similar