I've made builds with 26" steel rims and cheap 700c alloy rims, all builds using regular shoe bike breaks. Honestly, upgraded breaks aren't all that necessary. As long as you've got them adjusted right and it's not raining, you should have any problems stopping in time. Anyways, both wheel types work pretty much the same for torque handling purposes. No bent spokes so far, but the 700c rims do bend easier if you hit a pothole.