Hi all! Newbie to Road Cycling

Flavzz

The 2007 OCR1 has R550 wheels so i imagine they are better yeah?

flipper

Yep, I reckon they're better... they don't have those silly hooked spokes.

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"I think the only rule is that if someone is a big fat bastard its fairly safe to assume they aren't going to be pwning anyone on a climb" ~ classic1

Flavzz

Ok cool. I went on my first ride on a road bike today, my mates Orbea. It was so easy to ride, cant wait to get mine!! brakes were a bit spongy (sora componentry) but still wicked compared to my MB. He said to fork out the extra for 105 cos he has only had his bike a couple months and already wants to upgrade! Can NOT wait any longer! Also after checking out countless bike shops, the Giants seem way ahead of everyone for value for money..

artemidorus

The R550 is a notoriously unreliable wheel in terms of spoke breakage - how much do you weigh? That said, they do quite well in terms of aerodynamics in comparison with some much more expensive wheels.

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"All that we see and seem is but a dream, within a dream..."

Flavzz

Ok, cheers for that mate, im not the lightest or smallest bloke going around at about 6 foot and 94kg. But thats a reason why i want a bike

Does it cost much to replace spokes? And when you get a broken one can you continue to ride or will more spokes brake etc?? I guess ill just see how it goes..

artemidorus

94kg is a bit heavy for the R550, I would advise, although Thomas would say otherwise. With a reduced spoke count wheel such as the r550, they say that 1 or 2 spoke breakages can ruin the rim.
Breakages shouldn't cost much to repair but they should not happen under ordinary riding circumstances.
My recommendation for your wheels would be Shimano 105 or Ultegra hubs laced to Velocity Aerohead rims, OC rear rim, 36 spokes on the rear and 28 spokes on the front. But this would have to be negotiated and would probably cost more. Better to have the price of the 550s deducted from the build cost than actually to be given the damn things, in my opinion.
If you break a spoke on a 550, you can't keep riding even with open calipers- the rim warps big-time.

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"All that we see and seem is but a dream, within a dream..."

Flavzz

Well nobody trying to sell me a bike has said that to me. Thanks for the heads up man. I will definately check that out when i decide to get it. The thing also is that broken spokes are not covered under warranty and that may mean that if a spoke breaks and subsequently the rim bends, I am not covered??

How much more are we talking to upgrade to 105 rims or Ultegra as u suggested? I really appreciate all your help as I am still a newbie but learning fast.

thomas_cho

Hi there,
Arte has said it for me , I seem to be the only one here >100kg, who has not broken a spoke on the R550s. I am now down to 92kg, and the wheels still look pretty strong to me.

But I have to agree that a high spoke count wheel will give you better reliability and a greater peace of mind that you are not going to be stranded 30km from home with a busted spoke.

I built a set of open pros/ultegra hubs for $350 all up (parts only). Would have been $40 cheaper if I did not go with the CD rims. I went 32 spoked front and back, with 3X lacing pattern. I think they are good value for money.

You may be looking at a build fee on top of the parts, but I am sure a deal could be struck since you are purchasing a bike as well. If you are up for it, wheel building is a really rewarding experience.

Flavzz

well at least that means i might not be doomed in buying an R550 equiped bike. I hope to get under 90kg's as soon as possible so the quicker i lose weight the less stress on the wheels and less chance of spoke breakage..

The OCR1 package at around 2 grand with accessories is really pushing my budget at the moment so im not sure that i could afford an upgraded wheel package immediately. At least if i get 6 months out of the 550's then I would be happy to upgrade.. Also im just going to want something thats reliable and not necessarily a race minded wheel.. thanks for your input mate

roshea

You can probably sell unused R550's for $250 on ebay if the shop won't give you a discount, so you could subtract that much from the cost of replacement wheels. Alternatively, try the R550's out and see how you go - you might be fine. I know a few larger riders who have no complaints about their R550's after 1000 km or so.

Wattsy Rules

So Mr M NEEDS huh?! I work on the principle of buying the best you can afford. You'll be using it a long time after you've forgotten about the price.

BTW, welcome to the site and to the wonderful world of road cycling!

artemidorus

I'm only 88kg and have broken spokes on 4 of 4 rear wheels since I got my TCR. 3 were 32 spoke wheels, 2 of which were built by highly regarded builders; the 4th was an R550. If you really want reliability, go 36 spokes on the rear, hand-built by someone who's good.

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"All that we see and seem is but a dream, within a dream..."

Albert 50

Hey Art, you seem to be a little harder on rear wheels than most & don't necessarily replicate most peoples experiences. BTW I'm not being demeaning of you, just that I have followed your previous posts on this subject.

flipper

I've raced & trained on R550's and never broken a spoke. (6' - 82kg)
Broke a few on R540's, more because they were getting on a bit and have a weakness where the spoke hooks into the rim... even still, I was able to ride home on them.
Handbuilt wheels will always be better... but R550's aren't going to suddenly explode under you or anything.
Like roshea said... ride on them for a while. There are heavier people than you using them without a problem.

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"I think the only rule is that if someone is a big fat bastard its fairly safe to assume they aren't going to be pwning anyone on a climb" ~ classic1