Dynamo and General Wheel Question

[Bt50]

Hello,

What do people look for in a "good" set of wheels and are a bettet set noticeably better if you are weighed down by gear and not in a race scenario? I mostly ride gravel (not much technical but lots of rocks and washboardy paths) and road.

I currently have the stock wheels that came on a Cannondale Topstone 105 and want to get a dynamo hub but I'm not sure if it's worth upgrading (I'm looking at the Hunt Superdura dynamo wheelset - anyone have good/bad experience with these wheels?) or if I should just buy the hub and have it put into my current wheel. I don't have enough experience to really weigh the pros/cons, but I know my current wheels are getting a little beat up (according to local shop they are beyond getting trued again... but ride fine to me) and by the time the hub is bought and installed there isn't a massive dollar savings (maybe a little less than half the price).

What are other people's thoughts? Is it worth the extra money to buy a new wheel set or would most people likely be just as happy buying the hub? I still need a few other peices of gear so it'd be nice to save a bit of money where possible, but having an extra, non-dynamo, wheelset might not be the worse thing either...

Sorry for the rambling question and probably hard to answer without knowing more but any advice is appreciated!

Thanks!

[offroute]

I have heard that subpar gear (heavier, etc.) should not be as much a consideration with a loaded bike, bikepacking, etc. IMO it matters more when riding all day for successive days, as every nuance of a bike gets magnified.

If you were me you would start with a clean slate and get the exact spec or best wheels you could afford. Carbon is not exotic anymore, just more expensive and commensurately more durable. Keep the old set at least until you fall in love with the new set or complete whatever big project(s) you have in front of you. I project that you will not want to take a dream wheelset off your bike.

I have not used a Dynamo, but would not hesitate to. Hub reliability is #1 for me, followed by a bomber, light, stiff hoop. Many carbon options exist, though I have had too much good performance and reliability from Derby to try anything else at this point. Same with DT Swiss hubs. I rode a budget (Easton) carbon wheelset on the US Divide, and the rear hub was finished afterward. Bullet dodged, never again.

A good wheelbuilder who knows bikepacking will keep you honest. MikeC of Lace Mine 29 drops in here sometimes - he would be at the top of my list for wheel info/building.

[evdog]

I have no experience with the dynamo hub mentioned.  I have a SON 28 on my bike.  No issues with it thus far.  Durability wise it is the rear hub that is more likely to have issues.  I've had a couple Stans freewheels fail so I picked up a new rear wheel for my bikepacking bike that has a DT Swiss 350 hub.  Much more reliable and can be field serviced easily. 

You're not going to save much by replacing your current front hub with a dynamo hub as many wheelbuilders won't build with used spokes, assuming they are even the right size.  And if the rim is beat up you'd probably want a new rim too.  I think you'd be better off getting a new complete wheel built and then sell the old one if you're happy with the new one.  Or keep it as a spare.  If you're wheel is getting beat up by gravel and dirt roads you may want to upgrade to a stronger rim.