Mountain biking can be a rough ride, particularly if you spend most of your time on steep and rocky trails. Ensuring that your bike has the strongest rear wheel possible will reduce your chances of damaging the tire, rim, spokes or hub while riding. Additionally, your rear wheel supports most of your weight while you are riding, so it needs to withstand a greater amount of shock than your front wheel.
Rims
Wheel rims are typically made from aluminum on most bicycles. Aluminum is strong, durable and resistant to corrosion. But the strongest rims are made from steel or titanium alloys, which Susanna and Herman Mills claim in their book, "Mountain Biking," to have the highest strength-to-weight ratio. The extra durability of these rims will add to the overall weight of your bike but can save you a broken rear wheel out on the trail.
Spokes
The spoke type and pattern on your rear wheel will affect how well your weight and the shocks of riding are dispersed throughout the bike. Cycling expert Sheldon Brown says the rear wheel of your bike will typically have more spokes than the front. The strongest bicycle wheels typically have 36 spokes. Brown adds that triple-butted spokes are the most durable, making them the best choice for strength.
Tires
As the part of your wheel that comes in contact with the hard, jagged surfaces of the trail, your tires need to be a very strong part of your rear wheel. REI advocates buying rear-specific mountain bike tires that have high tread knobs to grip and handle the rigors of the trail. You can also buy tires composed of Kevlar threads for strength, and they can be lined inside with special puncture-resistant plastic.
Disc Brakes
It is not the first thing most cyclists think of when they are trying to strengthen their wheels, but switching from rim brakes to hub-mounted disc brakes can have a significant impact. As rim brakes squeeze against the rim to slow the bike down, they weaken the integrity of the rim over time. Disc brakes are mounted off the wheel hub, and the brake pads only weaken the braking disc instead of the rim.
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